According to the latest 2024 Global Risks Report published by the World Economic Forum, polarization and misinformation rank among the top three short- and long-term risks threatening governance, fragmenting cooperation networks, and potentially sparking conflicts at various levels. In Colombia, polarization has played a critical role in shaping recent history—for instance, the narrow victory of the “No” vote (50.2%) over the “Yes” vote (49.8%) in the 2016 referendum on the Peace Accord with the FARC marked a turning point in national political division.
Grounded in ongoing discussions around polarization and recent public debates on energy transition, CREER—together with the Ford Foundation and civil society organizations from Brazil and Indonesia—has been investigating the characteristics and potential interconnections between these two phenomena.
In September 2023, the event “Polarization in the Energy Transition and Climate Change: Colombia, Brazil, and Indonesia,” held at the Center for Arts, Humanities and Letters at the Federal University of Recôncavo Baiano in Cachoeira, Brazil, showcased the progress of collaborative work across the three countries. As part of the Global Initiative on Polarization, this dialogue explored narratives, practices, risks, and impacts related to the polarization that can emerge from energy transition projects (e.g., the renewable energy boom, coal mine closures, and the critical minerals agenda). Key discussions focused on tensions between global and local decarbonization agendas, just energy transition, and climate change, as well as the methodologies used to understand, engage with, and influence polarization in these distinct national contexts—paying particular attention to economic structures, inequality, and marginalized populations affected by these transitions.
In this and other spaces, CREER has shared its ongoing work on energy transition and territorial transformation, informed by its experience in La Guajira and Cesar. In these regions, CREER has been implementing an innovative methodological approach that integrates human rights analysis, social justice, polarization, and (just) energy transition in economies heavily dependent on coal. As part of these efforts, preliminary findings were presented from 575 surveys conducted in the region, which examined relationships between media consumption (including misinformation), political stances, civic participation, knowledge of the energy transition, and polarization. This was complemented by a discourse analysis of the energy transition narratives of the last two national administrations, based on a review of 956 news articles.
The event concluded with a field visit to Campo Formoso, a city home to quilombola communities and Afro-Brazilian religious groups, where local conflicts have arisen due to the expansion of wind farms. This space provided an opportunity to reflect on the human rights impacts of wind energy—an area in which CREER is advancing efforts toward a comprehensive Human Rights Impact Sectoral Assessment (EISI). This initiative views the renewable energy agenda in Colombia’s Caribbean region as a central pillar of the country’s energy transition strategy and a potential focal point for studying polarization.
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.
