ECOCLUB Monitoring™

The new leftist government of Gabriel Boric supported the decision of the state-owned copper manufacturer Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, to permanently shut down the outdated and polluting Ventanas Smelter, over the next five years, following a mass poisoning incident in nearby communities. Reviving Quintero Bay's fishing industry will be difficult after decades of marine life destruction resulting from polluted water dumping by the smelter, but tourism could offer solutions. The just transition should also include the 750 workers at the smelter who went on a strike in mid-June. Codelco has also promised to produce more sustainable copper. China buys 53% of global copper production.