Colombia. September 29, 2022 – Recognizing the richness of Colombia’s biodiversity, since starting work in the country in 2012 we have worked with national and international experts in the planning and implementation of programs that contribute to preserving natural environments in the different territories where we operate.
While Colombia marks Biodiversity Month, some of the most important initiatives that we have led and supported on this front and that reflect our commitment to the care of biodiversity are the following:
Biodiversity and Development for Putumayo
We have been part of the Biodiversity and Development for Putumayo program since it was created in 2017 by National Entrepreneurs’ Association ANDI. It focuses on the protection of biodiversity within private sector operations, promoting the exchange of experiences and helping to improve businesses’ environmental performance.
As part of this initiative, we helped set up a Puerto Asis environmental promoters’ group, sponsoring a Diploma in Environmental Promotion with emphasis on Bird Observation and Conservation, endorsed by the Technological Institute of Putumayo (ITP) and the Corporation for Sustainable Development of the Southern Amazon (Corpoamazonia).
In 2019, the environmental promoters’ group led work that monitored and identified biodiversity in the Platanillo block in Puerto Asis, which provided a complete inventory of the species in the area of influence of our operation and could be used to develop preservation strategies. This work identified 400 species of birds belonging to 60 families and 24 orders, reflecting Putumayo’s environmental richness.
We are currently developing some work with the Alexander von Humboldt Institute to continue promoting research and knowledge of Colombia’s biodiversity. We publish related data on the Biodiversity Information System (SiB Colombia) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and of the 36 companies in the country that have provided data to the system we are in eighth place.
Monitoring biodiversity in Casanare
For more than five years we have worked closely with the Orinoquia Biodiversa Foundation (FOB) to monitor the biodiversity of several species of flora and fauna in the area of influence of the Llanos 34 block in Tauramena and Villanueva municipalities and to develop preservation strategies.
As part of this work and together with the Tauramena Mayor’s Office, we developed a characterization study of the biodiversity associated with the presence of different ecosystems in Tauramena. This enabled us to publish the Tauramena Natural catalogue of flora and fauna; an inventory of the species of the area that highlights their ecological importance and how endemic, threatened and vulnerable they are.
Supporting reforestation drives in Colombia
During the last two years we have worked with foundations, environmental organizations and the Regional Autonomous Corporations of the territories where we operate to plant saplings and support the goal set by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of planting 180 million trees.
For two consecutive years we have also supported volunteering drives in the oil and gas industry, in which more than 1,300 trees have been planted in the country’s natural reserves.
Promoting the Global Big Day in Colombia
To help preserve biodiversity in Colombia we took part in the Global Big Day 2022 – the largest annual birding competition in the world – supporting bird watching days in Casanare and Putumayo departments in the month of May. Between the two departments, more than 950 bird species were registered.
These initiatives promote knowledge of biodiversity and its protection, and through them we respect Colombia’s natural wealth and reiterate our commitment to help fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals in the territories where we operate.
