Colombia’s ‘Total Peace’ and Climate Change

Feb 22, 2023 | Andres Revis, Juheon Lee, Margarida Soares Rodrigues
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According to a 2021 Global Witness report, Colombia was the country with the highest number of documented killings of environmental activists in 2019 and 2020.

At the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) in November 2021, Colombia pledged to be a carbon-neutral state by 2050 and was hailed for having the most ambitious plan in Latin America.

The killing of environmentalists has been closely linked to the country’s delayed peace. The environmental impact of the armed conflict has received inconsistent attention over the years. Guerrilla groups have caused environmental damage through activities such as illegal mining, coca cultivation, attacks on oil pipelines, and the building of encampments in protected areas such as national parks. Throughout rural Colombia, right-wing paramilitary groups have re-emerged.

The swearing in of President Gustavo Petro in August 2022 opened the possibility for a new approach to the conflict.