“The energy transition must be gradual, orderly, and Colombian-style”: Frank Pearl

• The executive president of the ACP invites all sectors to organize and plan the conversation about the energy transition.
• The oil and gas industry proposes a system of citizen participation so that all stakeholders have access to information on investment of royalties and the execution of projects.

Barranquilla, June 5, 2024. During the installation of the III Great Forum on Sustainability Facts, Frank Pearl, Executive President of the Colombian Association of Oil and Gas (ACP), pointed out that the just energy transition is not yet defined and said “the hydrocarbons sector shows that we are ready for the energy, economic, and social transition; in Colombia, we can make a Colombian transition, in a country with the levels of inequality and poverty that we have, we need to strengthen the economies of the regions.”.

In addition, he explained how that discussion should take place in a Colombian way “an energy transition in the sense of gradually adopting the technologies that lead us to decarbonization, an economic transition using resources from the sector to invest in the regions of Colombia, and a social transition so that those investments reach the citizens to end poverty.”.

Frank Pearl emphasized that the commitment of the oil and gas industry is to serve national, regional authorities, and communities to ensure the efficient and transparent use of royalties, “from the ACP we will implement a system to support municipalities and governorships alongside the DNP so that investments from royalties land in projects that diversify the economy of the departments.”.

At the installation of this forum, Governor Eduardo Verano de la Rosa participated, who stated that the Caribbean region has everything to be a leader in Colombia's energy transition, especially Atlántico, which presents ideal conditions for solar energy generation throughout the department.

During the two days, the event will feature the participation of regions in strategic dialogues; this year, the department of Putumayo is the invited region. Likewise, the ACP will present a guide for citizen participation in the environmental licensing process in the sector, and the ‘Sustainability Facts Awards’ will be given, recognizing high-impact sustainable projects led by companies in the sector, as part of the industry's commitment to ensuring effective participation of communities around the projects it develops in the regions.

So far, the agenda has focused on discussions centered on the role of innovation and technology for sustainable development, by national authorities, oil and gas industry companies, and companies from other sectors.