Just transitions from coal in Colombia: between policy and reality

The document identifies gaps between the Colombian government's just energy transition commitments and the reality on the ground in thermal coal regions. It highlights the need for increased resources, subnational institutional capacity, and concrete local investments to address the environmental and social legacies of extraction and the economic impact of losing the coal sector.

• While the Colombian government has committed to a just energy transition roadmap and prioritized Caribbean thermal coal regions, there is a lack of sufficient resources to achieve these ambitions.
• Stakeholders hold conflicting visions regarding the transition, with labour organizations, community groups, NGOs, and academia often differing from policymakers and mining companies who resist moving away from coal mining and use.
• The transition in Colombian coal regions is complicated by global market fluctuations, geopolitical tensions, the social and environmental legacy of extraction, and the economic repercussions of losing a major industrial sector.
• Subnational governments in Colombia are hindered by inadequate financing mechanisms and a lack of institutional competencies and capacities necessary to support just transitions.
• Effective transitions require a combination of inclusive stakeholder dialogues and tangible local-level investments and strategies, particularly in areas like Cesar that have already experienced mining suspensions.

APA

F.'], [. E. '.-A. J. '.-N. J. '. (2024). Just transitions from coal in Colombia: between policy and reality. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/publications/just-transitions-coal-colombia-policy-reality/

Chicago

F.'], ['Arond, E.', 'Vega-Araújo, J.', 'Peña-Niño, J.', 'Patzy,. Just transitions from coal in Colombia: between policy and reality. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2024. https://www.sei.org/publications/just-transitions-coal-colombia-policy-reality/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=F.'] |first1=['Arond, E.', 'Vega-Araújo, J.', 'Peña-Niño, J.', 'Patzy, |title=Just transitions from coal in Colombia: between policy and reality |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=11 October 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/just-transitions-coal-colombia-policy-reality/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{f2024just, author = {F.'], ['Arond, E.', 'Vega-Araújo, J.', 'Peña-Niño, J.', 'Patzy,}, title = {{Just transitions from coal in Colombia: between policy and reality}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/just-transitions-coal-colombia-policy-reality/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }