On Monday, September 28, Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga kicked off the program for Climate Week Biodiversity 2026, the global event that is being held in the city and in Latin America for the first time and that, over the next few days, will bring together governments, international organizations, businesses, academia, civil society organizations, and the public to discuss solutions to climate change and the protection of biodiversity.
The main program will run through October 1, and the full schedule will continue through October 10, featuring more than 240 events. The opening ceremony, held at the Botanical Garden, centers on the Summit of Local and Subnational Governments, one of Climate Week’s key high-level political forums. In attendance will be the mayors of Cali, Alejandro Eder; Valledupar, Ernesto Orozco; and Bucaramanga, Cristian Portilla; the mayor of Miami, Eileen Higgins; the British ambassador to Colombia, Louise de Sousa; the executive secretary of ICLEI for South America, Rodrigo Perpetuo; and representatives from international organizations.
“They value what we do to protect the environment and address climate change. Initiatives such as green corridors—which replace hard surfaces with soft ones in urban areas along major corridors—planting trees and native species, and reducing temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in those areas. Everything we’re doing in the large parks with sustainable urban drainage systems is designed to ensure that water doesn’t flow immediately into rivers and streams, but rather gradually, to prevent flooding,” the mayor emphasized.
Some of the event’s most prominent speakers include Diego Mesa Puyo, director of the Global Environment Facility (GEF); Lyana Latorre, vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Rockefeller Foundation; Michael Koh, director of the Center for Liveable Cities in Singapore; Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global leader for Climate and Energy at WWF; María José Torres Macho, United Nations coordinator in Colombia; Hernando García, director general of the Humboldt Institute; and Sergio Díaz-Granados, executive president of CAF.
In addition to opening the Summit, the president will participate in a roundtable discussion on local management for climate action and biodiversity, the Mayors’ Summit on Climate Action, and high-level sessions related to nature-based solutions and cooperation. Medellín will also showcase its climate action solutions through an interactive booth highlighting the strategic projects that led to the city being chosen as the host for Climate Week.
“$663,000 million invested in addressing critical points along Medellín’s rivers and streams; decisions regarding public transportation systems and zero emissions; we are 54% complete on the Metro de la 80 project; and in July of next year, we will also begin construction on the San Antonio de Prado Metrocable. All of this comes together to highlight the challenges facing our cities, to share experiences, and to learn from one another,” added the mayor.
This afternoon, two awards will be presented: the first is the WWF’s One Planet City Challenge, which recognizes leading cities in climate action, and the second is the District’s Ecological Merit Award, which honors environmental protection and sustainability initiatives by cities and national and international organizations.
The event is organized by the Medellín Mayor’s Office, in partnership with Impact Hub Medellín, Fundación Socya, the Climate Week Network, and ACI Medellín. WWF is participating as a strategic partner in the program and will oversee the One Planet City Challenge award, while ICLEI, together with the District and other partners, is leading the Summit of Local and Subnational Governments. The schedule for the more than 240 events is available at: https://www.climateweekmedellin.com/agenda.
