Welcome to the Earth.Org Global Sustainability Index, where Earth.Org examines the policies and actions regarding the environment of every nation on earth. Combining the most respected global indexes on pollution, climate change, policy, energy, oceans, biodiversity we have produced an overall Global Index, which will be updated annually. This is the Global Sustainability Index scorecard for Venezuela.
In its individual NDC, Venezuela called on world leaders to recognise the climate crisis as one of the ‘clearest demonstrations of the crisis of capitalism’. In a stinging rebuke on developed countries, Venezuela’s chief envoy to the COP, Claudia Salerno, criticised the Paris Agreement for failing to bind governments into a fixed reduction of their emissions in favour of voluntary contributions.
This firm stance mirrors that of the country’s 20% reduction in emissions by 2030 target, which dwarfs many other countries’.
Among its environmental accomplishments, the government lists an extensive reforestation plan, 200 recycling factories, the implementation of a modern public transport system and a 20% cumulative reduction in electrical usage in the public and private sector.
Its NDC includes consolidating these achievements, as well as investing in clean energy, recycling, improving energy and water usage and the inclusion of environmental issues in the national curriculum. It also highlights the importance of drawing on the ancestral knowledge of Venezuelan indigenous groups to produce sustainable technologies.
However, the country says that its commitment is contingent on financial donations and the transfer of technology from wealthy nations, demanding a ‘just’ climate deal which respects the desires of developing countries to reduce poverty and choose their own path to development.
- Venezuela’s official targets are a 20% emission reduction relative to business as usual by 2030
- Besides the fact that this is critically insufficient, no information has been released about policies and legislation to put this into motion.
- In light of the tense social, political and economic situation in Venezuela, it is difficult to expect more information or a new set of targets anytime soon.
* Our Climate Change Ranking considers this country’s efforts toward climate change insufficient and thus has not ranked it.
You might also like: Global Emissions (2016)
References:
-
Biodiversity, Policy: Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G. (2019): Sustainable Development Report 2019. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
-
Oceans: Halpern, Benjamin S., et al. “An index to assess the health and benefits of the global ocean.” Nature 488.7413 (2012): 615-620.
-
Pollution: Wendling, Z. A., Emerson, J. W., Esty, D. C., Levy, M. A., de Sherbinin, A., et al. (2018). 2018 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. https://epi.yale.edu/
-
Climate Change: Climate Change Performance Index; Jan Burck, Ursula Hagen, Niklas Höhne, Leonardo Nascimento, Christoph Bals, ISBN 978-3-943704-75-4, 2019
-
Energy: Enerdata –World Energy Statistics – Yearbook.
World Energy Statistics
