The B-side of an Environmental Legacy: Challenges, Failures, and Aspirations

By: Joaquin Rosas

Marcelo Mena, 45, is a climate change scientist with the heart of a social activist. After experiencing environmental issues firsthand in his childhood, he decided to dedicate his career to solving them. Hoping to generate real change and solve environmental problems, he chose to leave behind his career in science to become a policymaker, serving as Minister and Vice Minister for the Environment in Chile from 2014 to 2018.

Mena's curiosity and proactive spirit encouraged a new generation of environmental advocates to use their knowledge to question policies that have been taken for granted for decades. Mena believes a solution should solve the actual problem, not its symptoms or consequences.

So Mena and colleagues contacted worldwide experts in climate and environment to learn from them. Lectures from specialists, such as Hunter Lovins who is an American environmentalist and co-founder of Rocky Mountain Institute, gave Mena a new holistic perspective. This eventually helped him rethink Chile's air pollution issues and he returned to the country in 2007 after finishing his Ph.D.

Mena pursued his dream. After his failed attempt to become a Greenpeace volunteer, Marcelo eventually became the Ministry of the Environment years later. His resume includes a Fulbright scholarship, awards from UNEP, Oceans Unite, National Geographic Society, MIT, and NASA. However, his most significant accomplishment to date is the implementation of a decentralized national air pollution strategy throughout Chile in 2017, a project driven by his conviction and passion.

His legacy lies in Chileans' increased environmental awareness, which takes vital importance as Chile experiences significant social changes. The movement started in 2011 with student protests and resurged in October 2019 after an increase in the public transportation fare, resulting in a historic plebiscite where more than 72% of Chileans voted to replace the Pinochet-dictatorship era constitution.

I spoke to him for an hour on July 27th, 2020 over Google Meet. The contrast between Mena's warm sweatshirt and my light shirt during the interview marked the difference between cold winter in Santiago, Chile, and the hot summer in New Jersey.

Q: I read that you have a PhD in environmental engineering, how was the transition from having a technical education, to being the Minister of the Environment in Chile?

A: Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to do something about the environmental problems of my region, such as the air pollution from coal power plants and the contamination of the river in my hometown in Chile, Viña del Mar. I wanted to dedicate myself to solving environmental problems, and I think I made the right decision to choose my career. I went to the U.S. to get a master's and then a Ph.D. in environmental engineering focused on air pollution. 

When I started working in the environment ministry in Chile, I understood that my knowledge as an air-quality expert was essential to solve air issues. However, it was crucial to discuss decontamination policies' main concerns and not focus on whether the computer models failed. At the same time, I needed all the possible evidence and information to design strategies. In the government, we knew that we had the best information available, and it was harder for someone to refute what we were trying to do. It is necessary to have the strength and conviction that you have accurate information, and that you are taking the right path.

Q: While you were working as Minister and Vice Minister for the Environment in Michelle Bachelet’s second term, how did you understand that data was the best way to convince the president and other policymakers to implement environmental policies?  

A: In 2008, I was in a position called "The air manager" at the environmental ministry. After two months, I resigned when I realized that I did not have a chance to contribute with policies to improve the air quality of Chilean cities.

However, I was able to lay the foundations of the thermoelectric emission standard and craft the norm related to Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), which are fine inhalable particles with diameters generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller considered air pollutants and concern for people's health.

When I worked on the air pollution standard for PM 2.5, I found that it had four times more benefits than costs, and I asked myself, why do we not know more about this? Thus, when I was Minister, I knew we needed accurate data to implement air pollution policies all over Chile.  

I proved that there were other cities besides Santiago, the only Chilean city with an air pollution plan at that time, which needed action. I knew the methodology, hence carrying out the studies was easier.  We designed and implemented strategies for another 14 cities.

Q: After collecting all the data and implementing the plans, how did you convince Chilean citizens that these plans would bring economic and social benefits to them?

A: Before being part of the government, the Ministry of the Environment recognized only three main episodes of high pollution in Santiago per year. When I was Minister, we changed the methodology to measure the pollution, and we started to recognize over 90 critical events in winter alone. 

However, the press was not interested in informing people that we were implementing higher standards. Instead, it focused on criticizing the air quality in the country rather than helping us solve it.

We implemented a communication strategy explaining how climate change is an external threat to our health, and we needed the cooperation of all citizens to reach our goal. In the first two years, people understood that the air quality was terrible, but they were too scared to support the policies. We focused on exposing the data and evidence to follow our plan. After two hard years, people got started to adopt strong policies, such as a permanent vehicle restriction during critical episodes. The programs are still working, and I am sure the air quality is much better today than it was a couple of years before.

Q: Do you think that was a paradigm shift in Chilean citizens about climate change?

A: I knew I had people's support because of the National Environment Survey. It showed that Chileans were willing to support restrictive measures, such as vehicle restriction, firewood prohibition, and renewable energy deployment instead of thermoelectric plants. Other international reports presented that Chile had the world's most significant environmental concerns, along with China and India, because their citizens have witnessed recent growth that also had its imbalance with the environment. 

Also, the Chileans were tired. For the last 30 years, they needed to check the news and listen to the radio to see if they can use their firewood stove, if they can drive their cars, depending on the air pollution measurements. They got used to seeing images of overcrowded hospitals during winter because of people with respiratory illness. All these factors contributed to having a deep concern about pollution. 

Q: In October 2019, the most significant riot since the return to democracy in 1990, after the Pinochet's 17-year dictatorship began over economic and social inequality in Chile. The massive protests continued until March 2020 and only stopped because of the pandemic's lockdown. Do you think Chilean's progress regarding climate change has been affected by the riots and now by the pandemic?

A: The riots have shown that our society wants a change in the economic model, which benefits a few at the cost of the vast majority. There are still companies that seek profit at the expense of the health of Chileans. The foundations of the economic system are not inclusive nor sustainable. The social movement started in 2011 and is still alive. It was a citizen awakening that had not been seen for a long time, with significant results. 

Regarding the pandemic, many people understand that this has to do with our relationship with the environment. If we stopped buying things that we did not need, the global economy would collapse. It sounds like a joke but is real. Also, all the essential workers are the people who receive the lowest salaries. It is a brutal discord in our social priorities. It should make us think that we must build a society more sustainable and inclusive for the future.

Q: Chile has an outstanding international reputation regarding climate change policies. However, Chileans still think that extra effort is necessary. What does Chile need to be a leader in Climate change?

A: Governments deal with criticism that they may be doing more than ever while [still] making an insufficient effort. Chile has been able to close essential agreements, such as the closure of all coal power plans by 2040. However, there is still a sense that more significant efforts are possible. Nonetheless, in Chile, a country without substantial fossil fuel resources, the discussion is clean. We are not questioning if climate changes exist or not. Instead, we discuss how fast we want to go for a green future. That is a better scenario, but still, we need to push for more efforts. 

For example, the current Chilean Minister of Finance showed support for environmental policies against [climate change.] However, after the social and economic impact from the social riots and the pandemic, instead of promoting a green economic recovery, he gravitated towards a more comfortable, conventional approach, stating that employment is what most matters. When did we say that it did not? At what point does climate action not generate employment?

There are still leaders and policymakers who think the economy, social issues, and the environment are isolated problems. I also believe there is a problem in our education system. Business leaders learn in school how to assess projects relying only on economic benefits, typically in a 5-year term. What happens next? We need to consider other aspects, like social and environmental issues on a long-term horizon.

Q:  Understanding that there is a lack of environmental leadership nowadays, what advice would you give to young students and professionals who want to develop a career with a meaningful impact and purpose?

A: First, stay close to reality. Facing pressing challenges requires humility and inclusion.

Secondly, you need to be knowledgeable about a specific topic. Be good at something. In climate change, specifically in sustainability, many people know something about an issue, but not always based on technical training or vast experience. Ask yourself what you are doing now to make a difference.

Joaquin Rosas ‘21 is a Sustainability Management student at the School of Professional Studies