Search

2.69.  (...) This[the EU Chile Association Agreement] is the most sustainability-oriented agreement that Chile has signed to date. Through the Trade and Sustainable Development chapter, Chile and the EU agree on binding commitments, common aspirations and objectives to foster a trade relationship that enhances sustainable development as an economic driver. They undertake, inter alia, to effectively implement the core labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO), make efforts to combat climate change and promote the transition to a low-emission economy, enhance the mutually supportive relationship between certain trade and environmental agendas, particularly in the areas of biodiversity, sustainable forest and fisheries management, and promotion of low-carbon technologies. (...).

2.95.  As regards environmental matters, Chile's commitments date back to 1997 with the Free Trade Agreement with Canada. As with its approach to labour matters, Chile has consistently sought to include environmental commitments in trade agreements, recognizing the role that trade can play in sustainable development.

2.96.  The environmental chapters contain provisions such as the commitment of the parties to effectively implement their respective environmental laws, to promote legislation with high standards of environmental protection and not to repeal environmental legislation. These clauses serve to bolster trade relations in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

2.97.  From the time of the negotiation with the CPTPP[the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership], Chile began incorporating specific clauses on environmental matters, including first-time articles on fisheries, forestry, wild flora and fauna, biodiversity, and environmental goods and services. Such matters have become a feature of subsequent trade agreements. Cooperation remains an important component of these chapters, as it allows for dialogue and exchange of experiences to tackle the global environmental challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

2.98.  Currently, 21 of the 33 active trade agreements entered into by Chile include environmental provisions. During this trade policy review period, the following trade agreements entered into force: (a) the Free Trade Agreement with Thailand and (b) the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Indonesia, both featuring cooperation provisions on environmental issues; (c) the Free Trade Agreements with Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Paraguay (not yet in force), and with the CPTPP[the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership], which include chapters on environmental issues.

2.103.  In June 2023, Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs unveiled its Feminist Foreign Policy. This policy recognizes that gender disparities and barriers are an obstacle to the full exercise of human rights, democracy, sustainable development and the nation's well-being. (...)

3.5.  (...) the Legislature approved Law No. 201,533, which amended the existing constitutional text, with the aim of establishing the procedure for drawing up and adopting a new Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile. This law establishes 12 institutional bases that delimit the regulatory framework in which both the Expert Committee and the Constitutional Council carry out their work. These bases include aspects such as the country's republican and democratic structure; (...); and respect for and conservation of nature and the country's biodiversity.

3.9.  At the same time, during April 2023, the Government introduced its National Lithium Strategy. This initiative aims to spur the development of the lithium industry in order to dovetail Chile's economic progress into the energy transition. (...) This is all geared towards promoting a sustainable economy, by diversifying away from extraction and promoting a more complex economic structure. Incorporating capital, technology, sustainability (in both social and environmental terms) and value addition in harmony with communities will be crucial to achieving this objective(...)

3.10.  (...) The country is aiming to develop a long-term strategic vision covering the entire lithium production cycle, from exploration to value addition, with clear regulations to ensure the sustainability and development of investments. The implementation of this strategy is expected to support the global energy transition and to help improve people's lives. (...)

3.13.  In 2021, at the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - COP25 - Chile presented its Long-term Climate Strategy, which includes a commitment to becoming and remaining carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest. This objective was subsequently reflected in the Framework Law on Climate Change, which was enacted in June 2022, making Chile the first developing country to establish carbon neutrality by law. The key objectives include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to their resulting environmental impacts, enhancing food security, increasing water availability and reducing pollution and health risks.