Strategising to decouple economic growth from GHG emissions: The Colombian Low Carbon Development Strategy

The Colombian Low Carbon Development Strategy (CLCDS) is a short, medium and long-term planning initiative that aims to identify the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential and the appropriate measures and projects without affecting the long-term growth of the Colombian economy. Thus, the strategy seeks to seize international financing opportunities, promote technology transfer, enhance co-benefits, prepare the country's economic sectors against potential trade barriers imposed by the carbon-intensity of its production processes and promote the country's image as a progressive and carbon-efficient nation (DNP, 2011).

The CLCDS joined efforts and support from different cooperation agencies and was developed through a multi-level participatory process. The CLCDS process has included the designing and preparing of the implementation of low carbon development policies, plans and measures, in addition to the design and construction of a monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system for the CLCDS. Capacity building, both for government officials at all levels and for the private sector, was also an outcome of the CLCDS development process. Finally, the strategy was a key element in designing Colombia´s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement.

The strategy is considered good practice due to the results of the multi-stakeholder engagement process and the inter-sectoral cooperation to enhance capacity building. In addition, the political ownership of the CLCDS led to the distribution of sound mitigation measures among sectors and drew a road map for the implementation of Colombia’s NDC.