Climate first in new chile charter
Away from the maddening cacophony surrounding climate change debates across the globe, Chile is quietly setting an example. A 388-article document—draft for a new Constitution under the leadership of 36-year-old President Gabriel Boric—has political and economic analysts divided. The Right wing calls it too woke and Left-leaning which they say could find little resonance with the Chilean voters when the new charter is put to vote on September 4. But when it comes to incorporating climate change—the first nation to do so—there is concurrence that Constitución Política De La República De Chile heralds a bold new era where the leadership is seized of the world environment’s grim future.
Borne out of a participatory and democratic mechanism, the draft Constitution pitches for greater inclusivity, gender parity, and seeks to enshrine rights of the younger generation and indigenous communities while guaranteeing access to education, among other things. Significantly, it also makes the government responsible for preventing climate change and places adaptation and mitigation measures to tackle the effects. There is a section that confers nature the right to be protected. Critical environmental areas like glaciers and wetlands are left out of the scope of mining. Those who bat for the ambitious Constitution say its charters considered the indisputable evidence of climate change.
What Chile’s young political leadership has in mind could have far-reaching consequences for the economy and businesses. The current pace of climate change demands nothing less of all the developed and developing nations. Look at Europe which right now is grappling with an unprecedented heat wave. Portugal is battling a horrifying spate of wildfires. Thousands in France have fled to safer places and several emergency personnel and firefighters have perished in Spain.
The UK, where the Brits like a bit of sun, has already pressed the red button anticipating the worst-ever scenario. For its part, India witnessed in March a record-shattering heat wave while Australia’s bushfire losses were staggering. The footprints of climate change are everywhere and this is no time to be in denial. Whatever happens to its draft Constitution, the Latin American country has shown that it is ready to walk the climate talk, and other nations must take a leaf out of its book.