Article 6.2 – Cooperation between Switzerland and South America
Chile, Peru and Uruguay have conducted negotiations with Switzerland within the framework of the mechanism for cooperation under the Paris Agreement. Peru subsequently signed a bilateral climate agreement with Switzerland in October 2020, Uruguay in December 2022 and Chile in August 2024. In addition to their own measures to combat climate change, the countries are relying on a cooperative approach to raise their climate targets. An analysis of the regional, political and strategic framework conditions for implementing Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement (A6.2) is intended to provide an insight into the particularities of each country’s own approach, which must be taken into account in the activities of the KliK Foundation on a country-specific basis.
The starting point for cooperation with the KliK Foundation is a bilateral climate agreement with Switzerland as part of A6.2. This agreement regulates the conditions for cooperation in the fight against climate change. The KliK Foundation then looks for cooperation partners who develop customised greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation activities in close cooperation with the respective partner countries. Anyone wishing to benefit from technology transfer under A6.2, attract more sustainable investment into the country, and thereby drive forward the green transformation, must fulfil a variety of requirements.
In order to follow up on the specifics in each case, we exchanged views with representatives of the local environment ministries. For Chile, we gained insights from Cristina Figueroa Vargas and Camila Labarca Wyneken from the country’s Ministry of the Environment. For Peru, we were given background information by the General Directorate for Climate Change and Desertification, from the country’s Ministry of the Environment. And for Uruguay, we were provided with information by Mariana Kasprzyk and Paola Visca from the National Directorate for Climate Change at the Ministry of the Environment.
Before we present the specific circumstances at national level in more detail, let us first look at the similarities in terms of a sustainable, business-orientated approach, which is significant in all three countries.
All three countries are already severely affected by the consequences of climate change, which they want to actively counteract. At the same time, those responsible realise that activities to reduce GHG emissions must be inextricably linked to ensuring sustainable economic development. Political stability, continuity in climate policy and a broad consensus in favour of a cooperative approach to climate protection create stable framework conditions that enable the necessary commitment and long-term investment in areas such as energy, agriculture and industry. In order to motivate society and the private sector, the three countries rely on state instruments such as subsidies, grants, research support and the development of technical capacities to strategically utilise the carbon markets.
A6.2 activities that must be carried out in addition to the measures to achieve the national climate target (Nationally Determined Contribution, NDC) must be anchored in the national GHG inventory so that corresponding adjustments can be made. Precise description and documentation are essential for both the development and implementation of each individual activity. Requirements for innovative technologies and methods, and for national environmental legislation, have the highest priority for authorisation, and the same goes for compliance with human and labour rights. All dialogue partners unanimously confirmed that a regular exchange with stakeholders and the representatives of the Swiss authorities is crucial to ensuring compliance with the highest standards. The individual countries are presented in more detail in the following chapters.