Chiapas Facing the Climate Change: A dvances on Mitigation and Adaptation.

1. Chiapas Facing the Climate Change: Advances on Mitigation and Adaptation. Alejandro Callejas Linares DeputySecretary of Environment, Government of Chiapas, Mexico.

2. Since 2008, the government of the State of Chiapas, in collaboration with NGOs, academia and the private sector, has been creating the Climate Change Action Plan for the State of Chiapas (PAACCCH), as well as strengthening two important working groups, the Ecosystem Services State Group (GESE) and the REDD+ Chiapas group (known today as the CTC).

3. The Government of Chiapas has developed judicial certainty in the topic of climate change and the environment by taking important actions; the creation of a new Environmental Law for Chiapas (March 2009); enacting the state law for the mitigation and adaptation of climate change (December, 2010), and finalizing the Inter-institutional commission for climate change for Chiapas, where we will also attend the Biodiversity and Desertification conventions.

4. We now have a working financial instrument, by way of the Environmental State Fund, which has over $4 million US dollars of start-up funds for the early REDD+ action in the Lacandona Jungle. These funds come from the collection of state auto ownership taxes.

5. Stemming from the sub national Memorandum of Understanding signed by the states of Chiapas, California and Acre, all three governments have been actively working together in order to homogenize our processes, in order to eventually establish a carbon market and strengthen the capabilities and positions of all of the involved, while working with the CAP & Trade system in California and standardizing social processes in Acre and Chiapas.

6. The REDD+ process for Chiapas. Mexico introduced its R-PIN to the World Bank on July 2008. An inter-institutional group began working on the REDD+ topic at a national level in order to elaborate the national strategy (R-PP approved). During the COP-16 in Cancun, Mexico presented this document to establish its position as a country. This group promoted an initiative to implement pilot projects (early actions) to begin facing the challenges along the process.

7. Chiapas was one of the chosen states due to: •The diversity of its ecosystems. •Its social and cultural wealth. •A high level of vulnerability to climate change. •The existence of prioritized ecosystems such as the Lacandona Jungle and cloud mountain forests. •The presence of emblematic Mesoamerican species. For these reasons, the implementation of REDD+ processes, presented scientific, technical, social and political challenges. The lessons learned from Chiapas can layout the correct route in order to achieve successful programs.

8. In Chiapas we began developed studies and techniques in order to have a community based monitoring system of CO2, as well as pilot projects for monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) inside the “Ocote Biosphere Reserve”. With these experiences, we developed early REDD + actions for the Lacandona jungle, where we currently work with several local indigenous communities such as the Tzeltales, Mayas Lacandonas and Choles.

9. We are developing a mechanism that integrates and encourages participation in the climate change and REDD+ processes in Chiapas, communities actively participate in the construction of mitigation and adaptation programs. For us, it is very important to include the legitimate owners of the lands in every step of the process.

10. NEXT STEPS AND CHALLENGES - Include all of the voices – currently, we have began creating programs that include the participation of various social sectors in order to develop effective governance. - Involve all levels of government, including the federal and local houses of representatives, to align public policies that stem from a single vision. - Build a multi-scale process that is aligned with the federal government, while respecting state and local developments.. -Align international cooperation.

11. NEXT STEPS AND CHALLENGES -Modify more laws and generate a way to include municipal participation within the REDD+ process and other topics related to climate change. -Have an actualized forestry inventory for 2011 at a state level. – Build a regional program for Climate Change, REDD+, and sign an MoU with the states of Tabasco and Campeche. -The transition to a low carbon economy.

12. In Chiapas we have implemented several strategies to reach sustainability and improve the quality of life of our population. One of the strategies was the creation of sustainable rural cities. Nuevo Juan del Grijalva and Santiago el Pinar are the first sustainable cities in the world to accomplish the eight Millennium Development Goals set forth by the United Nations.

13. Sustainable rural cities promote regional development, combat the dispersion and marginalization of local communities, and play a significant role in making efforts cost-efficient. • High level of dispersion of the population have negative impact on the environment and makes it difficult to provide the services and infrastructure requires for sustainable development; which is why this makes it easier to provide high quality housing and urban infrastructure in a sustainable manner while preserving the social and cultural customs of its inhabitants. • It uses regional materials and techniques for ecologically sound construction.

14. The sustainable Rural City project is part of the United Nations program to combine social and economic policies, white balancing the need for environmental conservation and rural development. • Before the end of the administration we will have 3 more rural cities: • Ixhuatan • Jaltenando La Paz • Soconusco • We believe that the Rural City Project can be replicated successfully all around the world.

15. Bioenergetics Program Another important strategy is the State of Chiapas´ Bioenergetics Program which ranges from productive reconversion and bio-fuels to wind and solar generated clean energy.

16. BioenergeticsProgram: • ProductiveReconversion • When Mexican president Felipe Calderon saw the high levels of deforestation in the mountains of Chiapas, he made a commitment with the local indigenous communities that had caused such deforestation in order to grow corn. He said that he would re-forest all of these lands and give them the corn and other means that they needed to survive, if they promised to abandon their old agricultural practices using fire and plating corn. This encounter was known as the Huixtan dialogue. • Since then, Chiapas has re-forested over 500,000 hectares of commercial plants that not only help the environment, but the local economy as well. • By developing agro industrial, bio energetic, and fruit plantations, we have allowed these communities to obtain an economic benefit from the re-forestation of these lands.

17. Bioenergetics Program: Biofuels Chiapas generates 2 different types of biofuel: Biodiesel and Bio-jet fuel (Bioturbosine). The biofuels generated in the state come from the local plantations (as a result of productive reconversion) of “Jatropha nuts”. Chiapas is the only state that generates biodiesel from a source which is not used for food consumption of any kind. The only biodiesel plant in the entire country is located in Tapachula, Chiapas; It generates 4 million gallons per day and has the only permit to do soy given out by the Department of Energy. Permit 001.

18. Bioenergetics Program: • Biodiesel and Sustainable Public Transportation • As part of this same initiative, we have completely upgraded the existing public transportation in Tuxtla Gutierrez (state capital) and the city of Tapachula. • We have replaced 192 diesel/gasoline using units with 136 units that run on our own biodiesel: This makes the entire process more cost-effective, better for the environment, and allows local farmers to obtain a higher/secure income by producing the raw materials.

19. BioenergeticsProgram: Bio-jet fuel (Bioturbosine) • Using the same raw material we use for biodiesel, by partnering up with a state of the art plant in Houston, Texas, we have been able to provide Mexican airlines with bio-jet fuel and make their first “green flights” using Chiapas based bio-jet fuel • Mexican airlines have set a goal of using 1% of their entire fuel consumption on bio-jet fuels which represent 40 million liters per year. The goal increases to 15% by 2020. This provides a unique opportunity to become the main suppliers of bio-jet fuel to a captive market. All that is needed is greater investment.

20. Bioenergetics Program: • Eolic (Wind generated) energy • We have been able to develop a great partnership with the private sector in which they provide the investment for wind farms and we guarantee the consumption of the energy that is created for the foreseeable future. • This is beneficial for both parties. The investor is guaranteed the consumption of the energy (steady/safe income) and the state receives cheaper and cleaner energy. • There are currently 3 projects under way that follow such a scheme and that will provide municipalities across the state with cheaper and cleaner electricity. • These projects provide several different benefits: job creation, cheaper energy that allows cities consuming clean energy to develop a surplus of resources and cleaner energy which is better for the environment.