A Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Mass Rapid Transit System in Bogota, Colombia

The SAVi assessment of Bogota's Metro Line 1 indicates that the project will provide significant monetary benefits and environmental improvements, including a reduction of 938,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2049. While traditional benefit-cost ratios (BCR) are low (0.4 to 0.6), the sustainable BCR (S-BCR) is substantially higher (1.5 to 1.9) when accounting for societal benefits such as increased retail revenues, health improvements, and avoided costs. The project, costing USD 5 billion, is expected to be operational by 2028 and will be 100% electric.

• The Bogota Metro Line 1 is a 25 km elevated, fully automatic, and driverless MRT system expected to be operational in 2028 with a total investment cost of USD 5 billion. It is projected to serve 1.05 million passengers daily, with stations located within 1 km of 80% of the city's population by 2030.
• The project is expected to significantly reduce environmental impact by being 100% electric and encouraging a shift from private motorized transport, which is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 938,000 tonnes by 2049.
• Using the SAVi methodology, the project's cumulative net benefits (discounted) for the period 2022 to 2058 are estimated at USD 2,051 million (COP 7,682 billion) in a conservative 8% modal shift scenario and USD 6,177 million (COP 23,130 billion) in a 16% modal shift scenario.
• The most significant economic impact is the increase in retail revenues around MRT stations due to increased pedestrian traffic, valued at USD 1,612 million (COP 7,904 billion) in the 8% scenario and USD 3,243 million (COP 15,897 billion) in the 16% scenario.
• There is a stark difference between traditional and sustainable valuations: the traditional benefit-cost ratio (BCR) ranges from 0.4 to 0.6, whereas the sustainable BCR (S-BCR), which includes social and environmental externalities, ranges from 1.5 to 1.9.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). A Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Mass Rapid Transit System in Bogota, Colombia. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-10/savi-mass-rapid-transit-system-bogota-colombia-summary.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. A Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Mass Rapid Transit System in Bogota, Colombia. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-10/savi-mass-rapid-transit-system-bogota-colombia-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=A Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Mass Rapid Transit System in Bogota, Colombia |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-10/savi-mass-rapid-transit-system-bogota-colombia-summary.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndsustainable, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{A Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Mass Rapid Transit System in Bogota, Colombia}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-10/savi-mass-rapid-transit-system-bogota-colombia-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }