The Government of Colombia's General Attorney's Office has published a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to drive regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions.
MOU 017 is addressed to departments, municipal and district authorities and regional autonomous corporations. It calls for the development of robust decarbonisation pathways that align with E2050 – Colombia’s Long Term Climate Strategy, which was launched by President Iván Duque at COP26 in Glasgow.
To keep global temperature rises below 1.5⁰C, Colombia has committed, by 2030, to reduce GHG emissions by 51% compared to a baseline scenario.
This supports the country’s long-term strategy to be carbon neutral by 2050, with shorter term goals to realise this ambition. Although Colombia only represents 0.6% of the world’s GHG emissions, it is among the top 20 countries most threatened by the effects of the climate crisis. Acting on climate change therefore cannot wait.
MOU 017 recommends that subnational governments in Colombia incorporate E2050 into their ‘Comprehensive Plans for Territorial Climate Change Management’.
It ensures that departments adopt effective decarbonisation strategies, which align with Colombia’s wider climate ambitions. This is important given that of the 32 Colombian departments, 17 have yet to include a robust mitigation component within their climate policy.
The Road to Carbon Neutral project, run by the Climate Group and partners and supported by UK PACT, has played an integral role in the development of MOU 017.
The project provides subnational governments with the tools to reduce emissions, particularly in the energy and transport sectors. Crucially, it also offers a catalogue of actions that can help to deliver Colombia’s national climate strategies. These include E2050 and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Five Colombian departments – Antioquia, Atlantico, Boyacá, Cundinamarca and Valle del Cauca - have participated in virtual workshops to introduce them to decarbonisation pathways and share best practices on the implementation of decarbonisation actions with the Under2 Coalition.
Learn more about the project’s progress here.
