10 minute read
Justification - Themes Selected
Justification - Themes Selected
Through a fully participative process carried out via brainstorming session and several meetings of the Organizing Committee, the following themes were prioritized for this Environmental Sustainability Forum. Its important to underline that these themes of interest are not the only ones of interest to the PA countries but rather represent the current and future priorities of the governments of the PA countries, as identified by the Organizing Committee (whilst avoiding duplication of other themes addressed in the previous 3 PA-EFE thematic forums).
The sub-themes of interest have been grouped underneath three larger themes, that will be addressed in three panels, and which are presented directly below in a summarized manner:
A. Actions for Reducing Environmental Impact
A1 Sustainable Management of Plastics: Regulation, Best Practices and Public Policies A2 Climate risk management as an opportunity for contributing to sustainability and competitiveness in the corporate sector A3 Definition and respect for rural property rights and proper management of water resources for the extractive sector
A4 Planning for investments and activities for the reduction of ecological footprint
B. Development of Human Capital with an Environmental Perspective
B1 Social and globalized perspective on environmental education: ethical transformation and new challenges B2 Contributions to the design of environmental public policies B3 Sustainable Management of Plastics: Education, Information, and Citizen Transformation
C. Consultative Processes and Recognition Systems for Good Management
C1 Methodology for obtaining green certifications in the extractive sector and/or TVET C2 Certification and measures for workplace health and protection C3 Sustainable Management of Plastics in the Extractive Sector: Circular Economy
The subthemes emerged and were identified from the ideas and respective justifications that the Organizing Committee Members proposed, which are explained in detail here below.
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A. Actions to Reduce Environmental Impact
A.1 Waste management, an opportunity for environmental sustainability.
Ideas Justifications
Use of plastic waste from the mining industry: ideas from a TVET perspective The creativity of TVET students (TVET institutions) can contribute significantly to the implementation of the Sustainable Use of Plastics PA Roadmap.
Sustainable management of plastics in the extractive sector The PA has set this issue as a priority, through a Presidential Declaration and a published Roadmap on the subject, therefore presenting itself as strategic opportunity to align these priorities within the framework and context of this particular forum.
Ideas Justifications
The role of the extractive sector in achieving carbon neutrality in the PA Sharing with participants the extractive’s sector 2050 carbon neutrality vision, and feedback from experts would be expected.
Ideas Justifications
Use of community and national resources by mining companies: opportunities for water resource management There have been cases of mining companies’ extensive use of water, such that clean water no longer reaches communities and ecosystems and tourism activities have been affected.
Social ties with rural and Indigenous communities, agricultural groups, private and public sector representatives Because of the impacts of the extractive sector on local communities and the environment, it is essential that information be shared publicly and that prior consultation take place with rural and Indigenous communities, representatives of agricultural groups, environmental civil society groups, and representatives of the mining industry.
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Ideas Justifications
Oversight, monitoring, and safety of tailings dams, which represent a risk both to the population and to the environment. Poorly managed mining can have a significant impact on the environment, as has been shown in disasters caused by tailings dam spills all around the world. In light of this, it is a challenge to carry on this activity while ensuring the sustainability of the surrounding area; this requires a real diagnosis of the maintenance status and operation of these facilities, as well as an exchange of best practices.
Challenges in the recirculation and use of sea water for the sustainable management of water in the mining industry.
Environmental impact and monitoring of environmental impact according to the type of extractive operation.
Restoration of natural areas impacted by extractive sector activities and regulatory frameworks. The water issue caused by global warming and climate change highlights the importance of reformulating management processes for the use of water in the mining sector, tipping the scale towards sustainable management. Because of this, it is useful to share experiences and best practices developed by the mining industry in the four countries in order to move towards the sustainable management of water, in terms of the use of desalination plants to produce fresh water from sea water, the implementation of technologies that enable more efficient use of water in processes, and innovations that increase recirculation rates inside plants. In each stage of the mining extractive process, it is important to closely and timely monitor the environmental impacts, in order to minimize them as much as possible. The better we can measure environmental impact, the better equipped we can be to assess and pursue sustainable development opportunities. There are many examples of extractive sector companies that have also undertaken restoration processes. However, there are also many cases where protected natural areas have been affected, where companies have not assumed responsibility. It is important to share best practices in restoration so that extractive sector projects include environmental compensation.
A.5 Sustainable Management of Plastics: Regulation, Best Practices and Public Policies (PA Action Area no. 1)
Ideas Justifications
Sustainable Management of Plastics PA Roadmap on this issue and a priority for the PA Technical Group on Environment and Green Growth (Spanish acronym: GTMACV).
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B.1 Global and social perspectives on sustainable environmental education: ethical transformation and new challenges.
Ideas Justifications
Role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in meeting the SDGs. SDG #4: to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. This includes the target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
Education for sustainability. SDG #4 includes target 4.7, which deals with global education for sustainable development.
Training within technical/vocational education, related to the environment. The Bilingual, International, and Sustainable educational model (BIS1). Comprehensive training in for technical professionals with regards to green values. It should be noted that both Colombia and Peru are countries with rich biodiversity, that include areas of the Amazon rainforest, making training on this topic internationally significant in light of the pressing climate change challenges. Forty-eight Mexican technological universities and polytechnics have adopted this system to train competent professionals and environmentally responsible citizens.
A strategy that is part of the BIS system to instil green values, educating citizens to become environmentally responsible.
Ideas Justifications
Practical experiences to develop a management system for employment, with a gender equality lense: reducing gaps in human capital during the energy transition Canada and Chile already have experiences in terms of collaboration in trade, environment, democracy, human rights, and other areas, including gender equity. Therefore, we hope to continue to strengthen connections within these themes, especially considering Canada’s experiences in strategies for promoting gender equity. Chile’s Ministry of Energy, through the Energy + Women Program, has begun to map out the path towards gender equity in Chile’s energy sector, through the implementation of a public-private plan in which numerous companies from the sector participate voluntarily. Within this framework, a diagnostic study was undertaken on the gaps in the sector, identifying items such as barriers to access to employment and education, in order to accelerate the process. In addition, participant companies in the Energy + Women Program have started implementing their first initiatives and have had their first successful experiences in bringing women into the sector, but there is a notable lack of a management model that would help to systematize and multiply these actions within the entire extractive sector. This is especially necessary considering that in order to meet the challenges of the energy transition, we need to make use of all available
1 Spanish acronym for: bilingüe, internacional, sostenible.
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Ideas Justifications
talent. Thus, the objective will be to strengthen management models and processes in order to standardize processes to then scale up the inclusion of women in the sector’s supply chain, and share successful experiences.
B.3 Sustainable Management of Plastics: Education, Information, and Citizen Transformation
Ideas Justifications
Sustainable Management of Plastics. Action area #6 of the PA Roadmap of the Technical Group on Environment and Green Growth (Spanish acronym: GTMACV), defining certification standards for products with ecodesigns and recycled content.
C. Consultative Processes and Recognition Systems for Good Management
C.1 Methodology for obtaining green certifications in the extractive sector and/or TVET
Ideas Justifications
The role of mining in the energy transition as a provider of raw materials (e.g., lithium and copper, amongst others) Although there are differing opinions with regards to current the sustainability and environmental impact of the mining industry, consensus is growing that extractive sector activities can indeed evolve towards becoming more sustainable and environmental . Mining activities are necessary for many in urban settings, bringing about technological advances and addressing the current challenges is essential to accomplish a successful energy sector transition and towards developing more sustainable economies.
Implementation of best practices in mining/metallurgical operations Priority for the Extractive Activities Coordination Unit.
Opportunities for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the mining sector: human capital for automated, efficient, and safe mining The Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing how we produce and trade. The mining sector is accustomed to facing major changes that bring big challenges but also opportunities for the sector. Among the benefits the sector can gain from advances in automation is increased efficiency of processes, substantial improvements in levels of workplace safety, and significant reductions in environmental effects on the areas around the operations. However, to leverage these opportunities, we need to overcome the challenge of creating an organizational culture that incorporates automation as a key aspect of the processes and advance in the development of human capital for greater specialization of workers.
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Ideas Justifications
Industry and environmental standards in Canada: advances and lessons learnt. Regarding the analysis of the behaviour of companies headquartered in developed countries when operating outside of their national jurisdictions, concerns have been raised by civil society, to be taken into account.
Best practices certifications for mining operations Increase the percentage of companies with social responsibility certifications.
C.2 Certification and measures for workplace health and environmental protection
Ideas Justifications
Workers’ safety in terms of COVID in the mining/metallurgical industry The Coordination Unit for Extractive Activities, under the Secretariat of the Economy, developed a “Best Practices Guide for Addressing the COVID-19 Health Crisis.”
Ideas Justifications
In addition to addressing the environmental sustainability policies and interests of the PA countries, all proposed topics align with the framework and objectives of the Pacific Alliance Employment for Education Program (PA-EFE), which recognizes the importance of the inclusion and training of people as the foundation for development. In accordance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the PA member countries and Canada are all committed to implementing policies, programs, and strategies that aim at improving people’s lives, eradicating poverty, and caring for the Planet. Among the 17 SDGs, a few of them are closely related to the PA-EFE Program and this fourth Forum, in particular SDG #7, which aims at ensuring environmental sustainability, specifies that basic natural resources and ecosystems should be managed sustainably in order to meet the population’s demand for food and other environmental, social, and economic needs.
In addition, the presentations and small group discussions that will take throughout the Forum, will help highlight the challenges and contributions of these principles of diversity, inclusion, quality, and gender equality, providing for a rich analysis and international dialogue.
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