Chile steadfast in commitment to glacier protection

Chilean environment minister Pablo Badenier reaffirmed that glacier protection legislation remains a priority for President Michelle Bachelet's administration, reported local newspaper El Mercurio.

Badenier, who was attending the UN Climate Summit in New York, repeated Bachelet's May 21 promise to promote such a law, and indicated that the ministry will unveil its position, and potentially a draft, before the end of the year.

The minister said the law aims to specify what a glacier is, classify them and establish those that cannot be affected in any way and those that can withstand human intervention.

The bill could potentially affect energy and mining projects.

Canadian miner Barrick Gold is accused of damaging glaciers near its now-halted Pascua Lama project on the Argentine-Chile border. Meanwhile, state copper producer Codelco introduced modifications to its US$6.8bn Andina 244 project after it came under fire from NGOs and legislators.

Bachelet, who was also in New York for the summit and met personally with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss climate change, has already confirmed she will attend the upcoming climate change conference to be held in Lima in December.

A study presented by climate change research organization Tyndall Centre revealed that global CO2 emissions are on track to reach 40Bt in 2014.