Forest fires were responsible for the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Argentina in 2020, according to a preview of the latest National Greenhouse Gas Inventory presented this Tuesday by the Secretariat of Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Innovation. . To commemorate World Day against Climate Change, during an event organized at the headquarters of the Inter-American Development Bank in Buenos Aires, the secretariat, headed by Cecilia Nicolini, showed the preliminary data of the report that will be disseminated at the end of the year, in which warned that fires and the subsequent deforestation of native forests were the main causes of the increase in emissions. "The inventory includes previous years, so there is information until 2020. Although GHGs decreased during the pandemic due to the decrease in transportation use, there was a rebound mainly due to fires," Nicolini explained to Télam and commented that "before, "50% of the emissions came from the energy sector but now it was equated with land use." 2020 emissions were 376 MTCO2e and were 45% explained by energy; 45% for agriculture, livestock, forestry and other land uses; 5% for industrial processes and product use, and 5% for waste. "The climate crisis causes extreme natural events to be exacerbated. The fires have a component due to the drought that has been going through for several years, but also 95% of the fires are intentional, there are people speculating with the change in land use for real estate or agricultural interests," said Nicolini and requested greater intervention from the Judiciary to punish these crimes.