Navigating a just energy transition from coal in the Colombian Caribbean

The document examines the challenges of transitioning away from thermal coal in Colombia's Caribbean region, highlighting the tension between national decarbonization goals and regional economic dependence. It identifies diverse visions of a 'just transition'—ranging from narrow workforce support to broad socio-ecological transformation—and analyzes the economic, environmental, and sociocultural barriers that hinder progress. Using the case of Prodeco's mine closures in Cesar, the paper illustrates the risks of unplanned transitions and the influence of political-economic elites in maintaining extractive models.

• Colombia is a leading thermal coal exporter in Latin America, with extraction heavily concentrated in the departments of La Guajira and Cesar, creating significant regional vulnerabilities as the global energy transition progresses.
• There are conflicting visions of a 'just transition' in Colombia: the previous government focused narrowly on the labour force, while the current administration under President Petro promotes a broader roadmap based on equity, democratization, and binding social participation.
• Civil society organizations advocate for a 'socio-ecological transformation' that moves beyond replacing fossil fuels with renewables to address systemic crises, including human rights abuses and the 'corporate economic-political model'.
• Economic barriers to transition are severe at the subnational level, where coal revenues are critical; in 2019–20, coal represented nearly 43% of Cesar's and 61% of La Guajira's total incomes.
• Environmental regulations for mine closures in Colombia are fragmented and insufficient, with financial guarantees for post-closure activities lasting only three years despite the potential for 'perpetual' environmental impacts.
• The suspension of Prodeco's mining operations in La Jagua de Ibirico, Cesar, serves as a case study for the 'three-pronged crisis' (social, environmental, and economic) caused by unplanned mine closures, leading to mass unemployment and decreased municipal revenue.
• Power asymmetries persist as political and economic elites maintain a 'political settlement' that favors extractive industries, often blurring private interests with public policy to ensure the continued flow of rents.
• Mining companies have strategically adopted the language of 'just energy transition' and 'carbon neutrality' to justify continued extraction or to identify new business opportunities in decarbonization.

APA

Vega-Araújo, J., Niño, J. P., Arond, E., & Patzy, F. (2023). Navigating a just energy transition from coal in the Colombian Caribbean. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sei2023.063-just-transition-coal-colombian-caribbean.pdf

Chicago

Vega-Araújo, José, Juliana Peña Niño, Elisa Arond, and Fernando Patzy. Navigating a just energy transition from coal in the Colombian Caribbean. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sei2023.063-just-transition-coal-colombian-caribbean.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vega-Araújo |first1=José |last2=Niño |first2=Juliana Peña |last3=Arond |first3=Elisa |last4=Patzy |first4=Fernando |title=Navigating a just energy transition from coal in the Colombian Caribbean |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=December 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sei2023.063-just-transition-coal-colombian-caribbean.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vegaarajo2023navigating, author = {Vega-Araújo, José and Niño, Juliana Peña and Arond, Elisa and Patzy, Fernando}, title = {{Navigating a just energy transition from coal in the Colombian Caribbean}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sei2023.063-just-transition-coal-colombian-caribbean.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }