CoL-JT - Colombia’s Just Transition from Below: Creating local visions of a life beyond coal in the Caribbean

Colombia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, with unique ecosystems and rich cultural heritage, particularly in its Caribbean region. Coal mining has created significant environmental, social, and economic challenges, disproportionately affecting women, indigenous peoples, and marginalized communities. The region’s strong dependence on coal has resulted in social unrest, persistent unemployment, and rising poverty, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive, sustainable pathways toward a just transition. Limited dialogue and trust between mining companies, communities, unions, and the government have made it difficult to co-create effective solutions, while early visions for renewable energy opportunities remain underdeveloped and lack sufficient local participation.

This project aims to foster an inclusive, bottom-up approach to Colombia’s energy transition. Its main components include: 

• JT Atlas: Creating a comprehensive knowledge base to inform sustainable transition strategies.
• JT Academy: Building capacities among communities, civil society, and local leaders to actively engage in transition processes.
• Agri-Eco-Voltaic Pilot: Implementing sustainable, renewable energy-based initiatives that provide alternative livelihoods and strengthen local economies.
• Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue: Facilitating structured dialogues among communities, mining companies, unions, government, and civil society, with a strong focus on women, indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups.

Through our Colombian partner, Tierra Digna, we leverage long-standing local relationships to engage communities directly, co-developing solutions that are culturally relevant and socially inclusive. Workshops, translation into local languages, and tailored support ensure broad participation and accessibility. The project also supports female-led initiatives, addressing social and gender inequalities while promoting economic independence and labor reconversion.

Through these integrated activities, the project seeks to co-create an overarching Just Transition Vision beyond coal, strengthening trust, fostering social inclusion, and enabling sustainable socio-economic development. As a pilot initiative, its approaches and lessons learned can be scaled and adapted to other coal-dependent regions in Colombia and internationally, serving as a model for socially just and environmentally responsible transitions.