Manuel Pulgar-Vidal

{{Short description|Peruvian lawyer and environmentalist}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Manuel Pulgar-Vidal

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = Manuel Pulgar-Vidal.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Manuel Pulgar Vidal in 2011.

| birth_name =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Lima, {{PER}}

| monuments =

| nationality = Peruvian

| other_names =

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| education =

| alma_mater = Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

| occupation = Lawyer

| party =

| style =

| office = Minister of Environment

| president = Ollanta Humala

| primeminister =

| term_start = 11 December 2011

| term_end = 28 July 2016

| predecessor = Ricardo Giesecke

| successor = Elsa Galarza

}}

Manuel Gerardo Pedro Pulgar-Vidal Otálora (born 1962) is a Peruvian lawyer specializing in environmental law. During the government of Ollanta Humala, he served as the Minister of the Environment of Peru from December 11, 2011, to July 28, 2016.

Education

He studied at the Faculty of Law of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru from 1982 to1986,{{Cite web |last=Catanoso |first=Justin |date=2015-09-23 |title=Pope's encyclical draws support from Peru's #1 environmental official |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/popes-encyclical-draws-support-from-perus-1-environmental-official/ |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Mongabay Environmental News |language=en-US}} graduating as a lawyer. He pursued a master's degree in Corporate Law at the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences (UPC) from 2001 to 2003.{{Needs citation|date=August 2024}}

He has specialized in Environmental Law, with a special emphasis on matters related to environmental management and policy, both in the development of regulatory frameworks and their compliance at national, regional, and local levels.{{Cite book |last=Ivanova |first=Maria |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gs_tDwAAQBAJ&dq=Manuel+Pulgar-Vidal&pg=PR38 |title=The Untold Story of the World's Leading Environmental Institution: UNEP at Fifty |date=2021-02-23 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-36223-8 |pages=xxxviii |language=en}}

Career

He has had an extensive professional career in both the public and private sectors. He was a member of the Governing Board of the Environmental Assessment and Enforcement Agency (OEFA); President of the Governing Board of the Permanent Seminar for Agricultural Research (2003–2005); Director of the National Fund for Protected Natural Areas by the State (PROFONANPE) (1994–1998); Director of the Forest Development Promotion Fund (FONDEBOSQUE) and Director of the Equitas Foundation of Santiago.{{Needs citation|date=August 2024}}

He was also a member of the Peruvian Environmental Law Society (SPDA), of which he was the executive director from 1994 to 2011. He was also a member of the governing board of the Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), from 1997 to 2004. He has also served as a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, the University of Applied Sciences, and the University of the Pacific.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

On December 11, 2011, upon the restructuring of President Ollanta Humala's first cabinet, he was sworn in as Minister of the Environment, replacing the resigning Ricardo Giesecke. The presidency of the cabinet was assumed by the then Minister of the Interior, Oscar Valdés.{{Cite news |date=2011-12-12 |title=Quién es quién en el segundo gabinete de Ollanta Humala |url=https://elcomercio.pe/politica/1346810/noticia-quien-quien-gabinete-oscar-valdes-dancuart/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107182010/https://elcomercio.pe/politica/1346810/noticia-quien-quien-gabinete-oscar-valdes-dancuart/ |archive-date=2012-01-07 |work=El Comercio}}{{Cite news |date=2011-12-11 |title=Óscar Valdés juró como primer ministro en Palacio de Gobierno |url=https://elcomercio.pe/politica/1346581/noticia-oscar-valdes-juramento-como-primer-ministro-palacio-gobierno/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113181144/https://elcomercio.pe/politica/1346581/noticia-oscar-valdes-juramento-como-primer-ministro-palacio-gobierno/ |archive-date=2012-01-13 |work=El Comercio}}

He chaired the COP20 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2014.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-31 |title=Comisión internacional de crisis climática será presidida por ex ministro Manuel Pulgar Vidal |url=https://www.radionacional.gob.pe/noticias/actualidad/comision-internacional-de-crisis-climatica-sera-presidida-por-ex-ministro-manuel-pulgar-vidal |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=Radio Nacional |language=es}}{{Cite web |last=Arévalo |first=Caty |date=2016-11-20 |title=Las voces latinas más influyentes en las negociaciones del clima |url=https://efeverde.com/las-voces-latinas-mas-influyentes-las-negociaciones-del-clima/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=EFEverde |language=es}}

He remained at the helm of the Ministry until the end of Humala's government. His tenure lasted four years and four months 2011 to 2016, the longest of any minister in that government, which was very prolific in ministerial changes. In the 21st century, he has only been surpassed in duration by Foreign Minister José Antonio García Belaúnde from the second government of Alan García (2006-2011).

As his tenure was coming to an end, he presented the results and contributions of his sector for the period 2011-2016. The reports are titled The conservation of forests in Peru and The fight for legality in mining activities.{{Cite news |date=2016-07-27 |title=Minam: Manuel Pulgar-Vidal presenta informes sobre los bosques y la minería ilegal |url=http://larepublica.pe/turismo/rumbos-al-dia/788937-minam-manuel-pulgar-vidal-presenta-informes-sobre-los-bosques-y-la-mineria-ilegal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021001631/http://larepublica.pe/turismo/rumbos-al-dia/788937-minam-manuel-pulgar-vidal-presenta-informes-sobre-los-bosques-y-la-mineria-ilegal |archive-date=2016-10-21 |work=La Republica}} He also highlighted advancements in environmental inspection, corrective measures, and the penalty system.{{Cite web |date=2016-02-24 |title=Pulgar Vidal considera que aporte por regulación se mantendrá |url=https://proactivo.com.pe/pulgar-vidal-considera-que-aporte-por-regulacion-se-mantendra/ |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Revista ProActivo |language=es-PE}}

After his tenure as minister, Pulgar-Vidal continued his commitment to environmental governance by chairing the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) newly formed Climate Crisis Commission. This role involves coordinating international efforts to address climate change impacts, demonstrating his ongoing influence in global environmental policy.

Pulgar-Vidal has been involved with various international platforms and advisory committees, including the USAID Advisory Committee, where he contributes his expertise to guide U.S. international development policy related to environmental sustainability.

Since 2016, Pulgar-Vidal is the global leader of Climate & Energy for World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).{{Cite web |last=Rincón |first=Diana |date=2017-06-23 |title='El cambio climático es la gran amenaza para el planeta' |url=https://www.eltiempo.com/vida/medio-ambiente/entrevista-a-manuel-pulgar-vidal-presidente-de-la-cumbre-por-el-clima-102340 |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=El Tiempo |language=spanish}}

Awards

Pulgar-Vidal is an inductee of the Earth Hall of Fame Kyoto.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-02 |title=The Earth Hall of Fame KYOTO / The 12th Inductees |url=https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/earth-kyoto/en/inductees/12.html |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=The Earth Hall of Fame KYOTO}} He was recognized by the French Government with the Légion d´Honneur.{{Cite web |title=Association Péruvienne des Membres de la Légion d'Honneur |url=https://pe.ambafrance.org/Association-Peruvienne-des-Membres |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=La France au Pérou |language=fr}}

References

Further reading

  • Celi, Silvia. "[https://www.rfi.fr/es/ciencia/20151201-manuel-pulgar-vidal-los-bosques-una-prioridad Manuel Pulgar Vidal: los bosques, una prioridad]".

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