Chile: a Model to Follow in Sustainable Practices
Due to its privileged natural conditions, Chile has committed to sustainability in many different aspects such as tourism, transport, and academic offer.
Due to Chile’s geographic diversity, the country has a broad range of climatic and natural conditions, which are used to produce renewable energy, with an emphasis on the conservation of biodiversity. In this way, Chile has slowly become a model to follow in terms of sustainable practices.
Read on to find out more about Chile’s initiatives for sustainability and the academic opportunities in this area.
Sustainable Tourism
After the inauguration of the Tourism National Round Table in 2013, the National Service for Tourism of Chile (SERNATUR) created the S certification. This distinction is awarded to tourism operators that comply with different criteria in the three universally acknowledged areas of sustainability: economic, cultural and environmental. Today, more than 160 operators have received this certification.
Furthermore, six places in Chile have been placed in the latest Top 100 list of sustainable destinations worldwide; the Huilo Huilo Reserve, the Chiloé Island, the town of Curacaví, Cape Horn, Futaleufú and Puerto Natales. Cape Horn has a miniature forest of around 1000 acres, where unique species of bryophytes can be found along with 450 different types of moss, and 368 species of lichen and insects.
Sustainable Transport
Santiago’s subway (Metro), which is the second largest and most modern network in Latin America, will be the world’s first public transit system mostly powered by solar energy thanks to project “Pelícano”, a solar energy plant of 186 acres located in Coquimbo, in northern Chile. The plant uses 254,000 solar panels.
About 42% of the electrical energy used by the Metro comes from solar energy and 18% from wind power. Thus, the Metro is the only underground transport system worldwide to operate with 60% clean energy.
Academic Programs
Sustainability and the protection of the environment are issues tackled by a broad range of programs in different Universities throughout Chile. Both at a professional technical level, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, there is a wide variety of programs related to sustainable management; renewable energy; energy efficiency; conservation of wild fauna; natural resources, etc. Universidad del Bío Bío, for example, offers a blended learning Master’s program in Sustainability and Energy Efficiency. In Santiago, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (UTEM) offers a similar Master’s program in Energy Efficiency and Sustainability with specialization in Edification, while Universidad Santo Tomás offers a PhD program in Conservation and Biodiversity Management.
Besides these degree programs, different institutions are offering short-term courses that relate to sustainability, for example Universidad Viña del Mar is offering a short course on Poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Chile has taken important steps in the implementation of sustainable solutions with the aim of protecting the environment, and complying with the highest international standards. Additionally, the country offers a broad range of academic programs related to these issues.