Different productive sectors are taking the lead and signing voluntary agreements that have demonstrated their positive effect in reducing the carbon footprint, reaching 1.5 tons in Chile.
A Clean Production Agreement (APL) is an environmental management instrument where productive sectors and companies voluntarily commit to develop measures to make their activities more sustainable.
As of 2016, the National Clean Production Council, currently the Sustainability and Climate Change Agency , publicly reports the emission reductions achieved through APLs in accordance with the guideline of the Ministry of Environment.
Each sector or industry defines what reduction or improvement goals it wants to achieve, after which public entities related to each activity are called upon to help outline these objectives.
These can be as varied as installing solar panels to reduce energy consumption or recycling waste, for example.
Between 2012 and 2019, the LPAs reduced CO2eq emissions by 1,466,336 tons and are the first Chilean mitigation action to report reductions to the United Nations.
In the same period, potable water consumption was reduced by more than 3.5 million m3 through various APLs, equivalent to 1.2 billion pesos.
The greatest savings were produced by the APL of the Sustainable Campus Network, which brings together 27 institutions of higher education, with 1,773,594 m3 , equivalent to a 5% reduction in water consumption per student, faculty and staff of each institution involved.
In addition, this made it possible to increase the number of courses related to sustainability offered by the universities, while at the same time working on the training of their students.
The APL signed by the egg production sector saved 404,170 m3 of water through increased efficiency and infrastructure maintenance.
This is how the APLs have managed to reduce electricity consumption, recycle and reuse a significant part of the waste from the country’s different industries and translate this into billions of pesos saved.
Advantages for large and small companies
Part of the actions implied by the APLs are financed by the Sustainability and Climate Change Agency and once implemented, allow cost savings, for example, through energy efficiency.
Another great advantage of acquiring these voluntary agreements is to stay ahead of regulatory changes .
At Gisma and SIGEA, we understand that achieving sustainable development requires the private sector, which is already adopting increasingly rigorous standards.
As the effectiveness and efficiency of these standards are confirmed , they should become part of mandatory regulatory standards.
APL for Sustainable Development
Recognized by the Conference of the Parties (COP), they are also a tool to advance towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations.
The focus is on five of them: water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; and climate action.
International recognition
On October 22, 2012, the UN internationally validated the LPAs as the first Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), highlighting the eco-efficiency and sustainability promotion strategy implemented by the National Cleaner Production Council.
Sources:
El Mercurio http://portal.nexnews.cl/showN?valor=e8mal&mc_cid=7a36a58b9a&mc_eid=89e31b35a1
Sustainability and Climate Change Agency https://www.ascc.cl/pagina/apl
