Development of a modern framework for environmental protection, based on the concept of sustainable development, is underway in Chile. In the longer term, Chile may find that the consolidation of the responsibility for environmental conservation and protection within a single environment ministry with its own voice at the cabinet table would be a more effective approach. The modernization of Chile's environmental management system will require the completion of a major overhaul of existing environmental legislation as well as the development of new standards and regulations. In the past, there was little coherence in the development or consistency in the application of environmental laws and standards across ministries.
Chile has literally hundreds of environmental laws on the books.
Many of these laws are obsolete, unenforceable, contradictory or duplicative. In many cases regulations do not fulfil the intent of the law or are lacking altogether. Chile is working to improve its enforcement regime. Responsibility for enforcement of environmental laws is spread throughout various government ministries and their agencies, the police force, and municipal governments. Resources, including qualified personnel, to conduct inspections, collect and analyse data, are limited across these agencies.