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Chile

Political Groups
G77, OECD
World Bank Income Group
High income
Global Climate Risk Index
87.83

The annually published Global Climate Risk Index analyses to what extent countries have been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.).

Published by German Watch https://www.germanwatch.org/en/cri
Share of Global Emissions
0.01%
Legislation
10
Laws, Acts, Constitutions (legislative branch)
Policies
23
Policies, strategies, decrees, action plans (from executive branch)
Litigation
Coming soon
Court cases and tribunal proceedings
Targets
11
Climate targets in National Law & Policy

Latest Documents

, 2022

The purpose of this law is to face the challenges presented by climate change, move towards a low-carbon development, until reaching and maintaining carbon neutrality by 2050. It also aims to adapt to climate change, reduce vulnerability and increasing resilience to the adverse effects of climate change, and comply with the international commitments assumed by Chile. This ...

, 2021

This law establishes the right to live in a pollution-free environment, the protection of the environment, the preservation of nature and the conservation of environmental heritage. Article 70 notably charges the relevant ministry to propose policies and formulate plans, programs and action plans on climate change. In the exercise of this competence, it must collabora...

, 2021

This policy was prepared in 2019 and approved by a ministerial decree published in July 2021. Objective 1.2 of the policy is to promote the occupation and development of the territory in a safe and resilient way that contributes to disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change.Guideline 1.2.c states that management tools and mechanisms in land use planning ...

, 2020

This document aims at fostering the production and use of green hydrogen in the country. It seeks in particular to advance local production for exportation between 2020 and 2025 and increase the country's market share after 2025.

, 2018

The Energy route 2018-2020 presents a strategic and long-term perspective, with a country vision of where the country's energy policy should head. It was developed trough a participatory and decentralised work with a multidimensional approach, taking into account different stakeholders throughout Chile. The plan presents 7 lines of actions which include energy efficiency a...

  • Mitigation Goal. By 2050 at the latest, greenhouse gas emission neutrality must be achieved. Said goal will be evaluated every five years by the Ministry of the Environment, in accordance with the instruments established in this law.Economy-wide | Target year: 2050Source: Framework Law on Climate Change - Chile
  • Reduction of 20% of GHG emissions by 2025 against a 2013 baselineEconomy-wide: Economy Wide | Target year: 2025Source: National Strategy on Forests and Climate Change 2017-2025
  • Net zero  From 2016 iNDC: 30% (unconditional) or 35-45% (conditional) reduction in CO2 emissions per GDP unit by 2030 compared to 2007 level, and GHG sequestrations and reductions of an annual equivalent of around 600,000 of CO2 as of 2030 from LULUCF sectorEconomy-wide | Target year: 2050
  • 12% reduction of energy demand, equivalent to 41,500 Tcal and 4,150,000 Tonnes (eq) of oil not used by 2020 against a 2012 baselineEnergy: Energy Efficiency | Target year: 2020Source: National Energy Strategy 2012-2030
  • 264,000 hectares of forests under intervention to avoid degradation by 2025LULUCF: Preservation | Target year: 2025Source: National Strategy on Forests and Climate Change 2017-2025

Legislative Process

Chile’s democratic system of government is based on the separation of powers. It is a multiparty republic with a presidential system based on the 1980 constitution. The constitution sets the format for the National Congress, composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. The Senate has 47 members (38 elected and nine appointed) who serve eight-year terms. The Chamber of Deputies has 120 members who are directly elected for 4 years. The last Congressional election was held in 2013, the next is scheduled for 2017. A Bill replacing the Binomial Electoral System and adjusting the number of legislators (to 155 Deputies and 50 Senators) is currently awaiting publication and should take effect from the 2017 election. The President of the Republic is elected for a six-year term without possibility for re-election. The executive branch is composed of 16 ministries and four cabinet-level agencies.

In several areas the President is given sole authority to introduce bills, such as for measures related to spending and duties of public-sector administrative entities and modifications to the political-administrative configuration of the state. The President can also call the legislature into extraordinary session, during which only legislative and treaty proposals introduced by the President can be considered. The President may grant certain initiatives priority status, requiring that Congress act within 3, 10, or 30 days, depending on the degree of urgency. In this sense, the President has the exclusive power to set the legislative agenda.

The Constitution is the highest norm and establishes the hierarchy of other legislation. Congress adopts the laws or statutes, with an internal hierarchy depending on quorum of approval and regulated matter: institutional act, special act, and ordinary act (including decree laws, delegated laws and ordinary laws, all of which are of equal hierarchy). The executive branch enacts regulations (supreme decrees), which are issued by the President of the Republic, and plain decrees or resolutions, which are issued by the rest of the executive branches. A bill, once approved first by the Chamber of Deputies and then the Senate, is sent to the President for approval. Upon endorsement of the bill, the President issues a decree of promulgation and submits the bill for con­stitutional review by the Comptroller-General. After the bill has been declared constitutionally sound, the President has the bill published as law in the Official Journal.