Greenpeace Calls on Chilean Government to Justify Withdrawal of Environmental Protection Decrees: «This is Not a Minor Administrative Act»

Original article: Greenpeace emplaza al Gobierno por retiro de decretos de protección ambiental: «No es un hecho administrativo menor ni común, como el ministerio ha intentado instalar» Following President Kast’s decision to withdraw 43 environmental decrees from implementation, Greenpeace Chile attorney, Roxana Núñez, warned that this is not a «minor or common administrative act,» but instead signifies a «worrisome signal of the progressive dismantling of environmental institutions. » The international environmental organization urges the Kast government to clearly explain the reasons behind the Subsecretariat for the Environment’s withdrawal of these crucial decrees, which are vital for the country’s environmental protection. «This decision is not a trivial administrative action, as the ministry has attempted to imply: it represents a concerning signal of the progressive dismantling of environmental regulations, particularly at a time when Chile should be advancing in the opposite direction,» stated Núñez.

«Chile cannot afford to regress, especially on key issues for the public, which have been long awaited and demanded by citizens,» she emphasized, noting that «what’s at stake is not just the processing of decrees, but the country’s genuine capacity to confront the climate and ecological crisis with the urgency, coherence, and responsibility that the current moment demands. » «We are talking about air quality standards, emissions regulations for industries like thermoelectric plants, decontamination plans — such as the one for Lake Villarrica — climate change adaptation tools, essential regulations for implementing the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service, and recovery plans for endangered species like the Darwin’s frog,» highlighted Roxana Núñez. «The withdrawal also jeopardizes significant measures like declaring the Humboldt penguin a Natural Monument and creating multiple protected areas in various regions of the country, including strategic ecosystems like salt flats and marine zones,» the Greenpeace representative in Chile reiterated.

Urgent Norm Implementation Delayed The environmental NGO recalled that these decrees, submitted between 2023 and 2026, had already undergone technical, administrative, and participatory processes. «Thus, it is particularly serious and difficult to justify their withdrawal, as it halts their implementation without a transparent explanation,» they noted. «The consequences of this decision are profound: it delays the implementation of norms that protect public health — especially in highly polluted areas; further weakens environmental institutions; postpones urgent responses to the climate crisis; and paralyzes concrete advances in ecosystem and species protection,» stated the attorney.

For all these reasons, Greenpeace asserts that «far from strengthening environmental management, such measures raise concerns that the country is moving toward a backward scenario, where environmental protection loses priority to other agendas. » «Therefore, it is essential that the government not only provides clear explanations but also guarantees that there is no ongoing process of structural weakening of the tools that Chile has built over decades to safeguard its natural heritage,» concluded attorney Roxana Núñez. We will continue to provide updates.