The Pacific Alliance: Towards a Model of Sustainable Development

Abstract

The four countries that make up the Pacific Alliance, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, have experienced, in recent years, considerable economic development, reducing the poverty rate and increasing life expectancy. However, this progress has been accompanied by an economic dependence on extractive sectors, with high social and environmental costs, coupled with a steady increase in unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, which emphasizes the pressure on natural resources and the environment. In this regard, the Pacific Alliance has expressed its commitment to promote green economies as an alternative to continue with their economic and social development, managing their natural resources in more sustainable ways. Likewise, at present, sustainable development is a central focus in the full and effective recognition of people. The reasons for creating this new group have two perspectives. The first being geopolitical, meaning that the Pacific Alliance is a response to what is called, “a left turn” by some Latin American governments. The second is an economic perspective in which the Alliance appears as a new open regional scheme which strives towards perfecting the free trade zone comprised of the four countries. From the political perspective, the Alliance would appear to create a counterbalance to Mercosur, but it does not have the institutional structure and the ability to convene that the others have been able to develop. From the economic perspective, the growth and stability that is observed among the four members of the Alliance are its best aspects and serious obstacles still exist that need to be overcome in order to transcend the integration phase, of most importance being the low compatibility of customs in the presence of third parties which make it almost impossible to have in the short term a common regional market in that area. For this purpose, an analysis of the public policies of the Member States will be conducted, focusing mainly on national strategies against climate change, biodiversity, consumption and sustainable production, thus including national green growth plans.