The government of Chile aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity market from currently 9 to 20 percent by 2025. Switzerland supports Chile in implementing this policy. In November 2016, CDE joined the so-called “Bern delegation”, which assists Chile in implementing the “Energy City” label. This project is led by the City of Bern’s Environmental Protection Office and aims to raise the profile of energy efficiency as a topic in Chile’s environmental policy. In the same context, a cooperation agreement was recently signed between the University of La Frontera, Chile, and the University of Bern. The University of La Frontera as well as CDE, the Institute of Geography, and the UNESCO Chair on Natural and Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Mountain Development, all at the University of Bern, have years of experience and recognized competence in the field of sustainable resource use. Cooperation between the two universities is aimed at promoting exchange among researchers and students and implementing joint projects for sustainable development. One concrete plan is to transfer the idea of “Energy Cities” to the rural areas in and around Chile’s huge protected areas. In addition, the cooperation offers CDE an opportunity to expand its network of partners in South America and to apply its research approaches over a larger geographic area.
