What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?
 Henry David Thoreau
 

We are less than three months away from the date when all works or projects that have an impact on the environment must obtain an Environmental License and Environmental Impact Assessment Studies, issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN).
 
As of December 16, 2022,it is mandatory that all projects, works, and industries, that may cause damage to natural resources -renewable or not-, to the environment, or introduce harmful or notorious modifications to the landscape and cultural resources of the national heritage, must submit these documents[1]. If you have a construction project in process or are about to start building and/or operating, there is still time to process them.
 
Guatemalan legislation promotes social, economic, and technological development that prevents environmental contamination and maintains the ecological balance[2]. These environmental studies and licenses are one of the tools with which they seek to achieve this goal.
 
Additionally, all projects, works, industries or related activities that involve environmental impact, must obtain a corrective Environmental Instrument[3]. This instrument should include environmental control measures and the basis for environmental control, verification, and follow-up, and contain an environmental diagnosis and a list of corrective activities being implemented.
 
Projects that fail to process their environmental license at the time of MARN's inspection (after September 16) may be subject to fines ranging from five thousand quetzals (Q 5,000.00) to one hundred thousand quetzals (Q 100,000.00), depending on the category to which the operation belongs.
 
Complying with regulations against climate change and pollution and obtaining the permits requested by the MARN not only benefits the environment, but also helps to maximize the value of the project, promote sustainable products and ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria. In particular, the environmental criteria, which seeks to determine how the environment is impacted by a company's activities.
 
Is your project already in compliance?
 

[1] Law for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment, Article 8.

[2] Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala, Article 97.

[3] Environmental Evaluation, Control and Monitoring Regulations