Summary:On December 1-12, 2014, representatives from 195 countries gathered in Lima, Peru, for the 20th Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also known as COP 20. Peru's offer to host the U.N. climate conference has drawn attention to Latin America's progress on addressing global warming, as well as to the region's efforts to reduce emissions while sustaining development gains achieved in recent decades. Peru, like other countries in the region, is known for its spectacular environmental assets that draw tourists; it also boasts significant mineral deposits. Peru has the largest swath of Amazonian rainforest after Brazil and is home to about 70% of the world's tropical glaciers, some of which provide an important source of water for urban centers in the country or feed its hydroelectric power plants. While Peru has demonstrated leadership in conserving its rainforests and combating deforestation, in recent months the Peruvian government has supported a loosening of environmental regulations to jump-start development projects and attract investment in mining and fossil fuels to help sustain Peru's flagging economic growth (which had averaged above 6% in recent years). Peru has also been criticized for allowing mineral resources companies to develop and sometimes damage indigenous lands.
