UK PACT has partnered with Colombia, a country with a strong commitment to international and domestic action on climate change and sustainable growth.
Colombia has demonstrated regional leadership in tackling climate change and encouraging sustainable growth. This shared vision has resulted in a history of successful and mutually-beneficial collaboration, cemented through the ‘UK-Colombia Partnership for Sustainable Growth’. This Partnership demonstrates the UK government’s desire to work closely with Colombian counterparts on accelerating domestic action on climate change and raising global climate ambition. This commitment to long-term support has positioned the UK as a key ally, with the Colombian government naming 2021 as the ‘year of UK and Colombia’.
In the first round of funding, Colombia-UK PACT funded thirteen projects and three skill-shares. Following a successful round of implementation of the first phase of Colombia-UK PACT, the second round of funding was launched in August 2020. Projects have been selected across five priority sectors: green finance, sustainable mobility, climate policy, energy and forests and land use. See the carousel below for more detailed information on each project.
Following the second call for proposals held in 2020, projects have been selected in these core areas:
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Project lead - Global Green Growth Institute
“Our project will provide technical inputs to accelerate bioeconomy businesses and help strengthen Colombia’s path to green economic recovery and growth. These contributions will translate into green jobs creation, social inclusion and carbon emissions reduction.” - Dr. Chan Ho Park, Director, GGGI
The project will work with the National Department of Planning to help improve the implementation of Colombia’s national policy for long term green growth. It will help accelerate the creation of bioeconomy businesses and a green economic recovery. It will also develop skills for green jobs, building opportunities for Colombians in sectors such as energy efficiency, bioeconomy development and reforestation.
Project lead - Fedesarrollo
“Deficiencies in land use planning have direct consequences on environmental sustainability and inclusive economic development. This project will analyse current policy and propose solutions for the years ahead.” - Víctor Saavedra, Project Director, Fedesarrollo
An analysis of territorial planning in Colombia will identify possible improvement to land use and territorial planning policies from a sustainability perspective. It will propose recommendations for reform by providing tools to national and local authorities for the design and execution of climate-sensitive land use policies and regulations.
Project lead - Organization for Environmental Education and Protection (OpEPA)
“The project is fundamental for Colombia’s energy and transport sectors. It will work to establish pathways to help decarbonise five key regions and amplify new narratives that help Colombians understand better how transitioning towards a low-carbon future is essential for our country and planet.” - Luis Camargo, Executive Director, OpEPA
This is the first project in Colombia to develop low-carbon pathways at the subnational level. It will work to empower local government officials, entrepreneurs, journalists and community stakeholders to build a long-term vision for low-carbon pathways in energy and transport aligned with Colombia’s 2050 strategy. It will enhance the capacity of five Colombian departments and municipal government officials to implement solutions that contribute to the country’s low-carbon ambition.
Project lead - Global Green Growth Institute
“Rural electrification through renewable energy is a “win-win” solution for Colombia’s emissions reduction targets, environmental conservation, inclusive participation, gender empowerment and poverty alleviation goals.” - Carolina Jaramillo, Country Representative, GGGI
This project aims to advance Colombia´s energy transition and help provide sustainable and affordable energy solutions to vulnerable and isolated rural communities and households. It will help to identify and secure finance for key rural off- and on-grid energy projects. The project will also assist selected private sector developers in building replicable off-grid electrification business models and make selected projects commercially viable.
Project lead - Carbon Trust
"This project, which has the support of the Climate Change Coordinator at the Ministry of Mines and Energy responsible for defining the NDC energy targets, will help Colombia’s efforts to reach their NDC using smart grid technologies and Demand Side Management mechanisms" - Mauricio Riveros, Manager Energy Systems, Carbon Trust
This project aims to develop Colombia´s smart grids market as a key instrument for the industrial and commercial sectors to improve energy efficiency, energy auto-generation and sustainable supply options. It will evaluate time-of-use tariffs, their impact on consumer behaviour and identify tariff design opportunities for electricity suppliers. Additionally, this project will upskill network operators and other energy sector stakeholders in the implementation of smart energy technologies.
Project lead - Universidad de los Andes (Centro de Finanzas Sostenibles)
"Combining capacity building and applied research, this project will help accelerate a sustained low-carbon transition by supporting the decarbonization of the Colombian financial market and the real economy” - Laura Ramirez, Head of Emerging Markets, 2 Degrees Investing Initiative
This project will combine applied research and training to improve knowledge, expertise and readiness on climate transition risks. This will be achieved through awareness-raising, capacity-building and the introduction of tools to promote and enhance the response of key public and private stakeholders on climate issues.
Project lead - Climate Bonds Initiative
“Supporting Colombia’s notable success in prioritising the green finance agenda, our project embeds the implementation of the principles of green taxonomy, resulting in more impactful green financial flows" -Justine Leigh-Bell, Deputy CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative
This project will support the Colombian taxonomy implementation, which will provide clarity to the financial market on what activities are green and can be considered sustainable climate investments. The taxonomy implementation is expected to promote sustainable finance, which underpins emissions reductions goals. the project will work closely with a strategic sample of financial institutions to identify bankable green projects, adequate financial instruments and institutional capacity.
Project lead - Transforma
“This project will upskill the financial sector to re-direct flows to green investments. By integrating a climate change perspective, CCADI will continue to support Colombia’s low carbon transition.” - Mariana Rojas Laserna, Technical Director, CCADI
This initiative will promote the inclusion of climate change risks into investment decisions by institutional investors, including pension and private funds, insurance companies and banks. This is the first step to mobilizing capital flows to low-carbon investment opportunities, working closely with public and private stakeholders in the financial sector to foster a systemic approach that supports this transformation.
Project lead - Fundación Alisos
“The landscapes prioritised for this project are critical for the promotion of deforestation-free cocoa production models in Colombia. This work will help restore forests, improve livelihoods for farmers and help consolidate the peace process in Colombia.” - Wendy Arenas, Director, Alisos
This project will work to strengthen forest and landscape restoration and promote sustainable livelihoods in post-conflict regions in the Colombian Amazon where deforestation is high. It will generate a framework for green growth, allowing cocoa producers, market and industry partners to develop an agroforestry system that mitigates deforestation in areas previously transformed for cocoa plantations or livestock breeding.
Project lead - Rare
“We need to shift farming to more sustainable practices across entire landscapes to reap the benefits of resilience, livelihoods, climate mitigation and biodiversity. This project combines behaviour change with technology to deliver lasting change.” - Paula Caballero, Managing Director, Lands for Life, Rare
This project aims to improve the uptake of climate-smart agricultural practices that promote the protection of soil, water and biodiversity, through a two-pronged approach. It will provide region-specific information on emissions reductions associated with sustainable and diversified cattle ranching, cocoa and citrus production. Through mobile-based technology the project will enable a greater number of farmers to receive timely and quality technical support.
Project lead - Los Viajes del Boga S.A.S. (Awake)
“We want to promote and empower a new phase of nature tourism in Colombia: an industry that is connected with nature conservation, sustainability and local green growth. This will allow communities to draw tangible economic and environmental benefits.” - Laura Romero, Co-founder and Leader of Development Agency, Awake
This project aims to reduce deforestation in the Amazon, Orinoquia and Pacific regions by strengthening nature tourism and increasing ambition for forest conservation. It will help equip local ecotourism businesses with commercial, financial and operational skills, providing sustainable income opportunities for rural communities. It will also help foster behaviour change through environmental education and use of technology-based tools to monitor, measure and report the impacts of environmental conservation.
Project lead - Grupo E3
“The eco-tourism routes offer the opportunity to promote a green and climate resilient recovery in rural areas, supporting community livelihoods in rich bio-diverse ecosystems, helping to stop deforestation and generating sustainable economic opportunities.” - Claudia Martinez, Director, E3
The project will leverage the potential of community-based sustainable tourism in biodiversity hotspots as a means to sustain rural livelihoods, reduce deforestation, cut greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen peace-building in two post-conflict regions in Colombia. Sustainable-tourism routes will be piloted as alternatives to promote forest conservation and peace.
Project lead - World Resources Institute
"Electric buses offer a concrete way to cut air pollution, enhance the quality of public transit, and help Colombia achieve its NDC targets. This project will position Colombia as a Latin America e-mobility pioneer and a worldwide leader in green infrastructure." - Fernando Paez, Chief Operating Officer, WRI Mexico
This project will accelerate the adoption of electric buses in Colombia. It will provide technical assistance to three cities, helping them to integrate electric buses into their fleets, thereby reducing city level greenhouse gas emissions and improving local air quality.
Project lead - Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá
“The road freight sector is critical to the country´s economy. In collaboration with the sector, the Giro Zero project will facilitate the change needed to reduce its environmental impact and increase its green credentials.” - Carlos E. Hernández, Universidad de los Andes
This project will work in collaboration with key transport beneficiaries to help decarbonise Colombia’s road freight sector. It will increase the adoption of low-emission technologies and better environmental practices by proposing strategies for improving fleet configuration, management and logistics and use of renewable fuels.
Project lead - Fundación para el progreso de la región Bogotá, ProBogotá Región
“This project will help Bogotá transition to a much-needed integrated system for public transport. Inter-operability and the MaaS platform will support the shift to sustainable mobility, relying on technology.” - Fabio Gordillo, CEO, GSD Plus
This initiative will help address the consolidation of a sustainable, efficient and multimodal public transport system for Bogota and 12 municipalities in the region. It will create the architecture for “mobility as a demand-driven system (MaaS)” by integrating infrastructure, supply and demand, technology, funding, and sustainable transport policies. This approach will promote systematic change in mobility habits and lower carbon emissions.
The second Colombia-UK PACT funding round closed in August 2020.
Projects were assessed as part of an open call to prospective applicants following two stages: 1) Expression of Interest (EOI) to outline how a proposed project responds to the call; and 2) a request for detailed proposals for those shortlisted at the EOI stage.
UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) is a unique capacity-building programme running from 2018 to 2022. Funded by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the UK's International Climate Finance, it works in partnership with countries with high emission reduction potential to support them to implement and increase their ambitions for tackling climate change.
