After participating in COP16—the global summit on Biodiversity—where she made it clear that President Javier Milei sees climate change as a market issue, Environment Undersecretary Ana Lamas attempted to clarify her statements and criticized wealthy countries for imposing trade restrictions “under the pretext of protecting forest ecosystems.”
“It is unfair that, in this context, trade restrictions are imposed under the pretext of protecting forest ecosystems in emerging countries, when many of the countries imposing them have achieved their development through the exploitation of their own forests,” Lamas stated. From her perspective, “these restrictions do not protect; instead, they act as trade barriers disguised as conservation measures.”
The undersecretary spoke on Wednesday during the High-Level Segment attended by heads of state, ministers, and world leaders, which is taking place in Cali, Colombia. During her official intervention in the negotiation meeting, Lamas reaffirmed that Javier Milei’s administration pursues a “firm integration of biodiversity into public policies,” although she also raised certain reservations.
This story was produced as part of the 2024 CBD COP16 Fellowship organized by Internews' Earth Journalism Network. It was first published in Spanish in ElDiarioAR on October 31, 2024. It has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Banner image: COP16 - BURO 30 OCT / Credit: UN Biodiversity via Flickr
Jazmín Bazán
