Partnership for Climate and Just Energy Transition

The Climate and Just Energy Transition Partnership is the most important high-level political and technical management body between Colombia and Germany for the advance and promotion of climate and energy management in both countries. It was established through a joint Declaration of Intent signed in 2023 by both governments for the implementation of actions in the thematic areas of: 1) just energy transition, 2) climate protection, 3) conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the environment, 4) sustainable and resilient urban development, 5) climate and biodiversity financing.

It is the main framework for cooperation on climate and environmental issues between the two countries, fosters dialogue on climate and energy policies; strengthens and broadens support along the lines of the thematic areas; promotes cooperation with the private sector, civil society and the scientific community; and encourages participation and access for vulnerable groups in the just energy transition.

Objective of the Partnership

Both countries intend to embrace the international climate, biodiversity and sustainable development frameworks, with more ambitious aspirations and continuing the joint efforts defined within the framework of this Partnership. In this way, they seek to meet the long-term objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, in particular, to limit the increase in global average temperature to 1.5°C, as well as the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This Partnership aims to contribute to the implementation of the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) under the Paris Agreement, to promote a just energy transition and to strengthen the Biodiversity Action Plans within a context oriented towards a comprehensive and lasting peace.

Structure and members

This Partnership is made up of representatives of Colombian and German ministries, five thematic groups, representatives of technical cooperation agencies (GIZ) and financial cooperation (KfW), as well as actors from civil society, the private sector and academia that are linked to the promotion of economic and environmental development in Colombia and Germany.

Partnership for Climate and JET organization chart

Working groups

The internal working groups are a common space created for the exchange of information and experiences to improve the coordination of bilateral cooperation in each of the five defined thematic areas.

At COP28 in Dubai the world made it clear: the age of fossil fuels is over. To achieve international climate goals and free ourselves from restrictive dependencies, the world’s economies must switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. However, this massive transformation will only succeed if it is inclusive, participatory and benefits the population.

Based on its own experiences with the energy transition, Germany supports Colombia on issues such as the design of coal mine closure processes, the expansion of renewable energies and the construction of a national green hydrogen industry. Both sides can benefit from the exchange of ideas on these topics.

Colombia and Germany have taken ambitious leadership roles both in international climate negotiations and in their national climate policies. To strengthen this leadership, they are promoting tools and exchanging spaces for negotiations, as well as for the updating and implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). In this way, the institutional architecture for climate change management and the better involvement of different sectors of the population are also being strengthened.

The crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are intrinsically connected and require integrated solutions. It is therefore essential to conserve, restore and sustainably use terrestrial and marine species and ecosystems.

Colombia, as President of COP16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, along with Germany, seek to advance the concrete implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including the sustainable management of natural resources and the strengthening of synergies of climate change and biodiversity actions.

Sustainable and resilient urban development requires articulated efforts for cities to contribute to the development of policies and implementation of low-carbon and climate-resilient actions. Special attention is given to the development of sustainable urban infrastructure, the promotion of climate-friendly mobility and the development of urban waste management and recycling.

Measures in other sectors such as energy supply and urban water management also make an important contribution to this thematic area.

Incentives and instruments to finance actions for biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation are essential. Also, it is important to support the efforts of the Colombian and German parties to make existing regional and international funding mechanisms more efficient and transparent.