Under President Juan Manuel Santos, the Colombian government has vastly expanded protected areas, creating new national parks and providing land titles to indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities in the Amazon, Chocó and other important forest regions. However, many challenges remain. National parks and indigenous and Afro-Colombian lands continue to be threatened by illegal occupation, coca cultivation and illegal gold mining.
Providing reliable, clean energy to Colombia’s growing population will be a tremendous challenge in the coming years, especially in light of the peace process with the FARC.
Victoria Isabel Cardiel C. entrevista a Lisa Viscidi, la directora del Programa de Energía, Cambio Climático e Industrias Extractivas del Diálogo Interamericano, sobre la decisión de Donald Trump de retirar a Estados Unidos del Acuerdo de París y cómo afectará a América Latina.
As Latin America moves towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fulfilling its Paris commitments, it must also work to meet rapidly growing electricity demand, which is projected to almost double by 2040.
President Donald Trump’s announcement on June 1 that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement was met with widespread dismay and fears that the decision would put the entire global agreement in peril.
Después del anuncio de Trump, muchos líderes latinoamericanos condenaron la decisión de Estados Unidos de abandonar el Acuerdo de París y reiteraron su compromiso con los objetivos del cambio climático.
As Colombia begins the multi-year process of implementing last year’s peace accord, it is vital to balance environmental conservation with the need for sustainable economic development.
Peace in Colombia promises to bring many environmental benefits to the country but also poses environmental risks associated with the rural development plans contemplated in the post-conflict agenda.
Financial risks to companies and investors associated with climate change will become more important in the coming years as countries look to decarbonize their economies.
Colombia should integrate environmental considerations into its rural economic development plans to avoid an increase in deforestation associated with the post-conflict transition.
Latin America faces some of the toughest obstacles to halting energy emissions, but many countries in the region also have among the best opportunities to reach climate goals.
The agreements of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and COP21 in Paris put Latin American governments in a crucial stage to take action by developing adequate policies to scale up investments in renewable energy and making alliances to receive capacity-building and technological support.
Electric transportation is a critical part of a clean transport agenda that can put Colombia on a path toward improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“La industria automotriz en el país ha sido conservadora, teniendo en cuenta la responsabilidad de aproximar, facilitar y promover el uso de las nuevas tecnologías”
Electric vehicles are a critical part of a clean transport agenda, but strong policy incentives are needed to promote widespread EV adoption in Latin America.
