Although Chile represents a mere 0.25% of global emissions, the country is one of the 10 most vulnerable nations to climate change. It doesn’t help that Chile’s economy is heavily dependent on coal. But now with the annual UN climate talks coming to Chile this December, the South American nation delivered a “strikingly” ambitious pledge to cut down on emissions on Tuesday.
Under the pledge, Chile is aiming to go carbon neutral by 2050, with eight of the country’s 28 coal-fired plants set to close by 2024. The move would slash the share of coal within the electricity grid from 40% to 20% in five years, with a view to phasing out the fuel completely by 2040. While may seem overly ambitious, Chile has access to the cheapest unsubsidized solar power in the world and is looking to solar panels to bridge the energy gap.
It’s also worth noting that Santiago de Chile boasts 200 electric buses, the second largest fleet in the developing world after China. By comparison, the US currently counts 300 electric buses.
