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Two months after he ordered Argentinian negotiators to withdraw from COP29 summit in Baku, it is reported that President Javier Milei is mulling over an American-style pull out from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
If it happens, Argentina will be the second country after the United States (US) to withdraw from its climate commitments to the UNFCCC.
Milei is one of the most outspoken right-wing leader from Latin America which has a history of turbulent struggle between the two conflicting ideologies in the political spectrum.
It is reported that senior officials in Milei's administration are reviewing a proposal for Argentina's exit from UNFCCC which was signed by almost 200 countries in 2015.
Argentina’s Foreign Minister, Gerardo Werthein, had told the press in November, last year that while the government has not yet made a final decision on exiting the agreement, it is re-evaluating its participation due to disagreements with many aspects of the treaty.
He emphasised that while Argentina acknowledges climate change, the government believes it to be largely driven by natural cycles, rather than purely human activities. Werthein clarified that the country agrees on the need for climate action but holds differing views on the causes of global warming.
As the second-largest economy in South America and the 24th-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, Argentina holds substantial fossil fuel reserves, including the second-largest shale gas reserves and the fourth-largest shale oil reserves in the world.
Experts also caution that Argentina could face economic isolation if it withdraws.
Niklas Höhne, a climate policy expert at the NewClimate Institute, was quoted as stating that Argentina may become less appealing as a trade partner for countries prioritising climate protection. This is especially true as the European Union and other nations begin implementing carbon-based import tariffs on goods produced through environmentally harmful methods.