Climate Change in Latin America - European Commission

Colombia
International commitments
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, ratified in 1994 by Law N. 164.
Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997 and ratified in 2000
by Law N. 629.
Legal Structure
The Ministry of Foreign Relations is the Focal Point
for UNFCCC. The Ministerio de Ambiente, Vivienda
y Desarrollo Territorial (Ministry of the Environment,
Housing and Territorial Development) (MAVDT)
through the Oficina Colombiana para la Mitigación
del Cambio Climático (Colombian Office for the
Mitigation of Climate Change) (OCMCC) coordinates
the implementation of CDM. The Instituto de
Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales
(Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental
Studies) (IDEAM) is the body responsible for National
Communications and monitoring Colombia's GHG.
Functions
OCMCC - The Colombian Office for the Mitigation
of Climate Change performs the following functions:
(i) develop instruments and skills for the due process
of evaluation and approval of projects, complying with
the requirements and criteria of KP; (ii) identify and
develop the skills to promote a portfolio of high quality,
competitive projects and advertise them; (iii) design,
develop and implement a project marketing strategy.
The purpose of these strategies is to identify, formulate
and develop CDM projects and especially projects
which provide significant social benefits, generating
alternatives for overcoming poverty, the eradication
of illegal crops and the demarginalisation of various
sectors of the population of Colombia.
Human Resources
11 staff.
National Strategy on Climate Change
A policy document on Climate Change is currently
being developed which will integrate the subject of
Climate Change into the sectoral agendas of the
country.
National Coordination
There is a high degree of coordination between
MAVDT, the National Planning Department, IDEAM,
the Parks Unit and other institutions of the Sistema
Nacional Ambiental (National Environment System)
(Sina). Coordination with other ministries occurs
through the documents of the Council for Economic
and Social Policy and the national environmental
councils held twice per year.
Studies and publications
Annual Report on the State of the Environment and
Renewable Natural Resources in Colombia, in 2004,
IDEAM Report on the state of Natural resources
and the Environment 2007-2008; National Strategy
Study for the Implementation of CDM. Final Report,
Bogotá, 2000; Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology
and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), First National
Communication on Climate Change, Bogotá, 2001.
Presently the National Planning Department is carrying
out a study like the Stern Review at a national level.
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