Could Kast Dismantle Environmental Regulations in Chile? Warnings from Scientists and Conservation Organizations

«Goodbye Environmental Guidelines»: Kast’s Controversial Stance on Chile’s Environmental Institutions

During the XX Southern Business Meeting (EESUR-2025) organized by Codeproval this September, presidential candidate José Antonio Kast raised alarms among environmentalists by proposing a significant rollback of environmental regulations.

When questioned in Valdivia – recently designated the first urban wetland in Latin America – about measures to attract investment, Kast criticized what he termed excessive «permisología,» citing instances like Statkraft’s case or the Rio Bueno Hospital.

«The Rio Bueno Hospital is stalled because they found a pitcher, it’s unbelievable. The Hospital of Buin in my area had a similar issue, where they found a little pitcher just in time and placed it in a box with foam rubber, very well cared for, protected, and now it’s in a storage area somewhere. $200 million for that, it’s a disgrace,» the candidate remarked.

He further indicated, «With the existing environmental laws and regulations, as we said ‘goodbye loans,’ goodbye environmental guidelines.» He added, «These environmental guidelines are created by local bureaucrats; if they fancy one thing, they throw the guideline to protect little spiders. If they like birds, they throw the guideline to protect birds,» as noted in the event’s coverage.

These remarks, framing environmental protection as an obstructive «ideology,» have sparked significant concerns.

«Someone Who Questions Climate Change«

Scientist and environmentalist Cristina Dorador voiced her criticism on social media, directly challenging the foundation of Kast’s discourse. «Would you honestly vote for someone who says that nature protection is merely an ideology aiming to halt development? Would you support someone who questions climate change and claims river water is lost when it reaches the sea?» she tweeted, referencing prior statements made by the candidate.

What Environmental Changes Could Occur If Kast Wins? Lessons from Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia

The campaign “Defend Patagonia” issued a stern warning leading up to the presidential runoff this Sunday through a social media post. They cautioned that a possible victory for José Antonio Kast could trigger an institutional ecological regression in Chile, echoing patterns already observed in right-wing leadership across the region. This alert, backed by monitoring from the citizens group, draws on a concrete analysis of policies enacted by Javier Milei in Argentina, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, and the recently elected Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia.

Regional examples are striking, according to Defend Patagonia. In Argentina, Milei degraded the Ministry of Environment to a secretariat, slashing its budget by up to 81% and halting conservation programs, which openly favored extractivism. In Brazil, under Bolsonaro’s presidency, environmental agencies were dismantled, funding was cut, and monitoring agencies were militarized, resulting in a historic rise in Amazon deforestation. In Bolivia, Paz, while not formally downgrading the ministry, promotes a «smart capitalism» agenda that eases regulations for hydrocarbon and lithium exploitation in sensitive areas. This pattern of institutional weakening and prioritizing industrial interests is central to expressed concerns.

In this context, environmental organizations expect a potential Kast administration to replicate these models, undermining Chile’s Ministry of Environment, reducing oversight budgets, and prioritizing extractive mining, forestry, and salmon farming projects, exacerbating the climate and biodiversity crisis. Therefore, making a final appeal to civic consciousness, they urge the public to consider their vote as a crucial tool to avert what they deem an imminent institutional «environmental collapse,» following the dangerous trajectory of Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia.

«If Kast wins, his pro-extractivism agenda could replicate these patterns: weakening environmental institutions, reducing budgets, and prioritizing mining, forestry, and salmon exports, worsening the climate and biodiversity crisis in Chile (droughts, glacial risks)«, warns Defend Patagonia.

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Could Kast Eliminate the Ministry of Environment?

The Defend Patagonia campaign raised a crucial concern on social media: «Could we find ourselves in a situation similar to Bolivia, where the newly elected president restructured ministries, placing the environment under extractivist economics? Could it be even worse with Kast eliminating the Ministry of Environment altogether?»

Their social media post bluntly warned: «But… in environmental matters, we are at stake for something crucial: the defense of our own survival!!!!»

Analysis of Kast’s Environmental Programme

Kast’s official program, detailed by Uno Punto Cinco, reflects this vision. According to the analysis, climate change and environmental issues are mentioned marginally, primarily linked to economic growth. His plan, presented in the chapter «Facing the Economic Emergency to Recover Progress,» prioritizes «regulatory facilitation» for mining, energy, and agro-industrial projects. While it mentions a «safe, efficient, and responsible energy transition,» Uno Punto Cinco notes it completely lacks concrete climate goals, a decarbonization timeline, or references to key laws like the Climate Change Framework Law or the Escazú Agreement.

The analysis identifies critical absences: there are no commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, nor specific measures to protect glaciers, wetlands, or salt flats. There are also no details on mechanisms for public participation or safeguards for communities. «Rather than a climate action plan, this is a proposal that prioritizes investment attraction and productivity, relegating environmental commitments to a secondary level,» the report concludes, highlighting the inadequacy of this approach in the face of the climate crisis.

In stark contrast to the urgency expressed by science and environmental movements, the core of Kast’s proposal, according to his own rhetoric and program, is deregulation. The candidate insists he has «no problem with caring for nature,» but prioritizes «allowing people to have dignified jobs, which requires clear rules, limited times, and no ideology.» However, this stance is perceived by critics as a risk of regression in environmental institutions, especially in a context of megadrought and global ecological crisis.

The controversy raises a fundamental choice for the country: accelerate investment by simplifying environmental procedures, accepting the risk of weakening protection standards, or maintaining and strengthening a regulatory framework that, while criticized for its slowness, seeks to safeguard fragile ecosystems and long-term well-being. The debate is set, with the scientific community and civil society organizations on high alert regarding the possibility of a shift that they believe could jeopardize decades of progress in this area.

The Extractivist Model

TURNO AM spoke with environmental lawyer and director of the NGO FIMA, Ezio Costa, to deeply analyze Chile’s ecological challenges in light of the development models proposed by political figures such as José Antonio Kast and Jeannette Jara, contrasting their views on extractivism and the future of environmental protection.

During the interview, he delved into the global geopolitical struggle for lithium and copper, examined the controversial concept of «permisología» (excessive bureaucracy around permits), and discussed how this debate impacts investment and environmental assessment standards, while also reviewing critical cases such as pollution and health crises in the Lago Vichuquén and the impact of the INNA Project on northern skies and indigenous communities.

View TURNO AM interview