Uso de los recursos energéticos: Colombia vs. Argentina

This case study compares the energy matrices of Colombia and Argentina, analyzing their reliance on fossil fuels versus low-carbon sources and their respective commitments to energy transition and emission reductions.

• Colombia possesses a cleaner energy matrix than Argentina, primarily due to its electricity generation. In 2019, Colombia's low-carbon energy share was 24.9%, compared to Argentina's 15.73%, both of which exceed the global average of 15.68%. Colombia's installed electrical capacity as of 2018 was 68.4% hydraulic, whereas Argentina's electrical matrix is mostly composed of fossils, specifically gas.
• Both nations remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels for their overall energy demand. In 2019, fossil fuels accounted for nearly 80% of Colombia's energy matrix (36.4% oil, 25.1% gas, and 13.3% coal) and over 80% of Argentina's (49.3% gas, 34.2% oil, and 0.6% coal). Argentina's per capita fossil fuel consumption in 2019 was 18,101 megawatt-hours, more than double Colombia's 7,965 megawatt-hours and above the global average of 17,730 megawatt-hours.
• Argentina's energy strategy focuses on fracking in the Vaca Muerta formation, which the document suggests hinders renewable energy expansion and increases greenhouse gas emissions. This dependence, combined with insufficient financial incentives for oil companies, led to a projected energy deficit of USD $1,000 million for 2021, with imports from Bolivia expected to increase by 20% at tripled prices.
• Both countries have set emission targets for 2030: Argentina aims to limit emissions to 313 MtCO2e (excluding land use and forestry), moving its Climate Action Tracker rating from "critically insufficient" to "insufficient". Colombia has committed to an absolute limit of 169 MtCO2e, representing a 51% reduction from current scenarios. Colombia also aims for 600,000 electric vehicles by 2030, though it lacks explicit goals for phasing out coal or fossil-fuel vehicle sales.

APA

Jurado, M. (2021). Uso de los recursos energéticos: Colombia vs. Argentina. Somos El Cambio. https://cambio.com.co/articulo/uso-de-los-recursos-energeticos-colombia-vs-argentina-extended/

Chicago

Jurado, Mateo. Uso de los recursos energéticos: Colombia vs. Argentina. Somos El Cambio, 2021. https://cambio.com.co/articulo/uso-de-los-recursos-energeticos-colombia-vs-argentina-extended/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jurado |first1=Mateo |title=Uso de los recursos energéticos: Colombia vs. Argentina |publisher=Somos El Cambio |date=8 September 2021 |url=https://cambio.com.co/articulo/uso-de-los-recursos-energeticos-colombia-vs-argentina-extended/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jurado2021uso, author = {Jurado, Mateo}, title = {{Uso de los recursos energéticos: Colombia vs. Argentina}}, institution = {Somos El Cambio}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://cambio.com.co/articulo/uso-de-los-recursos-energeticos-colombia-vs-argentina-extended/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }