“The hydrocarbon sector has been honest about the energy transition,” Frank Pearl

• The president of the ACP made a balance of the two days of agenda at the III Great ACP Forum regarding the sustainable development of the country.
• ⁠The guild delivered the Awards “Sustainability Facts” to programs of companies in the sector in categories that contribute to the goals of the SDGs.
• Orlando Velandia, president of the ANH, agreed that a "Colombian-style" transition is needed, without neglecting social and regional dynamics.

Barranquilla, June 6, 2024. On the second day of the III Great ACP Forum ‘Sustainability Facts’, convened by the oil and gas industry, Frank Pearl, president of the ACP, provided an overview of the event that revolved around the sector's sustainable development initiatives and reflections on the just energy transition that Colombia requires.

“What we have done is to clarify the conversation around the energy transition, putting all points of view, fears, and aspirations on the table. There is a commitment to strengthen this alliance to work together, and it is a gradual, orderly energy transition that addresses the needs, realities, and potential of the territories,” Pearl expressed.

He added that the next phase of this alliance, between the Government and the hydrocarbons sector, is execution, to ensure that the investment resources of the industry companies and the fiscal contributions derived from their activity reach the citizens of the regions, in coordination with the mayors, governors, regional authorities, and industry.

For his part, Orlando Velandia, president of the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), assured that the main axes of the energy transition roadmap have been defined to guarantee criteria of safety, justice, efficiency, and with the purpose that future generations are not affected.

In response to the ACP's proposal to promote a tailored energy transition, Velandia reaffirmed “we need a ”Colombian-style' transition, without neglecting social and regional dynamics; in our roadmap, what we do is go to the regions, coordinated with entities and guilds.”.

Sustainability Awards

In the framework of the III Great Forum, the ACP delivered the Awards Sustainability Facts 2024 as recognition of the initiatives that carry out concrete actions for sustainable development from the hydrocarbons industry.

“We received 60 projects from 25 companies, focused on decarbonization, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, partnerships for sustainable development, circular economy, territorial development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, which reflect the results and efforts of the sector to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),”, highlighted Frank Pearl, president of ACP.

The winners of the six categories were:

1. Climate Change Management and Decarbonization: Emission Reduction Plan of GeoPark.
2. Biodiversity Protection: Wildlife of Ecopetrol.
3. Human Rights: A culture focused on the respect and guarantee of Human Rights of Canacol Energy.
4. Gender Equity: Women's Leadership School of TGI, S.A. 
5. Alliances for Sustainable Development: Reefs of Unity of Chevron Petroleum Company.
6. Implementation of Circular Models: Strategic plan for circular economy of GeoPark.

Department of Putumayo, invited region

With the aim of promoting the participation of regions in strategic dialogues and convinced of the fundamental role that territories and their communities play in social, environmental, and economic development, this year the department of Putumayo was the invited region of the III Great ACP Forum Sustainability Facts.

The governor of Putumayo, Carlos Andrés Marroquín, highlighted that the department can show the oil industry that it is a territory that wants to move forward, “we have entrepreneurs who from the tourism sector and indigenous artisans demonstrate day by day what they do to advance the territory.”.

Regarding the issue of the transition in the region, Governor Marroquín said, “although oil royalties have supported investments, we are aware that we must prepare for the energy transformation, thought out in the long term, so that the department has another development engine in products like açaí, Amazon products, which can become a development engine for the new economy of the department.”.