Peru’s National Climate Law: A critical step towards reducing global emissions

Introduction

While hosting the Twentieth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP20) negotiations in December 2014, Peru passed a climate law – the first of its kind in the Latin America region. The new law establishes a greenhouse gas inventory system known as INFOCARBONO.

INFOCARBONO provides a model that other countries can use when developing a comprehensive and consistent framework for national greenhouse gas inventories.

In this LEDS GP briefing note, Alfonso Cordova, climate change mitigation specialist and former climate advisor at the Ministry of Environment, Peru; and Benoit Lefevre PhD, Director, Energy and Climate, World Resources Institute Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, explain how the Government of Peru went about creating INFOCARBONO.

They outline how INFOCARBONO represents a major transformation of the country’s greenhouse gas management system. They also explore some of the challenges encountered along the way, including data and institutional challenges and how these were addressed.

The authors conclude that the INFOCARBONO initiative is an example of ambitious climate action achieved through strong leadership from key national and local stakeholders, together with good planning and international support.

Peru has demonstrated that:

• ambitious actions are achievable with strong leadership from key national and local stakeholders, good planning and international support
• climate action creates real benefits for local people, including improved air quality, reduced traffic congestion, more ‘green’ jobs and increased energy savings
• INFOCARBONO supports policy-makers in their daily tasks. The database will influence and inform the ways in which other policies are designed.

The full brief can be downloaded from the right-hand column or via the link provided under further resources.