Planting the Seeds for a Better Environmental Future in Ecuador

Civil society organizations and government officials in Ecuador leveraged their participation in OGP to strengthen “environmental democracy,” or the meaningful, continued participation of citizens in environmental decision-making. With support from OGP, Ecuador co-created and is now implementing an action plan commitment related to the Escazu Agreement, a citizen-focused regional environmental initiative. 

This story is part of a series called Reform in Action, which demonstrates how the OGP model contributes to domestic open government results.

Progress So Far

Government, civil society, and academia in Ecuador have been working closely with OGP to implement the Escazu Agreement, an environmental justiceTo address barriers that prevent citizens from having their justice needs met, OGP participating governments are working to expand transparency, accountability, and inclusion into all systems of justi... pact that 24 countries in the Americas have signed and 12 have ratified as of the end of 2021. This agreement represents a regional effort to mitigate the dangerous, and often deadly, effects of the climate crisis. It also defends the rights of environmental activists and ensures a more sustainable future for all citizens.

Reform in Action Explore how reformers from across the globe leverage their engagement with OGP to achieve their open government goals and how incremental progress can lead to systemic change.

To strengthen environmental policy and practice, Ecuador has leveraged its OGP membership to foster political ownership, strengthen the Multi-Stakeholder ForumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple... (MSF), and navigate political transitions. Actors across sectors created and are now collaborating closely to implement an ambitious action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen.... Through implementing these commitments, Ecuador has already begun to improve environmental justice, access to environmental information, and public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio... in environmental decision-making. The country has planted the seeds for a greener, more sustainable environmental future for this and future generations.

Ecuador’s environmental work is critical at a time when the destructive environmental crisis has impacted the country and its Latin American and Caribbean neighbors. Elevating temperatures and sea levels (and subsequent floods and droughts) jeopardize the lives and livelihoods of countless citizens. Over the last two years, wildfires sparked by climate change have razed South American forests and wetlands, leaving behind an unprecedented trail of destruction. Unsustainable environmental practices in the region have left citizens vulnerable to the often deadly effects of environmental degradation: unpredictable storms, dramatic climate shifts, and dangerous work and living conditions. Sadly, those who advocate for environmental justice are at risk because powerful individuals in the region have vested business and political interests in continuing these unsustainable practices. 2020 alone saw the murder of 227 environmental advocates around the world. In the face of such a dire environmental reality, Ecuador’s use of the OGP platform to advance environmental policy and practice has the ability to greatly improve the lives of all citizens.

Enablers of Progress

• Strong, cross-sectoral commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... to environmental justice: The Escazu Agreement is a collaborative, regional effort to create widespread accountability. Citizens, civil society, academia, governments, and others in Ecuador have worked closely together to identify the gaps in public policy and institutions as well as advancing a governance mechanism to ease implementation.

• Long-term commitment to open government principles:  The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the technical secretary of the Escazu Agreement, explained that Escazu promotes environmental democracy, or the idea that environmental decisions should reflect citizens’ interests and make space for direct participation by all. In this way,Ecuador’s commitment to Escazu is based on the core government principles of transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More, accountability, and participation.

The OGP Platform in Action

• Build political ownership: With support from OGP, Ecuadorian stakeholders embarked on a lengthy process of signing acts of agreement with minisitries responsible for a commitment (including the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Urban Development, and EnergyEnsuring universal access to sustainable, dependable, and affordable energy is critical to every aspect of prosperity. Increasing public oversight and transparency in the energy sector can help to ens... More and Natural Resources). This ensured each ministry felt ownership over the environmental reforms in the OGP action plan and  aligned them with their annual work plans and strategies.

• Strengthen Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) processes: A strong, well-functioning MSF can lead to stronger co-creation processes, including more frequent and higher-quality engagement across sectors. With support from OGP, Ecuador convened a diverse range of stakeholders to draft a decree for institutionalizing a new MSF. This included Ecuador working with OGP to create a core group, holding a meeting to educate about the importance of MSFs, and analyzing best practices from other countries. They also conducted high-level meetings to reinforce the need for an institutionalized MSF, particularly before the government changed.

Ecuador then tackled the challenge of adapting their plan for the new MSF structure to the difficulties posed by COVID-19. They began holding monthly meetings with this diverse group, building up the necessary political will to pass this decree and eventually signed a new ministerial agreement to create a newly-structured MSF. Since then, OGP has provided guidance to Ecuador in structuring its MSF. Though this was a lengthy process, beginning in early 2021 and still ongoing, having a formal MSF with defined procedures and rules will ensure stronger and potentially-impactful co-created commitments over time.

• Navigate political transitions: OGP organized a peer exchange between Ecuador and Peru to discuss various sustainability strategies in electoral transitions. This exchange helped Ecuador gain a strategic understanding of how to adapt to changing political winds, which will be key to ensuring the resilience of environmental justice work. After this initial meeting, Ecuador and Peru connected with Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay to continue sharing electoral transition strategies.

• Secure support for implementation: OGP has supported Ecuador in forging deep connections with international donors, including GIZ, USAID, and Counterpart International, to further ensure high-quality implementation. Through this connection, Ecuador was able to secure funding from GIZ for the implementation of the commitments of their first action plan. Now, they are leveraging these connections to solicit funding for the implementation of their second plan and draft the terms of reference.

• Implementation progress: Ecuador has made excellent progress in implementing their Escazu-related commitments. They completed an analysis of how aspects of the Escazu Agreement fit into the current d institutional framework to help align this environmental work with current political processes and priorities. This alignment will help keep Escazu on the radar and lead to more sustainable results in the long term. With OGP’s support, including providing international examples and tailored guidance unique to Ecuador’s needs, they are also establishing a national environmental observatory that will enable civil society, academia, and others to monitor the implementation progress of the Escazu-related commitments.

What’s Next

Ecuador is making strides towards to “guarantee the full and effective implementation of the rights of access to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making processes, and access to justiceAccessible justice systems – both formal and informal – ensure that individuals and communities with legal needs know where to go for help, obtain the help they need, and move through a system tha... More in environmental matters, as well as the creation and strengthening of capacities and cooperation, contributing to the protection of the right of each person, of present and future generations, to live in a healthy environment and to sustainable development.” In the long term, Ecuador’s success in fostering strong cross-sectoral collaboration and building up political will on these vital commitments will enable them to sustainably improve the management of natural resources and curb environmental degradation.