AGP Executive Report

El Niño Update: The Pacific’s El Niño has surged past the highest temperature ever recorded for the event, reaching 3.05°C months ahead of the usual peak—raising alarms for weather impacts across the region. Chile & Climate Policy: Chilean ex-president Michelle Bachelet has withdrawn her bid to become UN secretary-general, citing the moment’s pressure on multilateralism, international law, and climate action. Protected Areas in Patagonia: Río Negro reopened ANPRALE (Río Azul–Lago Escondido) near El Bolsón after weather forced a temporary closure, but visitors must register online and follow trail and safety guidance. Aquaculture & Antibiotic Reduction: Chilean firm Sudvet is applying botanical compounds to strengthen fish resilience and cut reliance on antibiotics and antiparasitics. Circular Economy in Chile: Kyklos offered US$2,080 to buy Algramo’s remaining IP in bankruptcy, aiming to keep parts of the circular delivery model alive. Mining & Water Pressure: A new report links Chile’s tighter Atacama water extraction permits to lithium supply timing, pushing the market to price “water-permitted tonnes.” Wildlife & Biodiversity: A deep-sea study highlights amphipods clinging to giant sea spiders beneath the Southeast Pacific, adding to what we know about life in extreme habitats.

Aquaculture Tech & Jobs: Chile’s Ace Aquatec hired Sebastián Uribe as digital operations lead, aiming to scale tech that boosts efficiency and decision-making across Latin American fish farms. Remote Travel & Logistics: A report on freighter tourism highlights how cargo ships still connect Chile’s far-off Chonos Archipelago—where roads and airports are absent—showing how climate and access shape regional life. Wildfire & Air Quality: Smoke from the Chileno Fire worsened air quality in parts of California’s North Bay, with crews stopping spread and no evacuations reported during the response. UN Climate-Linked Diplomacy: Chile’s regional presence in global talks continues as UNGA 2026 ramps up, with leaders urged to restore trust and strengthen cooperation amid wars, funding strain, and climate pressures. Chile’s UN Leadership Update: Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet withdrew from the UN secretary-general race, citing violations of international law and climate science being questioned. Food Costs & Welfare: In Santiago, even the “completo” is getting pricier as Chile’s cost-of-living squeeze deepens, tying everyday nutrition to broader economic stress.

Climate & Flood Risk: Montego Bay, Jamaica, will install wireless flood sensors and an early-warning system after winning a US$3.5M grant, aiming to give residents more time to respond to rising floodwaters. Wildfire & Heat: A massive forest fire in central Colombia is threatening Villa de Leyva, with authorities deploying aircraft and helicopters as El Niño-linked dry conditions fuel the blaze. Marine Life (Chile): Deep-sea researchers using a Chile-margin expedition recorded tiny amphipods clinging to giant sea spiders near Chile’s southeast Pacific, suggesting the crustaceans may be using the larger animals for transport. Chile UN Spotlight: Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet withdrew from the race to become UN secretary-general, citing global instability and the questioning of climate-change science. Plastic Pollution (Latin America): A new study warns “plastic pollution hotspots” across Latin America are creating public health crises as imported waste overwhelms weak recycling and waste systems. Food Costs (Chile): In Santiago, even the “completo” hot dog is getting pricier as Chile’s cost-of-living squeeze deepens.

UN Diplomacy: Chile’s former president Michelle Bachelet withdrew from the race to become the next UN secretary-general after a weak showing in Security Council straw polls, saying multilateral principles and even climate science are under strain. Plastic Pollution & Public Health: A new study warns “plastic pollution hotspots” across Latin America are driving a public health crisis as imported waste overwhelms local systems and hard-to-recycle plastics leak into the environment. El Niño Impacts: Peru’s “super” El Niño is intensifying, with record heat and widespread red alerts; marine life is taking a heavy hit, including thousands of sea lion deaths. Chile Environment Science: Researchers report the first capybara tooth fossil record for coastal Chile and suggest the Atacama Desert was wetter than textbooks say. Biodiversity & Conservation: Chile’s guanaco repopulation program in the Metropolitan Region focuses on ecological restoration and captive breeding to rebuild wild populations. Mining & Environment: Tesoro Gold advanced Chile’s El Zorro project with a maiden 1.28Moz ore reserve at Ternera, moving toward feasibility, permitting, and environmental documentation. Public Health Research: A Chile-linked study highlights how air pollution can worsen nighttime coughing and sleep.

Chile UN & climate diplomacy: Former President Michelle Bachelet says she’s withdrawing her bid to become UN Secretary-General, citing backlash against multilateralism, international law, and even climate science. Courts & environment: India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant urged judges to harmonise conservation and development, calling the Supreme Court a “banyan tree” for environmental justice. Chile biodiversity & fossils: Scientists report a capybara tooth fossil from the Atacama—nearly 9 million years old—challenging the idea that the region has been continuously dry for tens of millions of years. El Niño impacts in the region: Peru’s “super” El Niño is intensifying, with record heat and mass sea-lion and seabird deaths along the coast. Public health milestone: Chile is validated for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem, after decades of vaccination, surveillance, and access to post-exposure care. Guanaco repopulation: Chile’s Metropolitan Region is advancing guanaco restoration with captive breeding and sanctuary monitoring, aiming to strengthen wild populations. Mining & copper signals: Global copper supply is trending toward its first annual decline since 2017, with Chile underperforming amid aging operations—pushing prices and reshaping 2026 forecasts. Chile energy transition talent: A Chilean climate-finance scholarship recipient is studying how to structure feasible projects for the country’s renewable energy push. Wildlife & human risk: A Chile-focused piece warns that sea-lion outbreaks can be a bad sign for human health, reflecting growing pressure at the human-wildlife interface.

El Niño’s hit on wildlife: Peru’s “super” El Niño is intensifying fast, with Lima hitting 29°C and 21 regions on red alert; reported deaths include thousands of sea lions and guano birds, with the real toll likely higher as the peak approaches. Chile’s public health milestone: Chile was validated for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem, highlighting decades of vaccination, surveillance, and rapid post-exposure care. Ancient Chile climate clues: A capybara tooth fossil from the Atacama (nearly 9 million years old) suggests parts of today’s hyper-dry desert were once much wetter. Biodiversity and ecosystem links: Deep-sea researchers in Chile’s margin observed shrimp-like amphipods hitchhiking on giant sea spiders, showing how little we still know about life in the deep. Marine protection vs salmon farming: In the Falkland Islands, plans to pause marine protection work until open-net salmon farming consultations conclude, keeping conservation on hold. Copper market shock: The copper concentrate benchmark treatment/refining charge hit a historic zero in 2026, reflecting a structural squeeze between mine supply and smelter capacity. Chile security watch: Chile is closely monitoring Peru and Argentina’s rising military investment amid budget pressure.

Public Health Milestone: Chile became the first South American country validated for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem, after decades of dog vaccination, surveillance, and rapid access to post-exposure care. Regional Security Watch: Chile is closely monitoring Peru and Argentina’s military investment plans, with Santiago’s own defense funding under budget pressure and former ministers warning delays could weaken credibility. Wildlife & Human Risk: A sea-lion “epidemic” is flagged as a bad sign for humans, tying Chile’s coastal wildlife conflicts to broader public health concerns. Climate Finance for Chile: A Chilean renewable-energy professional is among the Stanley Park Climate Finance Scholarship recipients, aiming to strengthen Chile’s energy transition with deeper climate-finance skills. Energy Transition in the Region: Actis launched Yeltica Energy in Mexico to build 2GW+ of solar, wind, and battery storage, showing how renewables and storage are scaling through tenders. Food Systems & Drought Lessons: A Honduran family turned drought-hit farming into a sunflower tourism model, showing how climate stress can push rural communities toward new, resilient income streams.

Marine Protection vs Salmon Farming: Falkland Islands’ proposed Marine Managed Areas are paused, with officials saying work will wait until consultations tied to open-net salmon farming conclude—raising fresh questions about how to protect a highly biodiverse cold-water ecosystem. Air Quality & Health: New research links air pollution to worse nighttime coughing and poorer sleep, adding pressure for stronger pollution controls. Chile’s Copper Strain: Chilean copper output hit its weakest July in 15 years, with severe winter weather and maintenance disrupting operations—highlighting processing and concentrate supply bottlenecks as demand from power grids and AI grows. Critical Minerals Skills Push (US): The US DOE is funding $16M for mining and critical minerals training to ease workforce shortages across extraction, processing, recycling, and recovery. Chile Food & Weather: Green chile production in southern New Mexico is down 20% to 50% due to weather, underscoring how climate swings ripple through food supply. Wildlife Tragedy: A massive 900-pound ocean sunfish was found dead on a Cape Cod beach during its migration, a reminder of the risks facing vulnerable marine species.

Water & Climate Risk: El Niño is weighing on Peru and Chile’s marine ingredients output, while Chile’s copper sector is also feeling pressure as the country posts its weakest output in 19 years. Energy Transition: Turbo Energy says it has expanded its commercial and industrial storage footprint with 15 projects across Spain and Chile, and Actis launched Yeltica Energy in Mexico with solar-plus-storage awarded under CFE tenders. Mining & Metals: London Metal Exchange copper hit a fresh intraday record above $14,600 as Chile reported weak mine output and cut its production outlook. Agriculture & Food Systems: New Mexico’s green chile supply is down 20% to 50% due to weather, and fishmeal/fish oil production is lagging as El Niño disrupts South American catches. Chile Tech & Farming: Chile-based Instacrops is using AI agents to turn sensor, satellite and weather data into practical irrigation and crop-management recommendations. Biodiversity & Conservation: Scientists are pushing for fungi protection, and a report highlights the killing of environmental defenders tied to land and nature conflicts. Sustainable Tourism: Intrepid’s 2027 “Not Hot List” includes Chile’s Carretera Austral, aiming to spread visitors to less crowded destinations.

Fungal Conservation Push: Mycologists and governments including the UK and Chile back a new Fungal Conservation Pledge, arguing fungi must be explicitly recognized in laws and policies to protect biodiversity and ecosystem benefits. Environmental Defenders Under Threat: Global Witness reports 124 land and environmental defenders killed in 2025, with 85% of killings in Latin America, highlighting weak protection and the rise of organized crime and smear tactics. Chile’s Biodiversity Angle: The pledge’s “flora, fauna, and funga” approach directly ties into Chile’s role in advancing fungal protection at UN biodiversity talks. Ocean Wildlife Incident: A massive ~900-pound ocean sunfish was found dead after stranding on Cape Cod, with researchers collecting data to improve understanding of the species’ ecology and stranding risks. Pollinator Protection: Colorado’s governor signed an order to protect bees and other pollinators via habitat measures and pesticide buffer zones, responding to climate and habitat pressures. Space & Environment Watch: SpaceX’s Starship “flight 14” aims to finally reach orbit, a milestone for Starlink expansion and future missions. Chile-Relevant Climate Context: Strong El Niño forecasts are reshaping travel and weather risk patterns, with knock-on effects for regions across the Americas.

Chile’s Socio-Environmental Conflict Lens: A new review spotlights how Chile’s extractivism—mining, energy and infrastructure—keeps producing social and environmental costs, even under different governments, while movements push back through legal and political mobilization. Wildlife & Water Stress: A report flags 244 sea lion strandings in Coquimbo tied to El Niño impacts, underscoring how climate swings hit coastal ecosystems. Public Health in Chile: Gilead and PAHO announce a regional push to speed access to twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention (PrEP), including Chile, aiming to close prevention gaps. Climate & Food Systems: Research warns climate change is squeezing grape growers worldwide, while Chilean hazelnut producers project major production drops due to rain. Energy Transition & Extractive Pressure: Global coverage notes copper’s rally and supply constraints, a reminder of how commodity swings ripple into Chile’s industrial and environmental pressures. Biodiversity & Conservation: A Chile-linked study recovers ancient smallpox DNA fragments from Indigenous remains in northern Chile, adding to the scientific record of past epidemics.

Climate & Water: Chile’s Coquimbo Andes saw an extraordinary August snowfall—over 10,000 km²—doubling the recent average, with early melt already boosting expectations for the 2026–2027 freshwater cycle. Air Pollution & Health: New research links higher daily air pollution to more nighttime coughing, even below WHO daily limits, using cough-sound tracking across 32 cities. Biodiversity & Conservation: A new Global Witness report says 124 land and environmental defenders were killed worldwide in 2025, bringing tracked deaths/disappearances since 2012 to 2,375. Chile Science & Heritage: Researchers recovered ancient smallpox DNA fragments from naturally mummified remains of Indigenous people buried in northern Chile, offering new clues to the variola virus’ past. Food & Farming: Chilean grapegrowers face mounting climate pressure, while sewage sludge is gaining ground as a fertilizer alternative in Brazil amid fertilizer-import disruptions. Energy & Industry: The World Bank warns fossil-fuel revenue dependence is unsustainable for exporters, pushing diversification and fiscal resilience. HIV Prevention (Regional): Gilead and PAHO will expedite twice-yearly lenacapavir access for PrEP across PAHO member states, including Chile.

Air Quality & Health: New research links higher daily air pollution to more nighttime coughing, even when local pollution stays below WHO daily limits, with a 10 μg/m³ PM2.5 rise tied to a 2.4% increase in coughing. Chile Climate & Agriculture: Heavy rains in Chile have saturated soils during hazelnut flowering, raising risks of root disease and cutting fertilization; INIA warns European hazelnut output could drop by 30% next season. Chile Food & Trade: Ventisqueros relaunches its premium coho brand “Silverside” in Japan, pitching “measurable sustainability” alongside quality and animal welfare. Ocean & Conservation: A new blueprint from Global Fishing Watch aims to help governments strengthen vessel tracking, while research highlights ocean acidification as one of several stressors hitting shellfish. Chile Science & Heritage: Scientists recovered ancient smallpox DNA fragments from naturally mummified remains of Indigenous people buried in northern Chile, offering new insight into early epidemics in the Americas. Maritime Safety: The Swedish Club warns South America’s southern routes shouldn’t become a routine alternative to Panama Canal passages.

Air Pollution & Health: A new study using cough recordings from a mobile app links higher particulate pollution to more nighttime coughing—even below WHO daily limits—adding to the case that air quality affects everyday health. Aquatic Life & Farming Rules: Colombia is considering a bill to ban intensive octopus, squid and cuttlefish farming for food and also block imports from similar operations, citing animal welfare, environmental and public health concerns. Chile’s Climate & Water Signals: Viral aerial footage of snow-covered Andes between Argentina and Chile highlights how cold fronts and “solid precipitation” are feeding high-altitude snow reserves—key for freshwater later in summer. Regional Fisheries Governance: Chile, Ecuador and Peru agreed on an initial roadmap for managing the giant squid fishery, aiming to strengthen scientific cooperation and coordinate regional rules for a resource vital to coastal communities. AI Regulation Debate: Global discussion is intensifying over whether AI labs should slow down development, with people across countries weighing fear of harm against hopes for usefulness. Renewables & Storage in Chile: Korkia is expanding “powered land” data-center sites in Chile with solar and battery storage, as grid access and water/energy constraints shape new infrastructure plans.

Public Health Milestone: Chile became the first South American country validated by the WHO for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem, after more than 50 years of sustained vaccination, surveillance, and access to post-exposure care. Regional Fisheries Governance: Chile, Ecuador, and Peru agreed on an initial sustainability and development roadmap for the giant squid fishery, aiming to strengthen scientific cooperation and more coordinated regional management for a resource vital to coastal communities. Energy & Water for Data Centers: Finnish firm Korkia is expanding in Chile with “powered land” for data centers, pairing secured sites with renewable generation and battery storage to avoid grid strain. Renewables Investment Push: Santander highlighted Chile’s competitiveness at ChileDay Madrid 2026 and announced an $800 million investment plan focused on technology, branch upgrades, and Campus Santander. Climate Extremes Research: New findings warn heatwaves will become hotter and longer, with duration impacts accelerating faster than global warming itself—raising stakes for health, ecosystems, agriculture, and wildfire risk. Maritime Risk Watch: The Swedish Club warned that Panama Canal restrictions tied to El Niño and water deficits make Cape Horn and the Strait of Magellan poor “simple alternatives,” as routing options tighten.

Heat Risk: New research warns heatwaves are getting hotter and lasting longer faster than global warming alone would suggest, raising risks for health, agriculture, ecosystems, drought, power grids and wildfires. Fisheries Governance: The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission agreed a long-term harvest strategy for Pacific bluefin tuna, allowing slight catch increases while adding automatic cuts if stocks fall; it stalled on similar rules for bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack. Chile Mining & Industry: Capstone Copper is nearing completion of an optimisation push at its Mantoverde operation in Chile ahead of a ramp-up, after resolving a labor stoppage via a new multi-year agreement; separate permitted development remains in the sanctioning pipeline. Climate Extremes & Adaptation: The same week’s coverage underscores the urgency of adaptation planning as extreme heat accelerates. Plastic Pollution Fallout (Latin America): A study says China’s plastic-waste import ban has shifted pollution hotspots to parts of Latin America, where waste imports rose but local handling capacity lagged. Chile Energy & Storage: Sonnedix secured about US$1.3bn for Chile renewables and storage, signaling continued buildout momentum.