The Undersecretary of National Environment, Fernando Brom, resigned. He left his position after submitting a resignation that was made official today in the Official Gazette. His departure occurs amid a crisis in the Government’s leadership and coincides with pressures on the Chief of Staff, Manuel Adorni, who faces allegations of illicit enrichment. For now, the Chief of Staff has not defined a successor for the environmental portfolio, leaving a scenario of uncertainty about the direction of the national climate policy.
Context of management and state adjustment
Brom was the second to lead the area during the libertarian administration, reaching the position with the support of Guillermo Francos after the departure of his predecessor, Ana Vidal de Lamas. During his management, Brom deepened the policy of state reduction and budget adjustment, which included:
-
The dissolution of the Climate Change Directorate (announced on April 22).
-
The reduction to only two active directorates within the undersecretariat.
-
The operation of the area with a cut of more than 70% of its budget from the Treasury and stripped of its former ministerial rank.
Aligned with the officialdom, Brom supported controversial reforms such as the modification of the Glacier Law, although he was internally criticized for his few public appearances. In his statements, he opposed what he called “ideologizing the environment” (linking the environmental agenda with poverty and gender), trying to show results without clashing with the climate change denial stance that characterizes the Government.
International commitments on hold
The main technical conflict of his management lies in the non-compliance with climate commitments:
-
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC): The document detailing the country’s goals against the climate crisis was prepared and funded with international funds, but remains held in the Foreign Ministry for review and has not yet been presented to the United Nations.
-
Future events: There is total uncertainty about whether Argentina will send technical or political representation to the upcoming key international events: the COP 31 (Climate Change) and the COP 17 (Biological Diversity).
