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This Glossary provides a common understanding of the relevant terms present in the OPCC platform, in order to guarantee a correct interpretation and use of the legislative data available in the Legislative Monitor.

A

Access to information

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law contemplates provisions aimed at guaranteeing the processing of data and information of the referred law as public information, as well as establishing provisions tending to guarantee access to such information by communities and all actors involved.

Access to information, public participation and justice on environmental matters

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics

This thematic category refers to the legislation that contains provisions related to the exercise of procedural rights: the public of the public to access environmental information, to participate in the process of environmental decision -making and access to justice in environmental matters, known collectively as access rights.

Adaptation Plans on Climate Change

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its text includes considerations regarding the inclusion of the perspective of adaptation to climate change as a component part of the National Climate Change Plan or the NDC of the country.

Agriculture, forestry, livestock and food system

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics

This topic refers to environmental legislation regulating agriculture, food production, forestry and livestock. The UN Agricultural Organization and Foods (FAO) describes food systems such as “the entire range of stakeholders and their value-adding activities involved in the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption and disposition of food products originated from agriculture, livestock, forest activity or fishing, and parts of the broader economic, social and natural environments in which they are integrated.

Air quality

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to environmental legislation related to air pollution, including the regulation of emissions from industries that affect air quality.

B

Bill and proposal

General terminology.

Any bill on environmental or climate matters in concrete process in any of the chambers of the Parliaments of the region.

Binding implementation of Sectoral Measures

Terminology that refers to the axes of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purpose of analyzing climate change framework of Latin America and the Caribbean countries, information referring to the incorporation or not of provisions and binding measures on specific economic sectors tending to climate change mitigation and adaptation will be considered within this axis. It is relevant to express that by binding it is understood at any provision that legally implies concrete and mandatory impacts from the moment of enactment of a legislative instrument, or from the moment determined by the referred legislative instrument in its text.

Binding measures in energy transition, sustainable mobility, real estate, the aero-commercial sector, the fishing-maritime sector, on conservationism, protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, on food security and sovereignty and on public procurement

Terminologia referente aos componentes da legislação marco de mudança climática.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its text includes binding considerations regarding mitigation and/or adaptation measures addressed to the referred economic sector. Binding measures are understood as any provision within the context of a law that is mandatorily applied to the subjects compelled by the referred instrument.

C

Cabinet or collegiate body on Climate Change

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law includes the development of an institutional instance or a governance body aimed at articulating at a minimum the public authorities in charge of implementing the strategies, policies and initiatives to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This institutional instance or a governance body can incorporate the participation, binding or not, of other types of stakeholders involved, such as representatives of the Judiciary or the Legislative Power, representatives of civil society, the academy or the private sector.

Carbon neutrality

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

Within the framework of the Legislative Tracker, a Climate Change Framework Law will be considered having this component when its text incorporates a neutrality carbon goal, regardless of the temporal horizon or the prospected emissions trajectory to achieve that goal. Carbon neutrality implies that 'net greenhouse gas emissions are balanced and equal (or minors) to those that are eliminated through absorption'.

Climate change

This topic refers to the environmental legislation that addresses all aspects relevant to climate change mitigation, adaptation or disaster risk management.

Climate change

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to the environmental legislation that addresses all aspects relevant to climate change mitigation, adaptation or disaster risk management.

Climate change financial strategy

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, it will be considered that a country has this component when its climate change framework law contemplates provisions referring to the design, implementation and management of a national strategy tending to guarantee the necessary economic and financial resources flows directed to the implementation of the climate and sustainable development objectives of the referred State.

Climate change vulnerability platform

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law includes provisions with regards to design, implementation and management of a public platform or website whose main purpose is to promote the access of information on everything related to the vulnerability of communities facing future climate projections.

Comprehensive citizen participation

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its Climate Change Framework Law incorporates the citizen participation component into some or some institutional instances. Some examples of these instances can be: the participation of civil society, academia or youth movements in the governance body or climate change cabinet or their participation in the development of the National Climate Change Plan, of the NDC or the long -term strategy.

Concrete processing

Terminology that refers to the parliamentary process.

Context in which a bill or proposal has went through at least one minimal instance of parliamentary formal treatment, these being, as an example, the discussion in a commission or committee of any of the parliamentary chambers of the countries of the region, the discussion in the plenary of one of the parliamentary chambers of the countries of the region or the vote of a commission, committee or plenary of one of the parliamentary chambers of the countries of the region.

D

Date of enactment

Terminology that refers to the parliamentary process.

Although the terms may vary from country to country, the date of enactment refers to the date on which a certain bill or proposal becomes a law in a given state. This date may differ from the approval date, since in certain states a project becomes law after an additional procedure to the approval by the Legislative Power, which is determined by the domestic right. Some examples are the signature by the President or Prime Minister, the publication in the Gazette or the Official Gazette or the waiting of a specific period determined by the domestic law.

Definitions

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

In order to guarantee the correct interpretation and application of the laws, 'in case a term does not have a clear and unique meaning or appears used in a sense not corresponding to the most commo meaning, either of the common language, of the legal or of the technical meaning', the legislators tend to indicate' through the use of definitions, what is the meaning that must be attributed to that term in the referred text '.

Detailed minimum measures to contemplate in sectoral plans

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its text includes binding considerations regarding mitigation and/or adaptation measures oriented to specific economic sectors.

Disaster management

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to the legislation for disaster risk management.

E

Eco-taxes or Differentiated fiscal policy

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law includes the provision for the establishment of taxes, fees or differentiated fiscal policy instruments aimed at reducing emissions and improving greenhouse absorption and lead to reduce the vulnerability or increase the resilience of human and ecological systems to the negative impacts of climate change.

Economic and Finance Aspects

Terminology that refers to the axes of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purpose of analyzing climate change framework laws of Latin America and the Caribbean countries, information referring to the development -or the lack of development- of a set of economic and financial tools that facilitates the implementation of the climate strategies, policies and initiatives, will be considered within this axis. Some frequent examples of economic and financial tools are green taxes, carbon price mechanisms, specific climate funds or other economic instruments.

Ecosystems, biodiversity and protected areas

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to environmental legislation related to the conservation and use of biological resources, the biodiversity, fauna and natural habitats, including natural heritage and management of protected areas, as well as cultural heritage.

Emission targets for 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

Within the Legislative Tracker, a Climate Change Framework Law will comply with this component when its text incorporates a specific emission reduction goal towards an indicated year, regardless of the degree of ambition of the goal, the mechanism of quantification and fixation of it or other factors.

Energy

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to environmental legislation related to the regulation of fossil fuel, renewables and energy industries overall, as well as measures to achieve an energy transition.

Environmental education and awareness

Own elaboration based on a process of consulting secondary sources.

This topic refers to the legislation related to State actions on education and environmental awareness in all areas of society, whether formal or informal.

Environmental framework law

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to environmental legislation that contains provisions for environmental management, including environmental principles, institutional arrangements for regulatory authorities to pursue environmental management and pollution control, among others. Legislation related to animal welfare and animal rights is also included in this category.

Environmental legislation

Any instrument with hierarchy of law at the national level originated from the Legislative branch of the State and that has a direct and concrete link with environmental and climatic matters.

G

Gender & diversity

By this topic we understand any law or bill in environmental and climatic matters including explicit, concrete and specific considerations aimed at guaranteeing the rights of women and the LGBTIQ+ community, as well as guaranteeing gender equity.

General dispositions

Terminology that refers to the axes of the climate change framework legislation.

The general provisions of a legislative instrument are those that, generally at the beginning of the text and articulated thereof, express the political, legal and conceptual framework in which the referred instrument sits. Some of the most frequent general provisions of a law are the object and purpose of the law, the guiding principles that govern the interpretation and application of the law and the necessary definitions to harmonize the understanding of it.

Greenhouse Effect Gas Projections (GEI)

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its text includes considerations regarding the management of the projections of greenhouse gas emissions of a certain state in order to guide the monitoring future greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenhouse Gases Inventory (GHG)

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law's text includes considerations regarding the management of greenhouse gases inventories for a certain state, in accordance with the provisions of the Paris Agreement in its article 13, subsection 7 by expressing that 'each party must periodically provide the following information: a) A report on the national inventory of anthropogenic emissions by sources and anthropogenic absorption by greenhouse gas sinks'.

H

Hazardous substances

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to the legislation related to the regulation and monitoring of the use, storage, transport and elimination of dangerous substances, including provisions for the release of pollutants and transfer records.

Health

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to legislation related to the environmental impacts on public health.

Housing and infrastructure

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to environmental legislation related to housing and infrastructure, including public infrastructure investment as well as energy and water systems for transport and communication.

I

Impact on economic sector

Terminology that refers to economic sectors.

In order to analyze the relationship between environmental legislation and the economic setting of the countries, it was incorporated in respect of each current law and each bill in parliaments, an identification referring to the impact or not of these on one or more specific economic sectors. We understand by a law or bill with impact on one or more economic sectors to that which has the explicit, concrete and specific intention of impacting one or more determined economic sectors.

Implementation follow-up

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when additionally to those provisions that establish the design and implementation of strategies, policies or measures of mitigation and adaptation to climate change, its climate change framework law establishes regular instances of monitoring of the implementation, regardless of the body in charge of the referred monitoring, regardless of the periodicity or the methodology of the monitoring's implementation.

Indigenous People and Underrepresented Groups

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

For this term we understand any law or bill in environmental and climatic matters including explicit, concrete and specific considerations aimed at guaranteeing the rights of indigenous peoples and of any minority group, either for ethnic, racial, age, socio -economic and other factors, with the exception of those under the category 'Gender and Diversities'.

Industry & manufacturing

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to legislation regulating compliance of environmental standards and rules by different industries, including here health and safety management.

Information on vulnerability and risks to climate change

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law considers disposals related to information on vulnerability and risks due to climate change, regardless of the way in which it is intended to gather, manage and publish the information to the community and all stakeholders. In the framework of the OPCC we adopt the definitions of vulnerability and risk expressed in the reports of the IPCC. In this sense, we understand vulnerability as 'the propensity or predisposition to be negatively affected by climate change, and encompasses various concepts and elements, such as sensitivity or susceptibility to damage and lack of ability to face and adapt to climate change'

Institute or Agency on Climate Change

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law creates an entity, agency, body or institution aimed at supporting climate action on technical, scientific and public policy matters in the referred country.

Institutionality of climate policy

Terminology that refers to the axes of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purpose of analyzing the climate change framework laws of Latin America and the Caribbean countries, it will be within this axis information everything referred to the development or not of a domestic institutional arrangement, which organizes key factors for climate policy such as the interministerial and intersectoral articulation, citizen participation or scientific advice.

Instruments of the Paris Agreement

Terminology that refers to the axes of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purpose of analyzing climate change framework laws of Latin America and the Caribbean countries and in particular, the integration of domestic law and international law in climate matters, it will be considered within this axis all information referred to the linking of the legislative instruments with the instruments of the Paris Agreement, such as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) or long -term strategies (LTSs).

International instrument

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to national legislation to adopt and adhere to international instruments, including international treaties and agreements.

J

Just transition strategies or measures

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law contemplates provisions on the designing, implementation and managing strategies aimed at guaranteeing an equitable treatment to underrepresented groups and working people as of local realities and within the framework of the social, economic and ecological transition embodied by the Paris Agreement.

L

Land use and land-use planning

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to environmental legislation for land use, land use change and land-use planning.

Legal Framework on Climate Change

Any law that has as its main purpuse to become the main regulatory instrument of a certain State on climate change matters and that defines and contains the institutional design of the national management of strategies, policies, measures and initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Long-term Strategy

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

A Long-Term Strategy refers, within the framework of the Legislative Tracker, to those documents published by the States to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of the United Nations (UNFCCC) that respond to the text of the Paris Agreement where in its article 4, subsection 19 expresses that 'all parties should strive to formulate and communicate long -term strategies for a low-emissions development, taking into account article 2 and taking into consideration their common but differentiated responsibilities and their respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances' (UNFCCC, 2015. Recovered from: UNFCCC). Within the framework of the Legislative Tracker, a Climate Change Framework Law will comply with this component when its text establishes express mention to the design, elaboration or implementation of a long -term strategy for the country in question.

M

Market emissions establishment and regulation

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law includes a disposition for the establishment of an emission trade system (ETS) as a market -based tool to control emissions where a regulatory body defines an upper limit (top) of greenhouse gases (GHG) that can be released in clearly defined sectors of an economy as well as the emission permits delivered or sold (assign) to the entities that are included in the ETS .

Mining & quarrying

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to the legislation related to the regulation of the mining industry, including the extraction and processing of minerals.

Mitigation targets

Terminology that refers to the axes of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purpose of analyzing the climate change framework laws of Latin America and the Caribbean countries, information referring to the existence or not of mitigation goals of greenhouse gases emissions in the text of the instrument will be considered within this axis, regardless of the temporary horizon, the economic sectors under its scope or the degree of ambition in the goal.

N

National Plan on Climate Change

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

A National Climate Change Plan constitutes for the purposes of the Legislative Tracker the planning document that synthesizes the country's policies to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and establishes and coordinates strategies, policies, measures and initiatives that aim to enhance adaptation to the impacts of change. Within the framework of the Legislative Tracker, a Climate Change Framework Law will be considered to have this component when its text establishes explicit mention to the design or implementation of a National Climate Change Plan.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

A nationally determined contribution or NDC refers within the framework of the Legislative Tracker to those documents published by the States to the UNFCCC that correspond to the text of the Paris Agreement in its article 3 by expressing that 'in their Nationally Determined Contributions to the worldwide response to climate change, all parties will have to make and communicate the ambitious efforts that are defined in articles 4, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 13 with the aim to reach the purpose of this agreement. Within the framework of the Legislative Tracker, a Climate Change Framework Law will comply with this component when its text establishes an express mention to the Nationally Determined Contribution of that country or to the process of elaboration and design of the same.

No poverty

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O

Object

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

The object of the law is the operative part of the norm in which the matter or topic that is intended to regulate is identified.

Other economic instruments

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law includes different provisions from the establishment of a specific climate fund, and eco-tax or differentiated fiscal policy or an emission trade system, and that at the same time are related to the establishment of new economic instruments or using existing economic instruments for the purposes of climate finance aimed at reducing emissions and improving greenhouse gas absorption, as well as at reducing vulnerability and increasing the resilience of human and ecological systems to the negative impacts of climate change. See definition of climatic finance: fifth biennial evaluation and general description of the climate financing flows of the Permanent Finance Committee of the CMNUCC.

P

Percentage of affirmative votes

Terminology that refers to the parliamentary process.

For the purposes of the OPCC platform we understand by percentage of affirmative votes to that percentage value that emerges from the division among the affirmative votes to a certain bill and the total votes of the present parliamentarians at the time of vote. Therefore, the affirmative, negative and abstentions votes are included in this value and the absent votes are excluded.

Principles

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

The principles of a law are those fundamental and informative ideas or statements that frame the spirit and intention of a law or a set of laws in particular.

Private Sector Emissions System or Registry

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, an emission trade registry will be considered an online database that releases, records and tracks the carbon units that are exchanged within the market mechanisms or are financed through programs of result-based climate finance.

Private sector maximum emissions regulation

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law includes provisions to set maximum permitted emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) by industries and sectors of the private sector, regardless of the scope, dimension or temporality of the regulation.

Public sector

Terminology that refers to economic sectors.

This economic sector is related to public goods and services at all levels of government owned and controlled institutions.

S

Scientific support

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its Climate Change Framework Law incorporates the advice of the scientific community within any institutional instance or process. Some examples can be the participation of the scientific community in the climate change national governance body or the participation of the scientific community in the development of the National Climate Change Plan, of the NDC or the Long Term Strategy.

Sea, oceans and fishing

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to environmental legislation on management of activities related to seas, oceans, fishing and costal areas.

Sectoral Plans on Climate Change

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its text includes considerations regarding the explicit and direct mention to the design of a specific strategy oriented to particular economic sectors as part of the National Climate Change Plan or the NDC from the country.

Services

Terminology that refers to economic sectors.

This economic sector is related to the services provided to the public, including telecommunications, public services and transport.

Social aspects

Terminology that refers to the axes of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purpose of analyzing climate change framework laws of Latin America and the Caribbean countries, information referring to the incorporation or not of provisions tending to the implementation of a just transition to low-carbon economies will be considered within this axis, taking into consideration underrepresented groups, such as indigenous peoples or women and the LGBTIQ+ community.

Specific fund

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law includes a provision for the establishment of a fund dedicated to climate finance aimed at reducing emissions and improving greenhouse gases absorption and reduce the vulnerability or increase the resilience of human and ecological systems to the negative impacts of climate change.

Subnational plans

Terminology that refers to the components of the climate change framework legislation.

For the purposes of the Legislative Tracker, a country will be considered to have this component when its climate change framework law includes provisions that, according to the constitutional design of each State in matters of the relationship between the national or federal state and the subnational states, tend to articulate the design, implementation and management of climate change plans (see definition of the National Climate Change Plan) at the sub-national level.

Sustainable finance

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to the legislation to mobilize capital flows, guarantee financing or modify the variables of the economy to move towards a resistant and low carbon economy. Sustainable financing refers to the process of taking into account environmental, social and governance considerations (ESG) by making investment decisions in the financial sector, which leads to more long -term investments in sustainable economic activities and projects.

T

Tourism

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics

This topic refers to the legislation related to the environmental impacts of the tourism industry.

Transport

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to the legislation related to the environmental impacts of the transport industry, including maritime trade, civil aviation and land transport.

W

Waste

This topic refers to the legislation for the regulation and management of solid waste and the circular economy, including all aspects related to reduction, reutilization and recycling of waste.

Waste and circular economy

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to the legislation for the regulation and management of solid waste and the circular economy, including all aspects related to reduction, reutilization and recycling of waste.

Water

Terminology that refers to bills and proposals and environmental legislations' topics.

This topic refers to environmental legislation for the regulation of the water use, quality and management as well as to sanitation and sewerage services.