Medellin is a point of convergence for representatives of Latin America, Asia and Africa interested in promoting concrete actions to counter climate change. This is possible thanks to the development of these issues in the city, through the Academy of Decarbonization of Public Buildings, with the participation of attendees from the C40 Cities network, of which the District has been an active part since 2016, thanks to the management of the first mayoralty of Federico Gutierrez.
The Public Buildings Decarbonization Academy enables officials from more than 10 territories in the global south to train and exchange knowledge to drive solutions in this area.
The event addresses issues focused on strengthening energy governance and public policies, as well as data management and monitoring systems for sustainable energy, the promotion of good green jobs and the construction of resilient buildings for a healthy future under energy efficiency criteria. The cities participating in the Academy are: Buenos Aires, Bogota, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Quezon City, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Tshwane. Thus, Medellin is consolidating its position as a global benchmark in energy efficiency, standing out for its commitment to the decarbonization of its public buildings.
Similarly, supported by C40’s Climate Action Implementation Program (UCAP CAI), funded by the British Government, it is working on the implementation of a strategy to massively decarbonize the energy demand of these infrastructures. This initiative seeks to reduce the environmental impact and optimize the District’s resources. With the support of UCAP CAI, it is also implementing training for officials, ensuring that energy efficiency strategies are carried out in an efficient and sustainable manner.
For the executive director of ACI Medellin, Cristina Zambrano, “this academy brings together delegates who actively participate in the transformation of 11 territories, including those who lead programs to reduce emissions and optimize resources. This new achievement of the District in the C40 adds to the active participation that Mayor Federico Gutiérrez is making in the steering committee of the network, where he represents cities across the region in a key space on climate change at a global level.”
Attendees also explore financing alternatives for large-scale projects, especially those linked to building retrofits and the implementation of clean technologies to reduce energy consumption.
For Aditi Maheshwari, C40 Cities Global Climate Action Implementation General Manager, “each invited city has a specific profile of needs and projects, which makes this meeting a unique opportunity to exchange effective solutions, test methodologies and consolidate commitments around the Sustainable Development Goals”.
Taking into account that the Climate Action Implementation program is funded by the British Government, the UK ambassador in Colombia, George Hodgson, said: “the British government is proud to see Medellin and Colombia leading this global space to advance energy efficiency and decarbonization efforts”. The choice of Medellin to host this event underlines its leadership role in the region and its willingness to cooperate in finding solutions to global environmental challenges.
The C40 Climate Action Implementation Program (UCAP CAI) is working in partnership with 15 cities in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia to develop high-impact priority actions from their Climate Action Plans.