With representatives from all ministries, the second meeting of focal points of the Climate Change Cabinet of the province of Santa Fe was held. The meeting, held at the Government House in the provincial capital, focused on the presentation of the Provincial Greenhouse Gas Inventory updated to the year 2022, the consolidation of the monitoring system of climate measures and the approval of the rules of operation of the Focal Points Bureau.
Vice-governor Gisela Scaglia stressed that in the Reform Convention being held to reform the provincial Constitution "the incorporation of environmental issues is proposed, because climate change is an irreversible global problem, and therefore we must rethink strategies to deal with it". "It is also important to point out that environmental issues in Santa Fe and in our government are linked to the development of public works and the productive aspect of our province," Scaglia stressed. In this sense, he pointed out that "the problem is cross-cutting and we need coordinated work between different areas and ministries. Santa Fe is a pioneer on this issue since we had the first climate action framework law in the country; let's take advantage of this opportunity and have a sustainable approach in every action we take".
For his part, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Enrique Estévez, underlined the importance of the moment: "Santa Fe already has a plan in place, with goals, measures and people in charge. But the most valuable thing is that this plan is the result of the consensus and commitment of all the ministries. All of us in public office have a responsibility with regard to these issues".
Provincial monitoring
One of the central themes of the meeting was the presentation of the monitoring system of the Provincial Climate Change Response Plan, a key tool to assess the degree of progress of each measure, generate information for decision-making, detect obstacles and strengthen transparency. The system includes specific indicators, technical sheets by measure and periodic reports, and is designed with international climate monitoring standards.
During the meeting, the progress of the Provincial Climate Change Response Plan, which is in the process of being validated by the National Government, was presented, and the operation of the monitoring system, which will allow regular monitoring of the implementation of the 35 measures distributed in 9 strategic sectors, was discussed. Technical diagnoses were also updated, such as the emissions inventory - which reported 32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2022 - and the climate scenarios for Santa Fe. In addition, concrete implementation experiences were shared by the secretariats of Agriculture and Livestock, and Water Resources.
The Climate Change Cabinet is confirmed under the Climate Action Law (No. 14.019), the first law of its kind in the country. It establishes the legal framework for designing and implementing provincial climate change mitigation and adaptation policies, creates the Provincial Response Plan as the main instrument for action, promotes participatory and cross-cutting climate governance, promotes environmental education and gender mainstreaming, and establishes a specific monitoring and financing system. It also integrates international standards and requires regular updating of the plan.
