Chile California Council

THE CHILE-CALIFORNIA COUNCIL IS A SAN FRANCISCO-BASED NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING AND PROMOTING JOINT ENDEAVORS AND COOPERATIVE RELATIONS BETWEEN CHILE AND CALIFORNIA, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS, LEGAL ENTITIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN CHILE AND CALIFORNIA, AND TO SUPPORT AND ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE EDUCATION, CULTURAL EXCHANGE, HUMAN CAPITAL AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN CHILE AND CALIFORNIA.ON A DAILY BASIS, THE COUNCIL FOCUSES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ON ARTICULATING INTERESTS, INCUBATING IDEAS, AND ACCELERATING PROJECTS BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, NGOS, AND BUSINESSES FROM BOTH TERRITORIES IN AREAS OF COMMON INTEREST. THE COUNCIL ALSO CONNECTS THE CHILEAN-CALIFORNIAN COMMUNITY IN CALIFORNIA BY PROMOTING NETWORKING EVENTS AND FRIENDLY GATHERINGS TO DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT-RELATED TOPICS.

CHILE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION EXCHANGE: THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE:THROUGH THE CCCX - A PROGRAM NESTED IN THE CCC AND MANAGED BY COUNCILORS RALPH BENSON AND TOMAS MCKAY -, THE CHILE CALIFORNIA COUNCIL HAS SPONSORED ANNUAL CONFERENCES IN CALIFORNIA IN 2017, 2018 AND 2019. THESE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN ATTENDED BY ACADEMICS AND PROFESSIONALS FROM THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS WORKING ON CONSERVATION ISSUES OF CHILE AND CALIFORNIA. DUE TO COVID-19, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN PERSON IN 2020-2021. THIS LED THE CCCX TO GATHER A GROUP OF LEGAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES EXPERTS IN CALIFORNIA AND CHILE TO PREPARE A DOCUMENT PROTECCIN DE LA NATURALEZA Y UNA NUEVA CONSTITUCIN PARA CHILE: LECCIONES DE LA DOCTRINA DEL PUBLIC TRUST (PROTECTION OF NATURE AND A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR CHILE: LESSONS FROM THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE) THAT EXPLORES THE RELEVANCE OF THE COMMON LAW PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE TO THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE IN CHILE. THE DOCUMENT PROTECCIN DE LA NATURALEZA Y UNA NUEVA CONSTITUCIN PARA CHILE: LECCIONES DE LA DOCTRINA DEL PUBLIC TRUST WAS SPONSORED BY THE CHILE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION EXCHANGE AND THE DIEGO PORTALES UNIVERSITY, THROUGH THE CONTEXT PROJECT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS TO EXAMINE THE LESSONS THAT THE CHILEAN CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS CAN DRAW FROM THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR A MORE ROBUST CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION OF NATURE. AS A RESPONSE TO A PROFOUND POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CRISIS, CHILE HAS BEGUN A PROCESS OF DRAFTING A NEW CONSTITUTION THAT HAS GENERATED HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN THE POPULATION, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. THIS REPORT SHOWS THAT THE CURRENT CONSTITUTION HAS DEFICIENCIES IN THIS AREA THAT HAVE NOT ALLOWED A SUFFICIENTLY ROBUST PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES. IN THIS CONTEXT, THE REPORT EXPLORES THE LESSONS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE THAT CAN PROVIDE FAVORABLE LESSONS TO IMPROVE SOME ASPECTS OF THE CURRENT CONSTITUTION IN THIS MATTER. THIS DOCTRINE STATES THAT CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF NATURE ARE SUBJECT TO A SPECIAL OBLIGATION FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO MANAGE AND PROTECT THEM FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC. THE REPORT DESCRIBES THE CENTRAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS DOCTRINE IN THE UNITED STATES, ITS JURISPRUDENTIAL EVOLUTION AND HOW IT HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN CONSTITUTIONAL TEXTS IN STATES SUCH AS HAWAII AND PENNSYLVANIA. THE REPORT IS AWARE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CHILE, AND THEREFORE CRITICALLY COMPARES THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE WITH SIMILAR DOCTRINES IN CHILE, SUCH AS THE PUBLIC DOMAIN (DOMINIO PBLICO) AND THE SOCIAL FUNCTION OF PROPERTY (FUNCIN SOCIAL DE LA PROPIEDAD). THE IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES THAT A CLAUSE INSPIRED BY THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE WOULD HAVE IN CHILE ARE ALSO ANALYZED, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE COURTS.

COASTAL MARINE STRATEGY 2030:THE CHILE CALIFORNIA COUNCIL HAS DEVELOPED A COASTAL MARINE STRATEGY THAT SEEKS TO BUILD CAPACITY AND COMMITMENT TO A SCIENCE-BASED SOCIAL PROCESS TO ACHIEVE INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE GOALS BY 2030 IN CHILE. IN 2021, THE CCC PREPARED THE INTERNAL DOCUMENT ENABLING CONDITIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCCESSFUL COASTAL-MARINE POLICIES IN CHILE, WHICH SHOWS CHILES WILLINGNESS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS STRATEGY WITH THE SUPPORT AND REFERENCE OF CALIFORNIA. THIS PRESENTATION WAS STRONGLY SOCIALIZED DURING THE YEAR WITH KEY ACTORS - GOVERNMENTS, NGOS, SCIENTISTS, ETC. THE DOCUMENT SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT MULTIDISCIPLINARY VISIONS ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE ANALYSIS, SO THAT IT CAN REPRESENT COASTAL PROFESSIONALS IN GENERAL, FROM THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS OF CHILE AND CALIFORNIA AND FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COLLABORATIVE ACTIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS AREA OF ACTION.

CHILE CALIFORNIA ENERGY ALLIANCE:IN 2021, A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WAS SIGNED BETWEEN THE CHILEAN MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND THE CHILE-CALIFORNIA COUNCIL, TO COLLABORATE; AS CHILE AND CALIFORNIA SHARE MANY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ENERGY SECTOR AND THEIR TRANSITION TO MORE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS. WITH HIGHLY URBANIZED POPULATIONS AND AN ABUNDANCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE REGIONS, EACH OFFERS THE OTHER LESSONS ON BEST PRACTICES FOR INCREASING EFFICIENCY IN THE USE OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES AND IN DISTRIBUTING THEIR POTENTIAL THROUGHOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE TERRITORIES. IN 2021, THIS ALLIANCE HELD FOUR WORKING GROUP SESSIONS FOCUSED ON THE TRANSITION PROCESS TOWARDS DECARBONIZING THE ENERGY SYSTEMS OF CHILE AND CALIFORNIA. THESE SESSIONS WERE SPONSORED BY ACESOL, GENERADORAS DE CHILE, AND THE WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL OF CHILE. ATTENDEES INCLUDED EXPERTS FROM THE CHILEAN MINISTRY OF ENERGY, THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION, ACADEMIA, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES OF EACH SESSION WERE DEVELOPED, HIGHLIGHTING KEY ISSUES, CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, POLICIES, AND OTHER INTERVENTIONS BEING CARRIED OUT OR CONSIDERED BY CHILE AND CALIFORNIA TO DECARBONIZE THEIR ENERGY SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, THE CCC CARRIED OUT A WEBINAR CYCLE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS KEY FINDINGS OF EACH SESSION. THE FOUR WEBINARS ARE AVAILABLE ON ALL THE CCCS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. A FINAL REPORT IS BEING PREPARED THAT WILL INCLUDE THE MAIN CONCLUSIONS OF THESE SESSIONS AND AN ACTIONABLE PLAN FOR FUTURE EFFORTS IN THE MEDIUM AND LONG TERM.