Climate host Peru is no environment model

What is a climate summit like in a country ranked the fourth most dangerous place for environmental activists? At the UN talks in Peru, the host says it will play a proactive role, but NGOs are voicing concerns.

Deutsche Welle, 2 Dec 2014

Home to the second-largest stretch of Amazon rainforest, Peru is known worldwide for its spectacular nature. But when it comes to protecting it, environmental activists are critical of the government. "Peru presents itself as a wonderland of amazing biodiversity, but lately the government has passed laws that foster foreign investment and in turn lower environmental standards," says Heinz Schulze, president of a German-Peruvian solidarity network.

At the beginning of president Ollanta Humala's period in office, certification for sustainable investments was improved and a law was passed to give more rights to indigenous people with regard to what is planted on their land.

"It looked like an eco-friendly line, but it has stalled," says Isabel Calle, a lawyer and program director of the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA). She points out that Peru, like many other Latin American countries, is trying to be more competitive in times of world economic crises. "People assume that growth is only possible if we leave aside environmental concerns. This is a misconception that developed countries have already abandoned," says Isabell Calle.

Victim of climate change

Peru is situated in one of the regions most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It shows four out of the five risk factors: coastal, arid and semi-arid regions, areas exposed to floods, drought and desertification and fragile mountain ecosystems.

" If sea level rises, coastal cities also suffer from the consequences. Another big concern is the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and the melting of glaciers," adds Heinz Schulze.

Water is the resource that could be most affected. If glaciers melt, water resources could run out. Peruvians rely on water not only for drinking but also for their energy: hydropower is the source of 52% of Perus electricity.

Amazon alert

A large share of Peru's greenhouse gas emissions comes from deforestation: The soil in the Amazon is not very suitable for agriculture, and if a stretch of land doesn’t bring enough income any more, people simply log a new stretch of forest to use it for farming. Additionally, in areas that are hard to monitor, there is still a lot of illegal logging.

"It is essential to end the destruction of the forest, not only for Peru's sake, but also because of the importance it has for the global climate," says Heinz Schulze.

Therefore Peru is looking for international allies. In a recently signed agreement Norway commited to pay up to $300 million if Peru undertakes several measures to improve its forest policy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Germany is considering supporting the effort through its development agency.

The logging of rainforest is harmful to the climate

Activists under threat

According to a report by the NGO "Global Witness," Peru is the fourth most dangerous country worldwide for environmental activists.

A total of 57 activists have been murdered since 2002. Many killings occurred during conflicts between local communities and people supporting extractive projects such as mining. NGOs fear that these clashes will intensify with the weakening of environmental legislation.

In September four members of an indigenous Ashaninka community who fought against illegal logging were found dead in the jungle. "Knowing that they have been killed by illegal loggers gives me the shivers,” says Heinz Schulze, president of the German-Peruvian solidarity network . He hopes that the COP will improve the situation for both environmental activists and indigenous people in the host country.

Indigenous people want more say on what happens on their land

Peru as a negotiator

The conference in Lima is the platform for negotiations that are expected to pave the way to the next meeting in Paris in 2015, where important agreements for the fight against global warming are to be reached.

This has intensified the environmental debate in the country. At the moment there are nine bills to combat climate change in the pipeline. Environmental activists see the COP as a chance to trigger important environmental processes not only globally but also within the country itself. "Indigenous people and the importance that the environment has for them should be acknowledged, both inside and outside the COP," says Heinz Schulze. He hopes that Germany and the delegates of the European parliament will bring these issues into the debate.