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The report examines the challenges of a just energy transition in Colombia's coal-producing regions of Cesar and La Guajira. It analyzes the differing visions of transition held by national and regional actors, the power dynamics that resist the planned phase-out of coal mining, and the efforts of civil society to promote sustainable futures. This work is part of a broader comparative project involving South Africa and Indonesia to understand energy transition hurdles in Global South coal-producing nations.

The report argues that social conflict surrounding wind energy in La Guajira is driven not by opposition to the technology, but by the processes of implementation and consultation. It identifies eight enabling factors for social acceptance: improving information access, regulating community advisers, recognizing the duality of Wayuu leadership, establishing benefit-sharing standards, ensuring equitable internal distribution of benefits, monitoring 'electric transfers', strengthening regional institutional capacity, and aligning industry development with territorial planning. The authors propose actionable solutions including a regional information observatory, a certification program for advisers, and peer-to-peer learning networks for communities.

The document analyzes the socio-economic and political challenges of transitioning away from thermal coal in the Colombian Caribbean. It highlights the tension between national economic reliance on coal exports and the local need for socio-ecological transformation. The paper identifies significant barriers, including high regional fiscal dependence on royalties, environmental liabilities from unplanned mine closures, and a centralized power structure that often excludes local communities from decision-making. Using the case of La Jagua de Ibirico, it illustrates the crisis triggered by abrupt mining suspensions, emphasizing the urgency of planned closures and economic diversification to avoid systemic collapse in coal-dependent municipalities.

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.

The report identifies eight enabling factors to improve social acceptance of wind energy projects in La Guajira, Colombia, where high social conflict has led to project delays and suspensions. It emphasizes the need for transparent information, regulated community advisors, recognition of ancestral Wayuu leadership, and standardized benefit distribution to ensure a just energy transition.

The report assesses Colombia's energy transition policies, specifically Law 1715 of 2014 and Law 2169 of 2021, finding both have a 'Medium' implementation rating. While legal frameworks are strong, the country has struggled to meet installed capacity targets for renewables due to social conflicts and regulatory uncertainty. The document also examines the phase-out of coal and hydrocarbons, noting contradictions between international commitments and national development plans regarding natural gas.

Colombia possesses significant wind and solar potential, estimated at 30 GW and 32 GW respectively, though installed capacity remained low at approximately 1.5% of the electrical matrix in 2022. A strong increase is projected by 2027, potentially reaching nearly 40% of capacity if approved projects are operationalized. The document details a robust incentive framework including tax deductions and VAT exemptions, alongside mechanisms for community benefit distribution and indigenous rights. While investment reached record levels in 2021, the sector faces challenges in gender representation and the need for stronger policies to ensure local employment and social equity.

Colombia possesses significant wind and solar potential, particularly in the La Guajira region, though these sources represented only 1.5% of the capacity mix in 2022. The document details a robust framework of incentives—including tax deductions and VAT exemptions—and predicts that approved projects could increase the solar and wind share of the capacity mix to nearly 40% by 2027. It also examines financing mechanisms, environmental licensing, and the integration of social safeguards such as Free Prior Informed Consent and benefit-sharing schemes for Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

The document outlines a framework for a Just Transition (TJ) in Colombia, emphasizing the need to manage the shift toward a low-carbon economy without exacerbating existing social inequalities. It identifies the mining and fossil fuel sectors as the most vulnerable due to their significant contribution to exports and employment. The guide recommends strengthening governance through a dedicated TJ Committee, improving social dialogue, reforming the labor market to address high informality, and diversifying regional economies. It also highlights the necessity of mobilizing financial resources to close the funding gap for Colombia's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

The document outlines a strategy for Colombia to manage its transition to a low-carbon economy while addressing high levels of poverty, inequality, and labor informality. It identifies the mining and fossil fuel sectors as the most vulnerable, representing 71% of exports and 500,000 formal jobs. The toolkit recommends establishing a Just Transition Committee within the Intersectoral Commission for Climate Change, enhancing social dialogue, and reforming the labor market to support workers' mobility and reskilling. It emphasizes the need for economic diversification in fossil-fuel-dependent regions and the mobilization of financial resources to close a funding gap estimated at 1.04% of GDP annually to meet NDC objectives.

The report outlines a 'Route to Net Zero' for Colombia by 2050, arguing that current national energy plans are insufficient for carbon neutrality. It proposes a strategy centered on high electrification (targeting 60% of final energy consumption by 2050), a massive expansion of non-conventional renewable energy (FNCER), and a gradual phase-out of fossil fuels. The analysis emphasizes that decarbonization must be paired with a 'just transition' framework to protect communities and workers dependent on the mining and hydrocarbon sectors, particularly in regions like La Guajira and Cesar.

The document serves as a toolkit for the press to evaluate the environmental proposals of Colombian presidential candidates. It identifies critical areas of concern—including deforestation, climate change, energy transition, and marine conservation—and provides data-driven contexts and specific lines of inquiry to ensure candidates are held accountable to national and international commitments.

The document asserts that Colombia's coal sector is in a structural decline, despite temporary price increases in 2021. It highlights the extreme economic and fiscal dependence of La Guajira and Cesar on large-scale mining, noting that this dependence coexists with low development indicators and high environmental and social liabilities. The author uses the 2020 crisis and Prodeco's decision to relinquish mining titles as a warning, urging national and local governments to implement transition strategies rather than attempting to prolong the life of coal mining, which would risk obstructing a just transition.

The report analyzes the structural decline of Colombia's coal industry, highlighted by the 2020 crisis and the exit of companies like Prodeco. It emphasizes the extreme economic dependence of the Cesar and La Guajira regions on coal and warns that national and local actors are in a state of 'denial' regarding the sector's sunset. The authors propose a just transition based on seven principles, including active decarbonization, regional economic diversification, labor protections, and responsible mine closure regulations.

The document analyzes the economic dependence of Colombia and its producing regions on coal, highlighting the vulnerability of public finances to declining international demand and the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines the General Royalty System (SGR) and projects that despite recent legal reforms to increase direct allocations to producing regions, the downward trend in coal production will lead to significant losses in royalty revenues for departments like Cesar and La Guajira by 2030.

The document analyzes the risks associated with Colombia's dependence on thermal coal exports amidst declining global demand and proposes a transition strategy based on economic diversification and social equity. It highlights the severe poverty and environmental degradation in the Cesar and La Guajira regions, where coal mining contributes significantly to regional GDP but provides limited local employment. The brief recommends shifting from carbon-intensive industrialization to low-carbon asset diversification, implementing active labor policies, and establishing mechanisms to quantify and repair socio-environmental liabilities. It critiques current government strategies, such as 'neutral coal,' for extending the life of a declining sector rather than accelerating decarbonization.

The document argues that Colombia has the technical and economic capacity to phase out coal-fired power generation by leveraging its high hydroelectric capacity and expanding non-conventional renewable energy sources. It notes that most existing coal plants are obsolete, with an average age of 34 years, and that new coal projects are largely stalled due to financial and social opposition. The brief highlights a complementarity between hydroelectricity and renewables (solar and wind) that can ensure energy security during droughts, reducing the need for fossil fuel backups. It also warns that relying on natural gas as a transition fuel is risky due to limited national reserves, estimated to last only about eight years. The report recommends that the Colombian government lead the transition by abandoning coal generation and promoting a diversified, carbon-neutral electricity sector by 2050.

Colombia is the world's sixth-largest coal exporter, with the sector contributing approximately 1.1% of the national GDP and providing significant royalties. However, the global market is contracting as major importers in the Atlantic and Americas markets set phase-out dates for coal-fired power. While some industry associations suggest expanding into Pacific markets like China and India, high freight costs and those countries' own goals for carbon neutrality make this difficult. The Colombian government has historically supported the sector through various tax exemptions and incentives, such as the Plan Vallejo and Tax Refund Certificates. The report argues that Colombia must urgently diversify its economy and implement a just transition to mitigate the socio-economic risks of a structural decline in coal demand.

The report establishes that gender equality is both a co-benefit of and a tool for effective climate policy. Through an analysis of the Colombian coal sector, it finds that current climate and energy policies are largely gender-blind or rely on stereotypes, while gender policies often ignore the climate crisis. Field research reveals that while women—particularly Indigenous and Afro-Colombian women—are active grassroots leaders in defending their territories, they are structurally excluded from formal decision-making. The authors propose a GRCP that incorporates intersectionality, local expertise, and a 'just transition' framework to ensure that the phase-out of coal does not reproduce existing social inequalities.

The report evaluates Colombia's departmental energy performance using a trilemma framework. It finds that while regions like Antioquia and Boyacá excel in energy security due to hydroelectric and thermal resources, significant gaps persist in energy equity between the National Interconnected System (SIN) and Non-Interconnected Zones (ZNI). Environmental sustainability is hindered by a reliance on fossil fuels, particularly gas and coal in departments like Atlántico and La Guajira, while non-conventional renewable energy sources (FNCER) remain underutilized.