Germany, Colombia launch climate, energy partnership

Spanish Market: Emissions
16/06/23

Germany and Colombia on Friday signed a "partnership for climate and a fair energy transition" that will focus on extending renewable power, protecting the environment and biodiversity and sustainable urban development.

Colombia is the second Latin American state with which Germany has signed such an agreement, after Peru.

Germany's development minister Svenja Schulze said her ministry will contribute an additional €200mn ($214mn) towards Colombia's national climate targets.

Colombia, as an Amazonian country and one of the countries with the highest biodiversity in the world, "is a partner without whom we cannot achieve our international climate and environmental protection targets", Schulze said.

The partnership will lead Colombia to transition from fossil to clean energies, "with the aim of becoming an exporter of clean energies such as green hydrogen and its derivatives", Colombia's foreign minister Alvar Leyva Duran said.

Germany and Colombia have the "transition from fossil to renewable energy generation" in common, German economy and climate minister Robert Habeck said. Coal trade will become less important between the two countries, with co-operation on building up renewable capacities to become "decisive", he added.

Colombia was Germany's third-biggest coal supplier last year.

Germany's environment minister Steffi Lemke stressed the importance of protecting natural ecosystems for climate action. "Nature-based solutions and targeted adaptation measures buffer the effects of the climate crisis," she said.

Anna Luehrmann, minister of state for Europe and climate at Germany's federal foreign office, said that Colombia is a "very important and reliable global partner for us regarding climate action, whether it's protecting the Amazon, the energy transition or in the forums of international climate policy". The two countries "can jointly set new standards and develop new instruments for international climate action", Luehrmann said.

Colombia had joined ranks with the EU at the UN Cop 27 climate conference in November in calling for a global phase-out of fossil fuels, Luehrmann pointed out. "With a view to Cop 28, our alliance will be even more important in setting the course for a global energy transition."

Colombia in April joined the climate club initiated by Germany and the G7 group of industrialised countries.

By Chloe Jardine

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22/01/25

EU must be 'honest' about Green Deal: Poland

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Trump puts US climate risk disclosures on the outs

21/01/25

Trump puts US climate risk disclosures on the outs

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Brazil taps diplomat as Cop 30 president: Update

21/01/25

Brazil taps diplomat as Cop 30 president: Update

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Brazil pushes climate leadership in Davos

21/01/25

Brazil pushes climate leadership in Davos

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Brazil taps Correa do Lago as Cop 30 president

21/01/25

Brazil taps Correa do Lago as Cop 30 president

Sao Paulo, 21 January (Argus) — Brazil chose veteran diplomat Andre Aranha Correa do Lago to preside over the UN Cop 30 climate summit, it said. Correa do Lago's appointment breaks the mold of the latest Cop presidents. The last two Cop presidents — Mukhtar Babayev and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who presided over Cop 29 and 28, respectively — were experienced oil executives, while Correa do Lago has mostly been a diplomat and an advocate of sustainable development. Correa do Lago has served as the Brazilian foreign affairs ministry's climate, energy and environment secretary since March 2023 and began his career as a diplomat in 1982. He previously served in the embassies in Madrid, Prague, Washington and Buenos Aires and in a mission to the EU in Brussels. Later, Correa do Lago was ambassador to Japan (2013-2018), India (2018-2023) and Bhutan (2019-2023). He has been working on sustainable development topics since 2001, according to the Brazilian government. He was director of the energy division of the foreign affairs' ministry from 2008-2011 and headed the ministry's environmental division from 2011-2013. He also served as Brazil's chief negotiator for climate change from 2011-2013 and presided over the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, also known as Rio+20. Brazil also tapped economist Ana Toni, the energy ministry's secretary for climate change since March 2023, as Cop 30's executive director. She holds a PhD in political science and focused her career on promoting projects and public policies regarding social justice, the environment and climate change. Toni was executive director of the climate and society institute from 2015-2022, president of Greenpeace's board from 2010-2017 and the director of the Ford Foundation in Brazil from 2003-2011. Brazil will host Cop 30 in Belem, the capital of northern Para state, in November. The city was chosen because of its proximity to the Amazon rainforest. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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