Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources – Francisco Aguilar – 2023

Goals

Aligned with the directives outlined in the 2019 Puerto Rico Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience Act, DNER is obligated to systematically gather and release greenhouse gas inventories on an annual basis, categorizing them by type and origin.

To address this obligation, Francisco Aguilar was designated to meticulously examine potential hindrances in fulfilling these inventories and to proffer viable strategies for surmounting these challenges. Aguilar’s approach encompassed intensive collaboration and interaction with essential stakeholders, enabling him to furnish strategic policy recommendations that ensure steadfast and accurate emission measurement practices across the island.

Solutions

Through thorough engagement with the Coastal Zone Program and Climate Change Office, the Air Quality Area, and the Climate Change Experts Advisory Committee, Aguilar conducted a comprehensive examination of the primary obstacles impeding DNER’s efforts to publish greenhouse gas inventories.

In this phase, Aguilar not only delved into climate policy analysis across various initiatives led by DNER, including developing the Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience Plan for Puerto Rico and compiling requisite documentation for accessing federal climate funds but also offered instrumental aid.

Subsequently, Aguilar identified prospective avenues for DNER to enhance its internal technical and financial capabilities.

Potential Impact

Aguilar’s efforts underscored a significant prospect for DNER to secure funding from EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, amounting to $3,000,000, intended for initiatives such as greenhouse gas inventory planning and various mitigation strategies. This further underscored the crucial role of DNER’s leadership in establishing collaborative alliances with neighboring local agencies and private and non-profit organizations.