November 09,2023
Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren led the launch of the Chile Pavilion, which will host the parallel events organized by the country during the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP28, which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, between November 30 and December 12.
The COP is the largest and most important environmental gathering of the year, and this time it will feature the participation of more than 30,000 delegates from government, the private sector, and civil society, who will address the climate crisis. It is within this context that, for the third time, Chile will have a pavilion in the conference's Blue Zone, where delegations from various nations will hold their side events between December 3 and 10.
“Our pavilion aims to highlight issues that are priorities for Chile and where we believe we can make a significant contribution to this global challenge. Thus, the energy transition, sustainable finance, nature-based solutions, and the cryosphere will be the focus of our participation,” emphasized the Foreign Minister, who added that “COP is a perfect opportunity to showcase and promote initiatives, as well as to forge new alliances among all stakeholders in this area.”
The narrative that Chile will present in Dubai has been developed in coordination with the Imagen de Chile Foundation, an organization whose mission is to promote the country's image worldwide, increasing its recognition, reputation, and preference in the international market. Acting as a bridge between the public and private sectors, the foundation has sought to establish a common message across the various sectors that currently project Chile globally. This message will allow the world to see the collaborative work that Chilean society is undertaking to effectively address the current climate crisis.
“We understand that mitigation and adaptation efforts will only be effective if we work together, first nationally and then internationally, and develop common strategies to contribute to building a resilient society in times of climate emergency,” the minister stated, thanking the pavilion's sponsors: CAF, Concha y Toro, Colbún, HIF, and LATAM. “Their collaboration and joint work will allow us to show the world Chile's comprehensive commitment to fighting the climate crisis.”
The pavilion is also expected to become a platform linking the Chilean delegation with the other parties and observers, and to be the setting for the eventual signing of agreements and the launch of initiatives.
“With the aim of strengthening ties with all stakeholders involved in this issue, the Chilean Pavilion is envisioned as a space for dialogue and exchange, for sharing knowledge and valuable experiences among public and private actors, and also—essential in this area—civil society, both national and international. It will be an extraordinarily relevant showcase at a meeting that brings together thousands upon thousands of people involved in the issue of climate change. And this will allow us to project ourselves as a country that seeks to exercise leadership in terms of climate ambition and that truly has much to demonstrate in this area,” the Foreign Minister added.
Participating companies
The pavilion's agenda is also expected to include the 15 companies that ProChile selected, through a public call, to be part of its mission, sharing the solutions they have developed to address the effects of the climate crisis.
The 15 selected companies are Herco Equipments, specializing in the reuse of parts for mining machinery; Kilimo, dedicated to water conservation in agricultural irrigation; Instacrops, a specialist in the development of hardware and software for agriculture; Bioelements, which produces sustainable bioplastics; Remote Waters, which develops technology to purify water without emitting CO2; Aintech, dedicated to the development of products in the field of nanoscience with a focus on sustainability; and Reborn Electric.
Motors, which manufactures zero-emission mining vehicles and converts diesel buses to electric; Photio, which transforms surfaces into air purifiers; Lader Energy, which develops renewable energy projects; Reciclapp, which connects people with recyclable materials to recyclers; T Phite, which allows the smoke from the combustion of used tires to be graphitized; Suncast, which predicts solar and wind energy; Rudanac, which develops technology for the biodegradation of scrap metal; Drovid, whose technology detects forest fire hotspots; and Mercado Circular, which promotes a product recharge system, avoiding single-use plastics.
“These are supplier companies that contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change and diversifying national exports, with 40% of the mission comprised of women-led businesses. Furthermore, 60% of the mission is from the Metropolitan Region and 40% from other regions. Most of these companies are beginning their international expansion, registering exports of approximately US$36 million in the last four years,” highlighted ProChile's Director General, Ignacio Fernández.
Fernández added that “for the second year in a row, ProChile contributed to the design of the Chilean pavilion at COP28. We designed a 140 square meter space that addresses the themes of energy transition, which will be the meeting point for the Chilean delegation and its international counterparts.”