In Chile, the question “what is your carbon footprint?” no longer comes only from the sustainability team. It comes from European buyers, from mining customers consolidating their Scope 3, from public tenders, and from the tax authority itself.
For most Chilean companies, measuring the carbon footprint is still voluntary. But three pressures make it necessary: the green tax, which charges US$5 per tonne of CO₂ on facilities emitting 25,000 tonnes or more per year; the Ministry of the Environment’s HuellaChile programme, which publicly recognises emissions management; and international buyers, who ask for verifiable data because of CBAM, EUDR or their own climate targets.
This guide summarises what each one requires and where to start.
HuellaChile: the government’s voluntary programme
HuellaChile is the Ministry of the Environment’s official greenhouse gas management programme, created in 2013. It is voluntary and open to public and private organisations, events, products and municipalities.
It works in stages, each with its own seal:
- Quantification: the organisation measured its footprint and an independent third party verified it.
- Reduction: it demonstrated a decrease in its emissions.
- Neutralisation: it offset its remaining emissions.
- Excellence: it completed all three previous stages.
The calculation tool is free and based on NCh-ISO 14064-1 (organisations) and NCh-ISO 14067 (products). Seals are annual, so the footprint must be measured again each year.
Two figures give a sense of scale: more than 2,200 organisations are registered, and 880 seals were awarded at the October 2026 recognition ceremony. In 2026 the Ministry also approved a new framework for recognising verifiers and updated the reporting formats, so it pays to work with the current versions.
A practical point: the seal requires the organisation to be located in Chile and the verification to be carried out by an independent third party that did not take part in the calculation. Quantification and verification are, by design, done by different teams.
Green tax: who pays and how to offset
Chile’s green tax on stationary sources charges US$5 per tonne of CO₂. Since the Law 21,210 reform it no longer depends on the type of boiler or turbine but on how much the facility emits: it applies if its sources, individually or together, emit 100 tonnes or more of particulate matter or 25,000 tonnes or more of CO₂ per year.
There is no traditional tax return: the tax authority (SII) calculates the tax from the emissions reported to the Environmental Superintendency (SMA), and payment is due in April of the following year.
Since 2023 there is also an Emissions Offset System that allows taxed emissions to be reduced, fully or partially, with certificates from reduction projects approved by the Ministry of the Environment. In the cycle that closed in February 2026, more than 1.68 million tonnes of reductions were used. For a taxed facility, that turns measuring and reducing emissions into a financial decision, not just an environmental one.
The underlying target: the Framework Law on Climate Change
Law 21,455, passed in 2022, sets Chile’s emissions neutrality target for 2050 at the latest and requires sectoral mitigation plans. On its own it does not impose mandatory measurement on every company, but it sets the direction: the highest-emitting sectors (energy, mining, industry and transport) are the first to face requirements and to pass them on to their suppliers.
What export markets ask for
| If you export… | What you may be asked for | Standard or framework |
|---|---|---|
| Steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers or hydrogen to the EU | Embedded emissions per product | CBAM |
| Wood, pulp, paper or derived products to the EU | Geolocation and proof of no deforestation | EUDR |
| Fruit, wine, food or industrial inputs | Product footprint for the customer’s Scope 3 | ISO 14067 |
Copper is not covered by CBAM. For mining and its suppliers, the pressure comes mainly from customers’ Scope 3 and from the Framework Law’s targets.
Where to start
- Identify who is asking for the data and in what format: a HuellaChile seal is not the same as a product footprint for a European customer. If in doubt, this comparison of LCA, EPD and carbon footprint helps you decide.
- Measure the corporate footprint first (Scopes 1 and 2, plus the relevant Scope 3). It is the basis for HuellaChile and for any reduction plan.
- Move on to the product footprint when customers ask for it per unit sold.
- Prepare the file for verification from the start: traceable data, justified emission factors and documented assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
Is measuring the carbon footprint mandatory in Chile?
For most companies, no. Facilities subject to the green tax (25,000 tonnes of CO₂ or 100 tonnes of particulate matter per year) must report emissions. For everyone else, measurement is voluntary, although more and more customers and tenders require it.
What seals does HuellaChile award?
Four: quantification, reduction, neutralisation and excellence. All require verification by an independent third party and are renewed every year.
How much is the green tax in Chile?
US$5 per tonne of CO₂ for facilities above the thresholds. Since 2023 it can be offset fully or partially with reduction certificates approved by the Ministry of the Environment.
Can a consultancy from another country prepare the quantification for HuellaChile?
Yes. The published requirements apply to the organisation, which must be located in Chile, and to the verification, which must be done by an independent third party that did not take part in the calculation. The quantification itself can be prepared by an external team.
The bottom line
In Chile, the carbon footprint has moved from a reporting topic to a commercial data point and, for large emitters, a tax cost. The advantage goes to companies that measure it properly once and reuse it everywhere: the seal, the customer and the export market.
At EcoAsesoría we prepare corporate and product carbon footprints under ISO 14064-1 and ISO 14067, ready for independent verification, and we work remotely with companies in Chile. If a customer or a seal is asking you for the data, tell us about your case.