Bolivia

Status under International Climate Change Law

• UNFCCC: signature (10 June 1992), ratification (3 October 1994), and entry into force (1 January 1995)
• KP: signature (9 July 1998), ratification (30 November 1999), and entry into force (16 February 2005)
  Quantified emission limitation or reduction commitment: na
• Vienna Convention: accession (3 October 1994)
• Montreal Protocol: accession (3 October 1994)
• 2020 Pledge: No pledge made

Federal Laws on Climate Change

Climate

• Framework Law on Mother Earth and Integral Development to Live Well (Law no. 300) 15 October 2012 (Spanish) establishes the Bolivia government’s commitment to sustainable development and acknowledges the rights of the indigenous people. It sets for the idea of “climate justice”, meaning that all Bolivians have a right to “Live Well” and requires that climate change predictions be incorporated in development decisions. The legislation defines the state’s legal obligations to develop climate change policies and establishes the Plurinational Authority of Mother Earth.

Energy

• Mechanisms for Clean Development (Executive Decree No. 28218) 24 June 2005 (Spanish)includes the CDM in national development policy through energy projects, supporting technology transfer and energy efficiency.

Forests and Land Use

• Forest Law (Law No. 1700) 12 September 1996 (Spanish) standardizes Bolivia’s forestry policy with international conventions it has joined, including the UNFCCC and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought, and installs a Regimen of National Forests and a National Forest Development Fund.

Local, State, and Regional Legislation and Initiatives

• Villamontes Municipal Adaption Plan (December 2012) with aid from the Latin American Development Bank and national NGOs

Government Documents

• Bolivia UN-REDD Programme Document (2010)
• Second National Communication to the UNFCCC by the Plurinational State of Bolivia (2009)
• Bolivian Constitution (2009)

Factual Matters

• Ministry of Environment and Water
• Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy

NGO Resources

• Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction

Secondary Sources

• Achentberg, Emily and Rebel Currents. 2012. “Earth first? Bolivia’s Mother Earth Law meets the neo‐extractivist economy.” NACLA Blog. Accessed: http://nacla.org/blog/2012/11/16/earth-first-bolivia’s-mother-earth-law-meets-neo-extractivist-economy
• Kasterine, Alexander. 2013. “Bolivian strategy on climate change”. International Trade Center. Accessed: http://www.intracen.org/archive/news/Bolivian-strategy-on-climate-change/
• Lang, Chris. 2012. “Indigenous Peoples Terra Livre declaration at Rio+20 rejects REDD.” 22 June 2012. Red‐Monitor. Accessed: http://www.redd-monitor.org/2012/06/22/indigenous-peoples-terra-livre-declaration-at-rio-20-rejects-redd/
• Raman, Meena. 2010. “Bolivia submits Cochabamba Conference outcome to UNFCCC.“ World’s People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. 30 April 2010. Accessed: http://pwccc.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/bolivia-submits-cochabamba-conference-outcome-to-unfccc/
• Villamontes: primer municipio Boliviano con plan de adaptación al cambio climático. 22 November 2012. Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina. Accessed: www.caf.com/es/actualidad/noticias/2012/11/villamontes‐primer‐municipio‐boliviano‐con‐ plan‐de‐adaptacion‐al‐cambio‐climatico

Updated as of: April 20, 2014