{"id":379409,"date":"2025-05-22T15:46:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=379409"},"modified":"2025-05-22T15:46:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:46:32","slug":"argentina-new-climate-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=379409","title":{"rendered":"Argentina: New Climate Leader!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From Master Resource<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Robert Bradley Jr.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe grand opportunity is not only to leave climate alarmism and forced energy transformation in the dust. It is also to elevate the private and public wealth of Argentina with expanded private property rights and free markets. Let\u2019s go!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The rating of \u201ccritically insufficient<\/a>\u201d by Climate Action Tracker<\/a> makes Argentina an international climate leader in 2025. President Javier Milei<\/a> is putting people and greenery ahead of the Climate Industrial Complex in his country, offering a sound example of economic and environmental policy for other countries in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the good news (described as bad) by Climate Action Tracker (CAT):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Under Argentina\u2019s new government, progress in developing and implementing climate policies has taken a step backwards. Among the restructuring and budget cuts in the national public administration, Argentina\u2019s former Ministry of Environment has been demoted to the sub-secretary level, and the continuity of its previous climate policies remains in doubt. Meanwhile, the government continues to invest heavily in fossil fuels, notably a USD 30 billion LNG terminal to export fossil gas out of Vaca Muerta. Overall, CAT rates Argentina\u2019s climate targets and policies as \u201cCritically insufficient\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Details follow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Under President Milei\u2019s administration which assumed office in December 2023, Argentina\u2019s national government has been substantially restructured, with a focus on reducing the size of the public administration and cutting expenditure. In this process, the former Ministry of Environment has been reduced to the sub-secretary level, under the Secretary of Sport, Tourism and Environment (EcoNews Global, 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his presidential campaign, President Milei had stated he does not believe in man-made climate change and that his government will not support climate policies, including threats to leave the Paris Agreement (Colombo, 2023). While his administration later stated that Argentina will not be leaving the Paris Agreement, during COP29, Argentina recalled its delegation only a few days into the negotiations. Overall the outlook is bleak on Argentine increasing climate ambition for the next four years (Larena, 2024; Spring, 2023).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Energy projects for the masses have the green light!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The new government plans to continue developing the Vaca Muerta fossil gas fields, as well as a fossil gas pipeline and the LNG terminal planned by the previous administration. To support these large investments, the government set out an incentive package called RIGI or Incentive Regime for Large Investments (KPMG, 2024).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

CO2 emissions are on the go also, doing its part to green the Planet and trash Net Zero.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 2022, emissions in Argentina rebounded above 2019 levels after a sharp drop in 2020 due to COVID-19. This puts Argentina\u2019s 2030 emissions projections under current policies at approximately 15% above its already unambitious 2030 target. Based on a study by UNICEN exploring energy scenarios (Blanco & Keesler, 2022), if Argentina were to implement additional policies to scale-up low carbon energy sources and reduce energy demand, it could get close to its NDC target. However, to be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5\u00b0C, Argentina would need to develop more ambitious policies, especially to stop deforestation and reduce livestock-related emissions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The past administration put Argentina on a continued-poverty course.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Argentina submitted an updated NDC in December 2021 that sets an unconditional target that is only a marginal improvement on the previous iteration. Argentina\u2019s latest target only achieves a \u201cHighly insufficient\u201d rating when compared to required domestic efforts, and to Argentina\u2019s fair share contribution to global climate change mitigation. With emissions (excl. LULUCF) projected to grow significantly after 2022, Argentina is set to miss its NDC target.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the last few months, climate policy has been significantly deprioritised in Argentina,\u201d Climate Action Tracker continued. \u201cHowever, there have been some positive developments:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n