COMPARISON STUDY BETWEEN THE COLOMBIAN AND EU TAXONOMIES

The report assesses the alignment between the Colombian and EU taxonomies, finding a high degree of similarity in technical screening criteria for climate change mitigation, particularly in the energy and manufacturing sectors. While both frameworks share guiding principles and a focus on decarbonisation, the EU Taxonomy is generally more detailed regarding climate change adaptation and minimum safeguards. The Colombian Green Taxonomy offers more specific criteria for land-use sectors (AFOLU) and certain waste management activities, reflecting its regional context. Currently, the EU Taxonomy mandates disclosure for large companies and financial participants, whereas the Colombian framework remains primarily voluntary.

• Technical Screening Criteria (TSC) for climate change mitigation are very similar for 47% (24 activities) of the matched economic activities, with the highest similarities found in the Energy and Manufacturing sectors.
• The Colombian Green Taxonomy is less ambitious than the EU Taxonomy for 27% (14 activities) of the assessed economic activities, primarily affecting the water, waste, energy, transport, ICT, and construction sectors.
• Only 6% (3 activities) of the Colombian Green Taxonomy's criteria are more stringent than the EU's, all of which are located in the Waste sector, specifically regarding composting, recovery of non-hazardous waste, and separate transportation of non-hazardous waste.
• Regarding Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) criteria, 42% (106 criteria) are very similar, while 16% (41 criteria) are more stringent or detailed in the Colombian taxonomy, largely due to the EU's current lack of generic circular economy criteria.
• The EU Taxonomy provides a comprehensive framework for substantial contribution to climate change adaptation across 13 sectors, whereas the Colombian Green Taxonomy has yet to develop this as a standalone objective.
• The Colombian Green Taxonomy specifically addresses three land-use sectors—Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock (AFOLU)—which are not yet addressed in the EU Taxonomy and contribute to 59% of Colombia's GHG emissions.
• The EU Taxonomy's Minimum Safeguards (MS) are more detailed than Colombia's; the EU integrates four core topics aligned with OECD and UN standards, while Colombia focuses on six IFC performance standards.
• The Colombian Green Taxonomy currently lacks legal status and does not mandate disclosure, whereas the EU Taxonomy requires large companies and financial market participants to disclose the proportion of aligned activities under the CSRD and SFDR.

APA

Dagnino, V., Peláez, A., González, I., & Porras, E. (2023). COMPARISON STUDY BETWEEN THE COLOMBIAN AND EU TAXONOMIES. Climate Bonds Initiative. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Climate-Bonds_Comparison-Study-Between-the-Colombian-and-EU-Taxonomies_EN_Jul-2023.pdf

Chicago

Dagnino, Valeria, Adelaida Peláez, Isabel González, and Erika Porras. COMPARISON STUDY BETWEEN THE COLOMBIAN AND EU TAXONOMIES. Climate Bonds Initiative, 2023. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Climate-Bonds_Comparison-Study-Between-the-Colombian-and-EU-Taxonomies_EN_Jul-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dagnino |first1=Valeria |last2=Peláez |first2=Adelaida |last3=González |first3=Isabel |last4=Porras |first4=Erika |title=COMPARISON STUDY BETWEEN THE COLOMBIAN AND EU TAXONOMIES |publisher=Climate Bonds Initiative |date=September 2023 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Climate-Bonds_Comparison-Study-Between-the-Colombian-and-EU-Taxonomies_EN_Jul-2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dagnino2023comparison, author = {Dagnino, Valeria and Peláez, Adelaida and González, Isabel and Porras, Erika}, title = {{COMPARISON STUDY BETWEEN THE COLOMBIAN AND EU TAXONOMIES}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Climate-Bonds_Comparison-Study-Between-the-Colombian-and-EU-Taxonomies_EN_Jul-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }