E2050 Colombia’s long-term climate strategy

Project

Climate
Sustainable development

Project start date: December 13 2019

Status
Closed
Project end date: August 31 2022
Financing amount (Euro): 1,3 M €
Country and region: Colombia

E2050 Colombia's Long-Term Climate Strategy aims to build socio-ecological climate resilience through carbon neutrality and adaptation to climate change.

Faced with the reality of climate change and the constant rise in global temperature, the Paris Agreement laid the foundations for the establishment of goals and agreements that allow all countries to move towards a sustainable future.

Aware of the need to carry out deep transformations to achieve a significant and constant reduction in the level of greenhouse gas emissions and, thus, contributing to keep the increase in the average temperature of the planet in the 1.5°C range, the Colombian government ratified and adopted the Paris Agreement in 2017.

United by this common goal, the Colombian and French governments are working together to increase the country's ability to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and build a climate-resilient development path that will allow for long-term progress towards greater prosperity, equality and sustainability.

What is the E2050 Colombia’s long-term strategy?

E2050 Colombia’s long term strategy is a State policy instrument that seeks to define socioeconomic development objectives and realistic long-term goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to strengthen Colombia's climate resilience by building a carbon-neutral development with high adaptability.

The E2050 is a "living document" that serves as a starting point for a broader, deeper and more inclusive national discussion that allows, over the years and the progress of scientific information and climate governance, to be complemented, adjusted and adapted to guide the country's actions and commitments on Climate Change, in full accordance with national development actions.

The formulation process of E2050 (phase 1 of the project), was led by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the permanent support of the French Government through its financial and technical cooperation agencies (AFD and Expertise France). It included the participation and contribution of 2,100 people from about 500 institutions, through 300 meetings and workshops as well as the participation of representatives of the private sector, civil society, and indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. The E2050 was politically validated on 24 September 2021.

At the beginning of August 2021, thanks again to the financial support of AFD (€400,000), Expertise France launched a second phase to start the operationalization and implementation of the E2050, through actions aiming to integrate the Strategy objectives into the main planning instruments.

What does the E2050 Colombia’s long-term strategy look for?

E2050 Colombia’s long-term strategy seeks to build a climate-resilient development, through carbon neutral productive, extractive, settlement and consumption activities; as well as through a greater adaptability of its sectors and territories to the Climate Change related risks.

In 2050, Colombia will be a climate-resilient country that prioritizes human well-being, biodiversity conservation and water security, with a competitive, circular and carbon-neutral economy; with regions, sectors and institutions with extensive capacities for adaptation to Climate Change, achieved through sustainable transformations promoted through ethical action, knowledge, innovation, multicultural social inclusion, food security and the strengthening of governance territorial.

How will we build long-term socio-ecological climate resilience in Colombia?

To build a climate-resilient and carbon neutral country with a high adaptive capacity, the E2050 is articulated around 9 efforts:

1. Climate knowledge and governance;
2. Comprehensive management of biodiversity and its ecosystemic services;
3. Sustainable Consumption and Production;
4. Fair Transition of Workforce;
5. Sustainable rural development differentiated by regions;
6. Cities-regions with comprehensive urban development;
7. Diversification of the energy matrix;
8. Sustainable mobility and infrastructure;
9. Increasing the adaptive capacity of the population and of the health system.

From now on, the challenge of implementing the E2050 begins by articulating its vision, fundamental principles and efforts with public policy instruments, which contribute to paving the way for a new carbon-neutral Colombia with broad capacities to adapt to climate change.

Means of implementation

The E2050 Strategy lays out the path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through 9 efforts, 48 transformation options and 195 ambition referents. It includes 6 implementation topics, where gender and comprehensive risk management are transversal. To achieve carbon neutrality, the commitment of all sectors is necessary. Of course the private sector is essential to reach the 2 major 2050 national objectives of:

1. Reducing GHG emissions in Colombia by 90% compared to 2015 and balancing the remaining 10% with absorptions to achieve net zero.

2. Reducing the vulnerability of Colombian municipalities and departments as well as the damages and losses caused by climate change, with a comprehensive and multisectoral territorial approach. Going from the current classification of a high (0.88), to a low or very low vulnerability (≤ 0.4).