The objective of the new Carbon Neutrality Observatory, developed by the Energy Center of the University of Chile and the Center for Climate Science and Resilience (CR)2, financed by Scotiabank’s Net Zero Research Fund, is to monitor the emission reduction commitments acquired by our country at a national and international level to mitigate climate change.
According to the university, the tool aims to reduce to one year the existing lag in the annual estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon budgets to monitor compliance with the carbon neutrality goal.
“Having a Carbon Neutrality Observatory that provides us with information is fundamental and will show us more clearly the progress made and the distance we still have to go to reach what we have proposed,” said the dean of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile, Francisco Martinez.
“The University is offering the country a very important observatory since we are all concerned about how far we are advancing towards carbon neutrality. Undoubtedly, the expectations we have set are high”, added the academic.
The executive president of Generadoras de Chile, Claudio Seebach, said that “it seemed very relevant to us in fulfilling our purpose as an industry, as a guild, to be articulators and collaborators in a carbon neutral Chile, where carbon neutrality is not only expressed in the reduction of CO2 emissions, but also in looking at all the co-benefits that this transition to carbon neutrality will bring us”.
For her part, Katia Berdichewsky, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scotiabank and member of the Network of Women in Senior Management, stressed that “we need clear action against climate change and, in this sense, we appreciate and congratulate this work developed by the University of Chile”.
According to data from the International Energy Agency, the environment may run out of time if capacity is not quadrupled in the immediate future.
And although, in recent years, there has been great progress in terms of clean energy, to begin to mitigate climate change, it is necessary to quadruple the current capacity of Non-Conventional Renewable Energies existing on the planet, according to Solek’s Latin American business director, Víctor Opazo.
“Fortunately, our country is privileged compared to other nations to achieve this transition. The high radiation of our soil and natural conditions allow Chile to generate the cheapest energy in the world, specifically solar energy, thanks to the northern desert and the possibility of generating and being leaders in the green hydrogen industry.
For this, we have a strategic location as an eventual supplier, with direct ports to China and USA, nations responsible for many harmful emissions currently produced,” adds the Solek executive.
With information from Forbes