Although national and global agendas on climate change and energy transition have gained increasing momentum in recent years, these issues have been the subject of discussion, regulation, and debate for decades. In an effort to understand how political and media narratives around the energy transition have taken shape in Colombia, CREER has developed a timeline that compiles key events, news stories, regulations (national and international), court rulings, and excerpts from national development plans that have been in force in the country over the past 25 years.
This timeline was created within the framework of the “Polarization and Energy Transition” project led by CREER in Colombia with support from the Ford Foundation. It also includes a discourse analysis of print media, examining how the topic of energy transition has been positioned during three key periods:
Through this timeline, users can explore the main themes, narratives, and characteristics present in more than 30 local and national media outlets covering the energy transition in Colombia.
Print media, being embedded in the production of information within a specific sociopolitical context, not only informs but also reflects a particular conception of the social events taking place. As such, how the energy transition is communicated—as a social fact—implies the dissemination of various discourses that shape public perceptions (acceptance, rejection, optimism, pessimism, etc.) and are often linked to political agendas or ideologies associated with the issue.
Despite existing evidence, it remains difficult to determine whether the country—or regions such as Cesar and La Guajira, as epicenters of the so-called energy transition—is truly polarized. However, through this timeline, we seek to highlight and spark dialogue around emerging patterns and characteristics found in media coverage and historical context that suggest significant risks of polarization related to the positions generated by the energy transition.
We invite you to explore, provide feedback, and contribute to this timeline, which remains a work in progress and will continue to evolve.
La Primera Conferencia Internacional para la Transición más allá de los Combustibles Fósiles realizada en Santa Marta, dejó una conversación más realista sobre la transición energética.
The First International Conference for a Transition Beyond Fossil Fuels, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, resulted in a more pragmatic and realistic dialogue regarding the energy transition.
In a context where sustainable finance has primarily advanced along the environmental dimension, at CREER we make a clear call: There is no sustainable transition without human rights at the center of financial decision-making.
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Report from the meeting with workers and trade unions
Testimony from workers and trade unions
The rapid expansion of critical minerals for the energy transition and other strategic industries (agriculture, defense, technology) presents us with a paradox: the decarbonization of the planet depends on an intensification of mining activity. For CREER, this rapid expansion carries critical risks regarding human rights, local economic dynamics, and ecosystem balance. Our work focuses on analyzing these dilemmas through the lens of a just transition, promoting governance frameworks that mitigate negative impacts and ensure that the mining of “minerals for the future” is carried out under rigorous standards of sustainability, equity, and respect for fundamental rights, through dialogue among different stakeholders.
We analyze the governance and sustainability challenges that arise in the implementation of decentralized generation models. Our work focuses on researching how local associative structures interact with regulatory frameworks and human rights standards. Through applied research, we assess the risks of rent capture, internal decision-making conflicts, and the conditions necessary for these self-management schemes to guarantee equitable and transparent participation in the territory.
With a focus on responsible land management and respect for local livelihoods, at CREER we apply our technical expertise in the photovoltaic sector to promote a solar transition with social integrity. Through the analysis of rural environments, the strengthening of local governance, and the design of participation mechanisms, we seek to ensure that large-scale deployment in Latin America not only contributes to the energy mix, but also strengthens the social fabric. Our purpose is to lead due diligence models that ensure solar infrastructure coexists with food security, strategic ecosystems, and the productive vocations of each community.
