Uruguay

Uruguay joined the Coalition in 2014 to support activities to reduce short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) emissions and contribute to the country’s ongoing efforts to address urban air pollution and near-term climate change. Represented by the Ministry of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment (MVOTMA), Uruguay expressed its interest in increasing national awareness of SLCPs and SLCP mitigation activities, and to increase the information available that can support these activities.

Since joining the CCAC, Uruguay has undertaken numerous ambitious projects to advance SLCP mitigation efforts. In 2015, through the CCAC Uruguay received support from Centro Mario Molina Chile and the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) to conduct a case study for clean Diesel technologies in the public transportation in Montevideo. This support initiated the development and implementation of a baseline for CO2 emissions and fuel consumption efficiency on light duty vehicles and a retrofit Diesel Particle Filter (DPF) in a Euro III bus serving Montevideo urban circuits.

In 2016, CCAC support also resulted in Uruguay hosting an expert from the Chilean Office for Sustainable Heating and New Technologies from the Ministry of Environment of Chile to participate in a workshop and share experiences in air quality remediation and sustainable heating. By that time, Uruguay had already begun to assess residential heating as an air quality threat more broadly, working together with Montevideo’s metropolitan area municipalities (Montevideo, Canelones and San José).

Between 2018 and 2019, Uruguay received support from CCAC for a consultancy to contribute with the definition of a roadmap for sustainable heating in the residential sector of Montevideo’s metropolitan area. This work extended for a year and a half approximately and concluded with a workshop in Montevideo during March, 2019 and with a final report containing the main contributions for the roadmap, segregated by principal topics. This workshop was the milestone for the coordinated work with the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM) regarding Energy issues that continues up to date.

Uruguay continues to be involved in the Heavy-Duty Diesel Initiative, the Agriculture Initiative, the Household Initiative and the Supporting National Planning (SNAP) Initiative of the CCAC Secretariat.