CCE Country Profile
Colombia
Table of Contents
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This profile has been reviewed by country experts.
CONTEXT
I) Climate change context
Colombia is a diverse, multi-ethnic, and multicultural country. It has 32 multicultural departments (i.e., equivalent to states or provinces) with 710 Indigenous reservations, 123 Afro-collective territories, and 11 Kumpañy Rom (patrilineal family groups which live or travel together based on alliances of various kinds) (Educational Attention to Ethnic Groups; 2018)
According to the New Climate Change Scenarios of Colombia (2011-2100), Colombia expects increases in temperature and significant changes in rainfall in the future. The effects of climate change are predicted to vary throughout the country and include rising sea levels, increasing desertification processes, decreased productivity of agricultural soils, and increased water scarcity. Further, climate change might also cause more severe and more regular El Niño or La Niña phenomena to impact the country.
Colombia is a low-emitting country, with emissions of approximately 2 tCO₂ per person in 2019 according to the Global Carbon Atlas. Nevertheless, illegal and informal agriculture, deforestation, and energy production (mostly from hydrological resources) have led to increased emissions in recent years. As a result, the country is the fifth-highest emitter in Latin America and the Caribbean according to the 3rd National Communication (2017) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Colombia is a Non-Annex I, or non-industrialized, country under the UNFCCC, and ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2001 and the Paris Agreement in 2018. The country has not yet accepted the Doha Amendment.
II) Relevant government agencies
Climate change
Colombia has several government agencies responsible for climate change monitoring and responses. Decree No. 298 (2016) established the National Climate Change System (SISCLIMA), which is responsible for managing, assessing, and developing strategies and policies for adapting to and mitigating climate change. The SISCLIMA is the umbrella organization that brings together public and private actors to work with the Colombian government on implementing climate mitigation and adaptation actions.
The Intersectoral Commission on Climate Change (CICC) consists of regional nodes and several ministries at the national level. It is the coordinating body for the National Climate Change Policy and the Regional Climate Change Nodes, which are the regional institutions responsible for promoting and supporting the implementation of the actions in the territory.
The National Planning Department chairs the CICC together with the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS), the central Ministry involved in Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) work in Colombia. This is done via the different technical areas of the Vice Ministry of Environmental Planning of the Territory: the Directorate of Climate Change and Risk Management, and the Sub Directorate of Education and Participation.
The National Environmental System (SINA) is the set of guidelines, norms, programs, and institutions directed by the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development that enable the implementation of general environmental principles in Colombia by Law 99 of 1993. The system is made up of governmental institutions, community organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other interested sectors that carry out different activities in the environmental field.
The Climate Finance Committee brings together different government agencies and stakeholders to support climate action. It steers the MRV (measure (M), report (R), and verify (V)) System in Colombia and is an important mechanism in the country’s climate change efforts.
The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) collects information about Colombian natural resources and the environment, which supports the development of sustainable development and climate change policies. The Institute also creates educational materials and provides technical and scientific support for schools, government organizations, and others.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Urban Development is active in the distribution of information about climate change with a focus on agriculture and urban development.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy plays a role in relation to processes for renewable energy.
The Ministry of Housing, City, and Territory works on climate change adaptation and mitigation in its role as the organization in charge of implementing the Kyoto Protocol.
Education and communication
In the education sector, the entity in charge of formal education and training initiatives in Colombia is the National Ministry of Education. Climate change communication and education are among the Ministry’s assignments. The Ministry is also responsible for development projects, including the Environmental School Projects (PRAE) and the University Environmental Projects (PRAU). These two projects have been Colombia’s flagship projects for integrating environmental education into the formal education system since 1994 and are developed in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, an entity that is also a pillar in the development of environmental education and climate education initiatives.
The National Council of Higher Education (CESU) supports the Ministry of Education by assessing, coordinating, and advising on the higher education sector, which is regulated by the State University System (SUE).
The National Learning Service (SENA) is the public institution in charge of technical and professional training in Colombia. The institution offers courses related to climate change.
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment created the Interinstitutional Technical Committees of Environmental Education (CIDEA), which coordinates the intersectoral and interinstitutional actions regarding environmental education in the different regions of the country.
III) Relevant laws, policies, and plans
Climate change
Law No. 1523 (2012) established the National Risk Management Plan (2015-2025) and the National Management System of Disaster Risks with the primary goals of ensuring the safety and well-being of Colombia’s citizens, developing sustainably through sustainable territorial environmental management, creating secure development plans at all levels of the government, and fostering citizen participation. They include dimensions of education and communication to support environmental risk management.
Another climate-relevant law is Law No. 1715 (2014), which established a legal framework and instruments to increase the use of non-conventional energy sources, mainly renewable energy. The Law also specifies lines of action to fulfill Colombia’s commitments to renewable energy matters and supports the management of energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
In 2018, the ‘Climate Change Law’ No. 1931 established guidelines for climate change management in public and private institutions. The Law focuses both on adaptation measures and on initiatives to mitigate greenhouse gases, to reduce the Colombian population’s vulnerability to climate change.
Law 2169 of 2021 establishes the minimum goals and measures to achieve carbon neutrality, climate resilience and low carbon development in the short, medium and long term in Colombia. The law also takes into account international agreements assumed by the country, developing implementation plans by the Nationally Determined Contribution. In addition, Law 2169 highlights the implementation and execution of goals in the field of education as a pillar to achieve the transition to carbon neutrality, which must be aligned with climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and care of water resources.
Colombia also has several national strategies and plans that lay out its responses to climate change. The 2011 Institutional Strategy for the Articulation of Policies and Actions on Climate Change in Colombia (CONPES), developed by the National Council for Economic and Social Policy and the National Planning Department, aims to include knowledge and awareness about climate change in relation to social development in Colombia. The Strategy provided guidelines for incorporating climate change in country planning, thus establishing the foundations for the National Climate Change Policy. For example, the CONPES framework determines that communication and education must be included in all future climate plans.
One of the first plans for reducing the risks and socio-economic impacts associated with climate change and climate vulnerability in Colombia is the 2012 National Adaptation Plan. The Plan is one of the first adaptation plans in Latin America and focuses on five strategic priorities:
“1. Raising awareness about climate change
2. Generating information and knowledge to measure climate change risks
3. Planning land use
4. Implementing climate change adaptation guidelines
5. Strengthening climate change adaptation and reaction capacity “
– National Adaptation Plan, 2012, p. 6
The National Climate Change Policy (PNCC; 2017) encourages institutional, regulatory, and public policy arrangements to generate a consensus between public and private decisions on climate change. The PNCC also established the Intersectoral Commission on Climate Change (CICC). The Policy is dedicated to engaging all sectors across the country, including the education sector, to achieve short-, medium-, and long-term goals for climate change. The policy identifies education and training as being among the instruments necessary to achieve the Policy’s five strategic objectives ( p. 10). The Policy also includes goals to increase capacity and mainstream climate change in the formal education system.
The Integral Climate Change Management Plan by Sector (PIGCCS) and the Territorial Integrated Climate Change Management Plans are instruments established by Law No. 1931 in 2018. The Law mandates that each Ministry and territory identify, evaluate, and guide the incorporation of greenhouse gas mitigation measures and adaptation to climate change in the policies and regulations of their respective sectors, as designated by the National Climate Change System. In addition, these plans must implement guidelines related to education, science, technology and innovation, as appropriate. During the development of this report, about 6 Sector Plans (Mines and Energy; Environment; Agriculture; Housing and Sanitation; Commerce, Industry and Tourism) and most of the Territorial Plans had been adopted. Guidelines for their formulation, implementation and evaluation were also being prepared.
The National Development Plan (2018-2022) lays out a ‘Pact for Sustainability.’ It focuses on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by implementing an up-to-date environmental institutional framework, including maintaining biodiversity and developing new income opportunities. Further, the Plan aims to make Colombia resilient to the risks and impacts of disasters.
Colombia’s E2050 Strategy (2021) sets out the vision and guides long-term actions through 2050 to address climate change and create a resilient future. The country’s medium-term vision for sustainable development through 2030 is set out in the successive implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions. Both are implemented in alignment with other instruments such as the Colombian Low Carbon Development Strategy (n.d.), the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2012), the Comprehensive Strategy to Control Deforestation and Forest Management (n.d. ), and the Territorial and Sectoral Plans for Climate Change Management (PIGCC) The short-term vision of the country is realized through national development plans, in effect the National Development Plan (2018-2022) includes several actions in different sectors to combat climate change.
Colombia implemented its new National Development Plan (2022-2026) in May 2023, whose purpose is to build the foundations for the country to become a leader in the protection of life, considering the construction of new social dimensions and including a new form of relationship with the environment, under a productive transformation based on knowledge and harmony with nature. The plan includes a perspective of inclusive transformation, environmental justice, prioritizing climate action and international commitments. The plan establishes the creation of an inter-institutional commission of Escazú in charge of formulating the implementation plan of the Escazú Agreement, among other initiatives to guarantee the sustainability of national investment projects and access to environmental information; as well as strengthening a National Environmental Education Program focused on the priority regions of greatest conflict and with a differential approach.
The Colombian Nationally Determined Contributions Update (2020) identifies Colombia’s priorities through three key components in the fight against climate change: 1) greenhouse gas mitigation; 2) adaptation to climate change; and 3) implementation of policies and actions for carbon neutral development that is adapted and resilient to the climate.
Education and communication
The Political Constitution of Colombia (1991) structured a connection between education and environmental protection, which has been subsequently developed in regulations and public policies. Article 67, on the right to education, establishes environmental protection as one of the purposes of education. Article 79, on the right to a healthy environment, includes the guarantee of public participation and the promotion of education.
On this basis, the General Education Law (Law 115 of 1994) contemplates in its article 14 that environmental education is a compulsory area of formal education at the preschool, elementary and high school levels, establishing that “the teaching of environmental protection, ecology and the preservation of natural resources, in accordance with the provisions of article 67 of the Political Constitution” will be fulfilled.
Decree No. 1743 (1994) mandates the inclusion of the environmental dimension in formal education at all levels, both in public and private schools. The Decree dictates that environmental education must be present in all components of the curriculum. In addition, the decree recognizes different ethnic groups and emphasizes that educational materials must include their traditions and cultural characteristics. This decree is implemented through the Environmental School Projects (PRAE), Colombia’s flagship project for environmental education.
A related law, Law No. 1549 (2012), defines environmental education and aims to strengthen the institutionalization of the National Environmental Education Policy. This law empowers Environmental School Projects to incorporate environmental issues such as climate change into the curricular dynamics of educational centers. At the same time, the Law promotes the establishment of an environmental culture in schools and communities in general through Citizen and Community Projects for Environmental Education (currently called: Proyectos Ciudadanos de Educación Ambiental-PROCEDAS) which are coordinated by citizens to participate in climate change and environmental issues.
The Education Curricular Guidelines, which comprise Colombia’s National Curriculum Framework, are from 1998. They are complemented by the Curriculum Strengthening Guide (2017) and the pre-primary curriculum (2017). Older documents have a strong connection with environmental education, and more recent curricular frameworks include aspects more aligned with climate change issues. This is due to national efforts and commitments acquired through documents such as Colombia’s Nationally Determined Contribution Update (2020) which encourages the inclusion of climate change in formal and informal education.
In 2002, Colombia developed the National Policy on Environmental Education (PNEA), which lays out Colombia’s goals for environmental education. While the Policy is an update to a version from 1995 and is still used today, it does not include climate change. In addition, most departments (states) of Colombia have developed their own environmental education guidelines.
Colombia adopted The National Strategy for Education, Training, and Public Awareness on Climate Change in 2010- The Strategy’s objective is to create capacities for adaptation and mitigation to climate change, at all levels of government and population, through the implementation of actions in education, training, awareness, access to information, participation and research. It is a key document in the country’s efforts in communication and education on climate change, incorporating at the national level Article 6 of the UNFCCC’s Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE). According to the country’s experts, in 2022, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development initiated the update of the National Strategy.
The Ten-Year National Education Plan (2016-2026) is the country’s National Education Plan. However, the document does not make explicit references to climate change.
Colombia presented the Actions of the National Strategy for Education, Training and Public Awareness on Climate Change as a complement to its 3rd National Communication (2017). The document is entirely dedicated to describing the country’s actions in relation to the Actions for Climate Empowerment (ACE).
Colombia’s Nationally Determined Contribution Update (2020) identifies education, training and awareness raising as critical areas to help achieve the country’s 2030 targets, and refers to the laws and policies mentioned above indicating that Colombia:
“Seeks to update and redefine the National Environmental Education Policy and associated regulations for the development of improvement actions that will make evident the importance and urgency of climate change in accordance with its reality at the global, national and local levels and its integrality with environmental management.
Seeks to effectively incorporate climate change in formal education and education for work and human development, providing continuous training cycles on climate change from the first years of life to the productive age to strengthen the awareness and capacities of the population, especially of young people, trainers and future professionals and decision-makers.
Seeks that the climate change instruments generated or updated incorporate education, training and awareness from formal education, education for work and human development and informal education with a human rights, differential, gender and intergenerational approach.
Seeks that the comprehensive territorial and sectoral management plans implement education, training and awareness strategies from formal education, education for work and human development and informal education with a human rights, intergenerational, differential, gender and gender approach and thus strengthen the incorporation of climate change in the different educational levels with territorial and sectoral specificities.”
“
– Nationally Determined Contributions, 2020, p. 43
This update of the National Environmental Education Policy began in November 2023 with the National Environmental Education Summit, with a focus on the climate crisis and the implementation of communal visions. This process occurs with the participation of several environmental collectives, under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of National Education. The summit also hosted around 100 children and adolescents who offered their environmental proposals.
In October 2022 Colombia approved the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement; 2018) which aims to guarantee access to environmental information, public participation, as well as access to justice in environmental matters. In addition, the agreement promotes capacity building at the local, national and regional levels through different initiatives, including citizen awareness.
IV) Terminology used for climate communication and education
Colombia uses different terminology to refer to climate change communication and education, with the publication date of a policy being the strongest indicator of language use. Older policies and strategies are more likely to refer to the ‘environment’ and ‘environmental education,’ while newer documents use ‘climate change’ and ‘public awareness,’ following UNFCCC language. For example, The National Strategy for Education, Training, and Public Awareness on Climate Change (2010), states:
“Education and awareness of public information on climate change are essential to promote the creation of adaptation and mitigation capacities. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the current domain of technicians and scientists, due to the relative complexity and novelty of the phenomenon, is public knowledge.”
– The National Strategy for Education, Training, and Public Awareness on Climate Change, 2010, p. 8
The National Climate Change Policy (2017) made climate change communication and education a key element and mentions the six strategic areas on which the National Strategy for Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness focuses, areas that are also linked to the language of the UNFCCC:
“It has defined guidelines that contribute to the creation of capacities at the local, regional and national levels in this matter, and it promotes the insertion of climate change issues in environmental education strategies, as well as it has proposed and developed six strategic axes; i) access to information, ii) participation, iii) public awareness, iv) training, v) education and vi) research”
– National Climate Change Policy, 2017, p. 138
Most Colombian climate change strategies identify the need to increase public awareness and bring about cultural change. One strategy of Colombia’s 2012 National Plan for Climate Change Adaptation is to ‘raise awareness about climate change.’ The Plan communicates the need to develop an education policy for climate change with the ultimate goal of ensuring climate change becomes part of Colombian culture by creating:
“An education policy for climate change must be defined whose ultimate goal is its inclusion within the culture, through permanent educational and pedagogical processes, in which the causes of climate change, the observed and predicted impacts, and the response are taught. From socio-ecosystems to these.”
– National Plan for Climate Change Adaptation, 2012, p. 53
‘Environmental education’ is also a frequently used term in Colombian documentation. For example, the Education Curricular Guidelines aim to teach students to “analyze common scientific and technological knowledge, the nature of science and technology, its value implications in society and its impact on the environment and the quality of human life.” (n.p.)
Law No. 1549 from 2012 defines environmental education as:
“A dynamic and participatory process, aimed at the training of critical and reflective people, with capacities to understand environmental problems in their contexts (local, regional and national). As well as to actively participate in the construction of integral bets (technical, political, pedagogical and others), which aim at the transformation of its reality, based on the purpose of building environmentally sustainable and socially just societies”
– Law No. 1549, Article 1
The 3rd National Communication (2017) to the UNFCCC remarks that the country has an advantage in climate change actions related to awareness, training, and public education because the Colombian people are familiar with the topic due to a long history of environmental education being offered by governmental and non-governmental institutions.
V) Budget for climate communication and education
The Climate Finance Committee is the most important entity for financing climate actions in Colombia. It steers the country’s investments and monitors the system by looking into financial flows. It also evaluates the efficiency of the country’s climate change adaptation measures.
According to the 3rd National Communication (2017), the Colombian government designates around US$390,000 annually specifically for climate change actions. This figure does not include resources being provided to the country by Regional Autonomous Corporations, research institutes, or national parks.
In 2021, the National Ministry of Education was allocated around US$14 million. This is the Ministry’s highest budget since it was established, although it is not clear how much is intended for climate change communication and education.
Additionally, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS) designates resources for climate change management and environmental education. MADS works with decentralized entities, which also provide resources for climate change communication and education; however, concrete amounts are not publicly available.
CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE COUNTRY
I) Climate change in pre-primary, primary, and secondary education
In Colombia, climate change is included in formal education in a variety of ways across all levels of schooling. A description of the types of climate change-related keywords discussed in the curricula may be found in the MECCE Project Monitoring section of this profile.
Various policies call for the inclusion of climate change into formal education, most prominently the National Climate Change Policy (PNCC; 2017), which makes climate change education one of the key climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in Colombia. The Policy states:
“The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Education – Ministry of Education must advance the definition of specific guidelines so that educational plans and the promotion of School Environmental Projects (PRAE) incorporate climate change and ecosystem services. “
– National Climate Change Policy, 2017, p. 71
Colombia established School Environmental Projects (PRAE) through Decree No. 1743 (1994), which mandates that all forms of formal education include environmental projects.
The pre-primary curriculum (2017) does not explicitly mention climate change. Still, the importance of building ecological awareness and respect for biodiversity at an early age is included in the curriculum, which provides space to discuss climate change at the teacher’s discretion. The curriculum aims to make students “sentient beings and active communicators who interact in various ways with the world, that care for and conserve the environment and promote attitudes of respect towards natural resources as part of ecological awareness.” ( p. 41)
Colombia uses the Education Curricular Guidelines for primary and secondary education, which have not been updated since 1998. The Guidelines are complemented by subject-specific curricula. Climate change is not directly mentioned in the general curricular guidelines. Nevertheless, we can see parallels to climate change education. For example, the goals for environmental education addressed are:
“I. Awareness and sensibilization about the environment and its issues
II. Knowledge and experiences about it
III. Values, attitudes, and behaviors for the improvement and protection of the environment
IV. Competence to identify, anticipate and solve environmental problems
V. Participation by giving the opportunity of being proactive on environmental matters “
– Education Curricular Guidelines, 1998, n.p.
According to the curricular guidelines, basic primary environmental education is oriented towards enhancing cognitive development beyond teaching students about natural resources and the environment generally for the first three years, which acts as a starting point for learners to engage with environmental issues.
Colombian schools also have access to pedagogical resources to assist with climate change education outside what is established in the curriculum. For example, The Ministry of Education website Colombia Learns, includes several educational resources for students, teachers, and parents. A related portal, Learn Digital, provides content in different knowledge areas to complement training and learning processes. The Portal includes primary and secondary materials in areas such as natural sciences, sustainable development, and sustainable natural resource use, and engages with climate change. For example, it explores questions like “Why do we need to keep the climate in mind when constructing bridges?”
The Ministry of National Education has promoted several alliances to promote climate education in the country. For example, the Latin America for Climate Education (ALEC) project, led by the Office for Climate Education (OCE) and implemented at the national level by STEM Academia, Fondo Acción, and Universidad del Rosario. This project aims to promote climate change education in Latin America through the inclusion of pedagogical materials, the professional development of teachers and the creation of practices in communities. These initiatives are based on the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
CLIMALAB is an NGO created by young Colombians dedicated to developing socio-environmental initiatives and projects that promote community empowerment and decision-making around climate change. Among their projects is Schools for the Climate in the Country, a tool to support primary and secondary schools in incorporating climate and environmental sustainability approaches in their academic, administrative, and operational processes. The project outcomes include:
“1. Developing leadership in environmental and climate management
2. Incorporating climate change and sustainable development as part of the ‘Environmental School Projects’ (PRAE) and institutional curricula and operations
3. Measuring schools’ Carbon Footprints and creating actions to compensate for emissions
4. Creating leaders capable of communicating and acting on climate change”
– Schools for the Climate in the Country, n.p.
The National Strategy for Education, Training, and Public Awareness on Climate Change (2010) included within its components, public communication strategies. It also highlights the Ministry of Education’s objective to include elements of climate change across all levels of formal education to enable learners to mitigate the impact of their activities on natural resources and adapt to new social and climatic dynamics. The Strategy also notes that significant progress has been made in formal environmental education due to the 2002 Policy for Environmental Education. No further information was available at the time of data collection due to the recent inclusion of climate change in formal education.
The Directorate of Climate Change and Risk Management together with the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development has developed virtual courses for children to teach them more about climate change and provide ways for them to get certifications.
Through the 3rd National Communication (2017), the country organized an evaluation of the National Strategy for Education, Training and Public Awareness on Climate Change (2010) progress, which shows how climate change education initiatives are distributed among educational levels. Primary and secondary education account for 49% of planned initiatives in the country, with an additional 16% around School Environmental Projects (PRAE).
Finally, the National Climate Change Policy recommends improving guidelines in formal education to contribute to better integration of climate change, promoting joint efforts between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, who “(…) must advance in the definition of specific guidelines so that educational plans and the promotion of school environmental projects (PRAE) incorporate climate change and ecosystem services.” (p. 139)
II) Climate change in teacher training and teacher resources
While Colombia offers several in-service climate change teaching supports and resources, it is unclear how climate change is included in pre-service teacher training.
To support School Environmental Projects (PRAE), which incorporate environmental education, citizenship and post-conflict issues in schools, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and other stakeholders developed the booklet El clima cambió, yo también (n.d.) to guide and train teachers to incorporate climate change issues into the curriculum and their classes. The goal of the program is to increase teachers’ knowledge of climate change and guide them to teach climate change more effectively. The program provides examples of concrete climate action projects and offers tips on how to increase interdisciplinary projects.
The Ministry of National Education‘s website Colombia Aprende offers hundreds of educational courses and didactic materials for teachers, students and parents. The platform includes teacher training courses on natural sciences, environmental education and sustainable development.
In addition, the Ministry of National Education, together with the EPM Foundation, has developed educational resources on sustainability, water protection and the fight against climate change. Through the pedagogical strategy, Me Llamo Tierra is expected to strengthen the different sectors of formal and non-formal education, families and educators. The resources are varied and are available on the Colombia Aprende portal.
The Ministry of Education’s portal Learn Digital has a specific formal education section, which presents natural science teachers with didactic units for properly developing lessons on climate change and related themes for grades 1 to 11.
Teacher Contact is another digital tool for educators offered by the Ministry of Education. The tool provides teachers with up-to-date information and resources on climate change. Examples of resources related to climate change are: ‘Strengthening of PRAE, Climate Change and Education,’ ‘Climate Change Education,’ and ‘Let’s Lower the Temperature: From Climate Science to Action.’
The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Academy offers several courses and teaching materials for teachers, including the initiatives of the Latin America for Climate Education (ALEC) project, led by the Office for Climate Education (OCE). The institution includes dimensions of education for sustainability and climate change in its activities, for example, the course Climate Education is aimed at teachers of educational institutions, educational agents and students of literature with an interest in promoting awareness of climate change, its causes and consequences.
The report Education in Colombia published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; 2016) describes some issues in teaching in Colombia which are relevant to climate change education. The report says that “Improving teaching practices at all levels, and heightened expectations for the profession should go alongside adequate training opportunities and remuneration.” (p. 5). The report further outlines a need to, “develop professional standards to define what good teaching is and align relevant training opportunities, effective evaluations, and adequate career and remuneration structures with them.” ( p. 8)
The section Actions of the National Strategy for Education, Training and Public Awareness on Climate Change from the 3rd National Communication (2017) shows that building capacity in climate change-related teacher training represents only 5% of the country’s total activities related to climate change communication and education, with an additional 2% being targeted towards teachers of various ethnic groups. The gap in this area is mainly caused by institutional planning which blends environmental education and climate change education. It is also important to mention that neither the National Strategy for Education, Training and Public Awareness on Climate Change (2010) nor the National Climate Change Policy (2017) mention teacher training, which suggests that more support to teachers is required.
III) Climate change in higher education
While ensuring adequate access to higher education has historically been a significant challenge in Colombia, participation in higher education has recently increased at a rapid rate. According to the Ten-Year National Education Plan (2016-2026), tertiary learning participation grew from 30% in 2006 to 52% in 2016, which translates into more than a million new students.
Colombia’s Ministry of Education created the University Union in Sustainable Production and Consumption in 2010, which included around 25 universities at the time of data collection. The Union is oriented towards increasing environmental sustainability in higher education, contributing to institutions’ competitiveness, and ensuring campus communities’ well-being. For example, some institutions have created permanent courses which teach sustainable production and consumption as core competencies in professional and technical careers. Moreover, the Union focuses on topics related to climate change, such as renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN) is an NGO that brings together Colombia’s private and public universities. It highlights the importance of higher education in fighting the social and environmental problems that affect the planet. The Association is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030 and has a strong commitment to climate change action. A study conducted by ASCUN mapped climate change actions and projects around the country in 2019. They found that 37% of higher education institutions in Colombia were involved in climate change action, with a significant number of projects focused on training and increasing awareness of climate change.
The Environmental Network of Sustainable Universities (RAUS), which comprises a consortium of higher education institutions, aims to provide universities with a space to contribute their experience in environmental issues, manage research projects that promote knowledge about the environment, and address current environmental problems. One of the Network’s projects, ‘Actions of higher education institutions against climate change,’ encourages Colombia’s leading higher education institutions to update their actions on climate change. The project also designed a Climate Change Observatory to track and monitor future climate change initiatives at universities.
The Alliance of Ibero-American Networks of Universities for Sustainability and the Environment (ARIUSA) is a network created in 2016 in collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Program. ARIUSA runs several projects focusing on environmental education in higher education institutions across Latin America.
The 3rd National Communication (2017) reports that the higher education sector represents 20% of climate education projects in Colombia’s formal education sector, with an additional 2% of projects being University Environmental Projects (PRAU), an instrument developed by several Higher Education Institutions to mainstream environmental education into higher education curricula.
IV) Climate change in training and adult learning
Training programs and adult learning for climate change are supported by a range of government ministries.
In 2015, the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS) published a Training Program for environmental authorities and territorial entities such as the National Environmental System, which includes sections on climate change, developing national and regional climate response scenarios, and exploring the economic implications of climate change. The Ministry also creates climate change digital material to reach different actors throughout the territory of Colombia. For example, the Virtual Training School is a platform where courses about climate change are offered to build the general public’s capacity to prevent and fight climate change effects.
The Ministry of National Education has also provided technical assistance to departmental and municipal Education Secretariats (regional and local levels), which are the entities in charge of implementing the education policy. For example, the initiative has prioritized capacity building in environmental education and climate change in the Amazonian Education Secretariats, as one of the ways to address the phenomenon of deforestation.
The National Learning Service offers free technical training for the public that focuses on Colombia’s economic, scientific and social development, being the main provider of education for work and human development in the country. The Service also provides training related to sustainable development and climate change action, offering programs such as “Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change at the Local Level”, “Forest and Environment” and “Structuring a Green and Inclusive Business”. In addition, the National Learning System has programs in activities related to agriculture, livestock, transportation, energy, industry and tourism, including parallel aspects of sustainability and climate change.
The peace agreement with the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces in 2018 represented a significant step for the country, including for climate action. As part of a project designed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the National Learning Service, the Revolutionary Forces have helped develop climate change plans in territories where the Revolutionary Forces used to hold power. In addition, former combatants are being trained to contribute to environmental projects and sustainable opportunities in these territories.
The Colombian Network of Environmental Training (RCFA) is a national civil association supported by the Ministry of Education that offers training courses on different topics, such as mobility and sustainable development.
According to the Actions of the National Strategy for Education, Training and Public Awareness on Climate Change section of the 3rd National Communication (2017), Colombia maintains a specific goal to encourage “the inclusion of the topics of climate change in formal education basic, medium, technical, and superior, as well that in education for work and human and informal development.”
CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION IN THE COUNTRY
I) Climate change and public awareness
Colombia has developed several public awareness initiatives and has acknowledged the importance of awareness in various laws and policy documents. Most municipalities and departments have their own policies adapted to local needs.
The National Strategy for Education, Training and Public Awareness on Climate Change (ENEFSPCC; 2010) takes a prominent place in Colombia’s climate change policies. Most later documents are modelled after the Strategy, which identifies the importance of climate change awareness in all activities. Since 2010, Colombia has implemented several activities to strengthen awareness about climate change, such as campaigns, events, awareness days, informative materials, and academic events. According to the 3rd National Communication (2017), the goals of the ENEFSPCC have advanced due to growing opportunities and interest from the public and other entities for climate change action. Increased interest in research, higher levels of knowledge and public trust, and increased responsiveness among government institutions in charge of climate change information have also increased climate change awareness in Colombia.
The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS) runs several events and projects. For example, Soy Ecolombiano (which translates to ‘I am an Eco-Colombian’) aims to promote environmental awareness in different sectors in an inclusive and participatory way. The project’s goals include fostering environmentally responsible behaviour in a broad spectrum of Colombian people. This initiative is based on an ecological footprint calculator which shows interested people how their consumption compares to Colombia’s average consumption and sustainable levels of consumption. The calculator also advises users on how to adopt more climate-friendly behaviours.
The fifth strategic line of the National Climate Change Policy (2017) is a cross-cutting strategic line that is composed of four instrumental lines, whose third line refers to public awareness, education and training, and highlights the importance of continuously increasing public awareness on climate change:
“(…) includes guidelines for integrating climate change issues into education to contribute in a broad and general way to the identification, understanding and construction of the educational process aimed at strengthening future capacities in the private sector and society in general, which promotes timely and appropriate actions to advance on a climate-resilient and low-carbon development path, as well as pave the way for the training of sufficient and high-quality human resources that will, in turn, improve the capacity of institutions for climate change management. “
– National Climate Change Policy, 2017, p. 86
To prepare the 3rd National Communication (2017), Colombia conducted its first national public perception survey of climate change, which showed that 98% of the population is aware that climate change is occurring. Nearly all respondents (91%) said the television was their primary source for information on climate change, with the internet and radio being the primary information sources for under 10% of respondents.
II) Climate change and public access to information
A range of stakeholders provide access to information about climate change in Colombia and resources are becoming available in increasing numbers. The National Development Plan (2018-2022) outlines the government’s intention to ensure all government employees have digital information access across all government sectors. This will help support the mainstreaming of climate change information, increase transparency between public entities, and improve access to information on climate change.
Considerable effort is made by the governmental Institute of Hydrologic, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) to inform the public about environmental and climate change news and plans. The Institute’s website includes valuable information such as Basic concepts of Climate Change, Regional Climate Change Actions, the Colombian Calculator of Carbon Dioxide 2050, the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (2011), the National Climate Change Policy (2017), and the Colombian Low-Carbon Development Strategy (n.d.).
Another valuable and easily accessible tool for Colombians is Climate Changed Us Forever, based on an alliance between IDEAM, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the El Tiempo Newspaper. The tool provides information about how the climate (temperature and precipitation in particular) has changed in the past 40 years and includes projections about what may happen in the next 20 years.
The Colombian Environmental Information System is a comprehensive website where the public can access information on climate change, including environmental statistics and information on natural resources. The System is led by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in coordination with other institutions such as IDEAM, the Colombian HUMBOLDT Institute, and the National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA).
The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development developed the online platform Climate Action Tool (HaC), which provides data from official entities, visualized in a dynamic way, on the historical and future behaviour of the changing climate; climate vulnerability and risk; CO2 emissions and absorptions and their relationship with socio-environmental variables, from which a territorial profile of a selected municipality or department is built, to guide the incorporation of climate change in the dynamics of territorial development and planning.
Colombian government ministries also use social media to share information with the public. Most ministries have Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter accounts. Added to this, some websites offer chat functions where questions and concerns can be quickly answered.
III) Climate change and public participation
Colombia’s government has mechanisms in place to include public participation in policy-making and sectoral engagement, and to protect and promote the right of all citizens to provide input into discussions about social and global issues. The 3rd National Communication states that “social participation is a key to advancing any process of environmental management” (2017, p. 11).
The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development implements its policy in terms of citizen participation to strengthen links with citizens and stakeholders in public decisions and actions, in particular, the Ministry dedicates a section on its website where citizens can access relevant information on participation processes. In general, citizens can contribute to decision-making processes through public hearings, suggestions and consultations on issues related to the environment, climate change, sustainable development, and quality of life, for example, the Ministry provides a space where institutions, authorities and individuals were able to participate in the development of Colombia’s Long Term Strategy (E2050).
Among the initiatives of the National Development Plan (2022-2026) is the strengthening of the democratization of knowledge, environmental information and disaster risk. The Plan establishes that the national system for dialogue and transformation of socio-environmental conflicts will be developed, stimulating women’s leadership in environmental issues and participation in water governance bodies.
Another example is the Policy of Social Participation in the Conservation (2001), an initiative of the national parks of Colombia, which promotes social participation processes by giving access to the parks. The initiative also allows citizens to take part in decision-making, inter-institutional coordination for biodiversity conservation, environmental services for protected areas, and cultural diversity.
In Colombia, the Community Environmental Education Processes (PROCEDA) are community initiatives developed by organized groups of citizens to face environmental problems and increase community participation by developing local projects. Some of their specific goals include:
“I. Generating spaces for training, awareness, self-management of projects, and exchange of experiences
II. Contributing to the solution of specific problems of local realities
III. Implementing pilot experiences in strategic areas, guaranteeing a solution to environmental problems
”– Community Environmental Education Processes , n.p.
Also, the National Planning Department (DNP) closes gaps between government, municipalities, and citizens through the National Markets for Citizen Service. These events, similar to trade shows or career fairs, provide spaces for dialogue between government and citizens. They allow communities to speak with the government about climate change, as well as environmental services and procedures.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
I) Country monitoring
Currently, there is no specific entity or organization in charge of monitoring climate change communication and education in Colombia. However, several strategies and agencies monitor progress in this space. In particular, the Climate Finance Committee has a detailed Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system for climate action finance.
The Colombian government stresses that monitoring and evaluation should be considered in all government plans, projects and initiatives. The National Climate Change Policy (2017) dedicates an entire chapter to monitoring and evaluation of climate action based on actions, resources, results and impacts.
The section on the Actions of the National Strategy for Education, Training and Public Awareness on Climate Change of the 3rd National Communication points out the need to create mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation of the goals established in the implementation strategies:
“An essential element for the structure of educational opportunities and implementation of Climate Change measures is creating instruments to follow-up, monitor, and evaluate goals. Control and evaluation facilities’ feedback of results, as well as recognition of the fulfillment of the goals in climate change education, which is vital for the continuity of the processes”
– Actions of Education, Training and Public Awareness Actions on Climate Change in Colombia, 2017, p. 95
In Colombia, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are monitored and followed by the ODS Colombia Commission, a formal entity integrated into different ministries that follows and prioritizes the 2030 Agenda. So far there is no information available on progress in climate change communication and education. However, its annual reports indicate that steady progress is being made on climate change.
The National Administrative Department of Statistics is responsible for producing Colombia’s official statistics. Its website provides statistics and information on a range of topics, including education and the environment. The Department also works with the ODS Colombia Commission to provide specific information on climate change.
Another inter-institutional initiative related to climate change monitoring is the National System of Climate Change Adaptation Indicators (SNIACC). This initiative aims to provide information on climate change adaptation and monitor indicators to provide information for planning and national and international projects. The Colombian Environmental Information System manages Colombia’s environmental information and statistics, as well as climate change monitoring, for example, through the Forest and Carbon Monitoring System for Colombia and biodiversity monitoring.
As part of the Nationally Determined Contribution Update (2020), a goal was established to develop the Integrated Vulnerability, Risk and Adaptation Information System (SIIVRA) by 2030. This system will allow monitoring and evaluating adaptation to climate change in Colombia, articulated with the National Climate Change Information System.
The 2010 National Strategy for Education, Training and Public Awareness on Climate Change has several objectives, including “quantifying the value of education in cost-benefit terms as a key mechanism for climate change adaptation” (p. 39). The Strategy also aims to analyze the management of multilateral international organizations, such as the Global Environment Facility and the UNFCCC secretariat, to mobilize resources for the development of Climate Empowerment Action projects. The Strategy also focuses on “measures that promote access to information, public awareness, training, education, research and participation” (p. 39).
The 2018 PISA Competencies Study indicates that Colombian students score among the best in the world in terms of understanding global issues, including climate change and global warming.
The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) plays a key role in Colombia by collecting climate change data and tracking climate change processes and projects in cooperation with most ministries, including the Ministry of National Education.
II) MECCE Project Monitoring
The Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Communication and Education (MECCE) Project examined the National Ten-Year Education Plan (2016-2026) for references to ‘climate change’, ‘sustainability’, ‘biodiversity’ and ‘environment’.
There is no reference to ‘climate change’ in the National Ten-Year Education Plan (2016-2026), which is the country’s Education Sector Plan. ‘Environmental education’ is mentioned three times in the ESP, and ‘sustainability’ is mentioned 11 times. ‘Biodiversity’ is not mentioned.
This section will be updated as the MECCE project develops.
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