A recent report from Sustentabilidad Sin Fronteras exposes the uneven progress on climate action among the provinces of Argentina in the face of climate change.
Amidst a national landscape marked by climate change denial, a recent study sheds light on the degree of progress, as well as the stagnations, that provinces experience in implementing plans, conducting inventories, and securing financing to address climate change.
The Sustentabilidad Sin Fronteras Foundation (SSF) unveiled the Report on Provincial Climate Commitments during an event at the Casa de la Provincia de La Pampa.
This work represents the first comprehensive assessment of subnational climate action in Argentina.
The document consolidates official data from all jurisdictions, enabling a comparison of progress in key areas such as institutional framework, response plans, greenhouse gas inventories, legal frameworks, financing, and public participation.
The report highlights several key findings:
- Only 3 provinces (La Pampa, Jujuy, and Misiones) have Provincial Climate Response Plans validated by the national administration.
- 54% of all provinces have established government departments specifically dedicated to climate change.
- 7 provinces have developed their own greenhouse gas inventories (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Jujuy, Mendoza, Misiones, Río Negro, and Santa Fe).
- A total of 8 jurisdictions have a framework law on climate change (CABA, Santa Fe, Jujuy, Neuquén, Mendoza, Río Negro, Tierra del Fuego, and Formosa).
- The province of Buenos Aires is responsible for 34% of the national emissions.
- The vast majority of provinces depend financially on funds from the Federal Investment Council or national cooperation.
- Access to international financing for these provinces is limited.
Mariano Villares, co-founder of Sustentabilidad Sin Fronteras, stated: “Climate federalism is in the process of being constructed.” He added that “the ability of provinces to maintain and accelerate their plans will be crucial for Argentina to meet its international obligations, as well as to protect millions of inhabitants from the risks of droughts, floods, and fires.”
This work does not aim to create a classification or ranking, but rather provides a comparable “snapshot” that aids decision-making, reduces information asymmetries, and promotes collaborative learning among jurisdictions. The main goal of the report is to organize and make visible publicly available information.
In an Argentina where the national government denies the existence of the climate crisis, it is the provincial administrations that are striving to define the path forward.
The full report can be downloaded at www.sustentabilidadsf.org.ar/
