In Guatemala, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources rejected the environmental instrument for a real estate project known as El Socorro, to be developed in Zone 16 of the country's capital.
Since the project's development was announced, several organizations have expressed their opposition, and even the authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) were summoned to Congress to discuss the details of the project.
The Guatemalan Ministry of Energy and Mines decided to revoke the license it had granted in early 2020 to the Rocja Pontilá hydroelectric project, in Coban, Alta Verapaz.
Until December 16, 2022, businesses in Guatemala will have to comply with the rules contained in the Regulations for Environmental Evaluation, Control and Monitoring.
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) reported that after the publication of Government Agreement 317-2019 on December 24, 2019 in the Central American Journal, which reforms Government Agreement 137-2016, the period was extended by three years so that all projects, works, industries or productive activities present their respective environmental instruments in order to function.
Companies in the disposable plastic manufacturing sector have the capacity to replace all their production with environmentally friendly options, but the main obstacle is the limited capacity that customers must pay the surcharge for bioplastics.
In Costa Rica, some 31 companies indicated that they have the capacity to replace all their production with user-friendly options, the main limitations being the low capacity of customers to pay the surcharge for bioplastics and the restrictions on the functionality of the alternatives.
From September 26, new rules will apply for the categorization of development projects that require submission of environmental impact studies.
Ministerial Agreement No. 204-2019, which was issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and published in the Diario de Centroamérica on August 16, will come into effect on September 26. See Published Agreement.
January 3, 2020 is the deadline for companies and businesses that already operate in Guatemala and do not have the study, submit their Environmental Diagnosis to receive a reduction in the fine.
Fines for companies that do not yet have an Environmental Diagnosis could be as high as $13,000; however, if they present their documentation before the deadline, the penalty could be set at $650.
In Guatemala, the government has extended until January 3, 2020, the timeframe for regularizing projects, works, industries or activities that do not have an environmental impact study.
Through agreement 137-2016, the government gave a period of two years for the environmental regularization of the different industries to take place, this period expired on July 11 of this year.
In Guatemala, it has been announced that by the end of the year a digital platform will be implemented that will have the capacity to inform, in minutes, whether an environmental impact study is feasible or not.
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources plans to expedite the reception and approval of environmental licenses, and for this it is preparing a digital platform that will respond to users about the feasibility or not of their applications.
As of June 2018, Guatemalan coffee producers must comply with a new environmental standard whose requirements will depend on the type of farm on which the activity takes place.
In accordance with theprovisions of Governmental Agreement 137-2016, coffee producers must submit a study of the potential environmental impact of the activity to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
The government of Guatemala has announced the creation of a one-stop shop to manage environmental permits for social housing construction projects.
Through an agreement between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) and the Central American Association for Housing, the single window will be implemented to make the process more expeditious.
The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources has filed a criminal suit against Lion Brand of Central America, for alleged violation of environmental standards.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources:
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in Guatemala, announced today that it has filed a criminal lawsuit against the company Lion Brand de Centro America for multiple offenses committed against the environment.
One of the new features of the new Regulation on Evaluation, Control and Environmental Monitoring is that category A and B1 environmental diagnostic must be subject to public consultation.
From a statement issued by Agexport:
The Environmental Management Unit at AGEXPORT, wishes to inform the export sector of the publication of Government Agreement 137-2016, Regulations Assessment, Environmental Monitoring and Control, which was published on July 12, 2016 in the newspaper Diario de Centroamérica.
A proposal has been made to amend the regulations for environmental control so the SMEs can submit affidavits instead of environmental impact studies when applying for environmental permits.
The proposal by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources aims to simplify the processes to be followed when requesting authorization of environmental permits for the development of construction projects.
Avoiding the generation of power using fossil fuels is a necessary goal, but alleviating the energy poverty in which millions of Central Americans find themselves is a priority.
EDITORIAL
Bjorn Lomborg's article published in Laprensagrafica.com analyzes the difficult choice between taking measures to prevent global warming, and facilitating the use of cheap fossil fuels -carbon- for 1,200 million poor people in the world.