The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) said last Monday that the Escazú Agreement “lays the foundations for changes in production and consumption patterns” and allows “accelerating the transition towards more productive, inclusive and sustainable societies”. By ensuring the right of present and future generations to a healthy environment and sustainable development through access to information, participation and justice, this first environmental treaty in the region lays the foundations for changes in production patterns. and consumption that put people and nature at the center”, said the regional organization dependent on the UN and based in Santiago de Chile.
World Environment Day
In a statement on World Environment Day, ECLAC’s executive secretary, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, called for “accelerating the transition towards more productive, inclusive and sustainable societies that reduce our environmental footprint and accelerate the circular economy as a cross-sectoral strategy for sustainable development. The Escazú Agreement shows us the way, offering tools to design environmentally sustainable collective actions that involve all the actors in our society”, he added.
The Escazú Agreement, whose technical name is the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, is the first environmental treaty in Latin America and the only one in the world containing specific provisions on the protection of activists.
In force since 2021, the pact has been ratified by the parliaments of a dozen countries, although it was originally signed by 24 nations. Despite the fact that Latin America contributes only 9% of global emissions, it is one of the most vulnerable regions to the effects of the climate crisis.
Most dangerous area in the world for environmental defenders
On the other hand, Latin America is the most dangerous area in the world for environmental defenders and where there is greater impunity. In this sense, 2020 was the deadliest year for environmentalists on record. In fact, 3 out of 4 attacks occurred in the region, according to the latest report by the NGO Global Witness, in which Colombia and Mexico lead the statistics.
