(103-1) At Celsia we are committed to contributing to slowing the loss of biodiversity (an urgent challenge for the world), as a consequence of the planet’s overpopulation, excessive and unsustainable consumption of goods and services, pollution, the climate crisis and the loss of habitats and ecosystems, among other factors.
There is a great opportunity to work in the conservation and recovery of biodiversity through our actions as an Organization that seeks to remain in time and create a positive impact on its environment.
(103-2)
Our commitment to biodiversity seeks to strictly comply with current regulations and carry out actions that go beyond such compliance:
- We have plans, programs, projects and tools to manage biodiversity in all of our operating assets and in planning and construction projects.
- We have an Environmental-Management System that includes the biodiversity variable.
- We attend to the impacts of our activities based on the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, reduce, restore, mitigate, compensate).
- We manage biodiversity with the highest environmental standards.
- We proactively reduce and mitigate the risks of our operations and new projects.
- We create alliances with third-party experts to study biodiversity.
- We carry out voluntary actions for the ecological restoration and recovery of biodiversity with third parties and with the ReverdeC Program.
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Other Management Mechanisms
(103-3)
We have a Biodiversity Policy and plans, programs, projects and tools to manage biodiversity in all operating assets and in planning and construction projects.
Likewise, we have an Environmental-Management System that includes the biodiversity variable, which is evaluated by our Socio-Environmental Team, which is in charge of monitoring the implementation of the measures contained in the Environmental-Management Plans (EMPs) and the follow-up and monitoring plans, both for the construction and operation stages. All this information is supported by the Environmental Compliance Reports (ECRs), which are verified by the competent environmental authority.
At Celsia we have evaluated and mapped the sites (generation plants, administrative offices and sites) that are under our responsibility. This allows us to determine their level of importance for biodiversity, in addition to the potential impacts that our operations may have on ecosystems.
Note:
This information corresponds to the last five years.
* Taking into account that the Cativá Thermal Power Plant is within the Bahía Las Minas Thermal Power Plant, in Colón, Panama, for the purposes of evaluating the impact on biodiversity, they are counted as a single installation.
* The Comayagua Solar Farm in Honduras is not taken into account because it is located in a facility owned by Cementos Argos.
We have operations in Colombia (Salvajina, Calima, Prado, Alto Anchicayá and Bajo Anchicayá Hydroelectric Plants, in Valle del Cauca, Colombia) that are more than 10 years old and that were created before Law 99 of 1993. We highlight the fact that we have constantly worked in these plants, implementing actions aimed at preventing, mitigating, restoring, correcting or compensating for the environmental and biodiversity impacts that may arise in the development of our activities.
In order to get to know the fauna, in our facilities we have identified a total of 616 species that are on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and on national lists of conservation in areas intervened by the operations of Colombia and Central America.
species are critically endangered.
endangered.
are in a vulnerable category.
17 are almost threatened.
are of minor concern.
(304-4)
We restored 570 hectares of land by planting 1,700,000 trees with the ReverdeC Program, thus reaching 4,300,000 trees planted since the program began in 2016.
We planted 139,405 trees and carried out the maintenance on 223,081 trees planted in 2018 on 573 hectares in 14 hydroelectric plants, within the framework of the agreements with the National Federation of Coffee Growers and the Water for Life and Sustainability Fund.
We carried out conservation activities for the Magdalena River turtle (Podocnemis lewyana) at the Prado Hydroelectric Power Station, with the support of the Colombian Environmental, Agricultural and Agroindustrial Oxygen Association (installation of floating platforms for the turtles to rest), and progressed in Master’s Degree research to obtain a Conservation Plan for the species.
We achieved 75% in the development of the breeding-in-captivity technology package for restocking with shad (Brycon meeki), sabaleta (Brycon henni) and beardfish (Rhamdia saijaensis), in cooperation with the University of the Pacific.
We carried out maintenance on 7,500 wax palms (Ceroxylon quindiuense), a vulnerable species (VU) according to the IUCN, and replanting 375 individual trees in 52 hectares, in six wooded formations in the Department of Tolima.
We achieved 95% progress in the formulation of conservation programs for four threatened species of fauna and flora (the wax palm, Lehmann’s frog, the poison frog and the Magdalena River turtle).
Altogether, 100% of the facilities have assessment and mapping for biodiversity, taking into account an assessment of socio-environmental restrictions, environmental permits, Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIAs) of biodiversity and/or environmental license.
A total of 42% of transmission-and-distribution facilities have a forest census and studies on biodiversity (this figure does not include electricity networks in the Department of Tolima).
New Challenges
- Short Term0 to 2 years
- Medium Term3 to 5 years
- Long Term6 years or more
Obtain two technology packages for the breeding of shad (Brycon meeki) and beardfish (Rhamdia saijaensis) in captivity.
Evaluate the functionality of the fish-passage structure for the sabaleta species (Brycon henni) in the Tuluá River, Valle del Cauca.
Finalize the formulation of the conservation program for the frog species Oophaga lehmanni, CR – IUCN; wax palm Ceroxylon quindiuense, VU – IUCN; and turtle Podocnemis lewyana, CR – IUCN; and start its implementation.
Contribute 174 hectares of land for conservation, with its Management Plan in compliance, with compensation for an environmental license and an Investment Plan for 1% of the Alto Tuluá and Bajo Tuluá plants in Valle del Cauca.
Continue the ecological restoration with wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense, VU - IUCN) and the isolation of six wooded relics in the area of influence of the Cucuana Hydroelectric Power Plant, in Tolima.
Restore and compensate 50% of the areas intervened by the operation, maintenance and execution of new transmission and distribution projects, specifically on the high-, medium- and low-voltage lines.
Complete the floristic characterization of 50% of the high- and medium-voltage-line corridors in Valle del Cauca.
Implement a Biological Information System of ecosystems and the biodiversity associated with all our assets in Colombia and Central America, and a Geographic Information System for mapping and monitoring species of high value for biodiversity in the area of influence of our assets.
Carry out the in-vitro propagation of flora species with a high conservation value.
Initiate fish repopulation with the shad (Brycon meeki) and beardfish (Rhamdia saijaensis) species, in accordance with the guidelines of the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority (AUNAP, in Spanish).
Finish studies of aquatic fauna and flora habitat from the middle basin to the mouth of the Anchicayá River.
Strengthen the National Farallones de Cali Natural Park Management Plan and the natural resources management plans of the community councils of black communities of Bella Vista and Aguaclara, at the Bajo Anchicayá Hydroelectric Power Plant.
Implement the Conservation Plan for the species Oophaga lehmanni, Ceroxylon quindiuense and Podocnemis lewyana.
Define conservation lines for three threatened species of strategic fauna or flora, identified in the Calima, Salvajina and Prado Hydroelectric Plants, and the minor plants.
Support the conservation of the six species of strategic and threatened fauna or flora identified in the Calima, Salvajina, Prado, Alto Anchicayá, Bajo Anchicayá, Cucuana hydroelectric plants, and in smaller plants (Alto Tuluá, Bajo Tuluá, Nima I, Nima II , Riofrío I, Riofrío II, Río Cali I, Río Cali II, Amaime, Rumor, Río Piedras and Hidromontañitas).
In 2028, finish the floristic characterization of 100% of the circuits subject to silvicultural intervention in the Department of Tolima.
With the different actors, articulate the Protection and Conservation Plan of the Belmira Páramo, in the area of influence of the San Andrés de Cuerquia Hydroelectric Project.
Awards and Recognitions
With ReverdeC, we obtained the Blue Planet National Ecology Award, granted by Banco de Occidente, for the achievements made in benefit of the care of water and biodiversity.
Premios y reconocimientos
Con ReverdeC obtuvimos el Premio Nacional de Ecología Planeta Azul, otorgado por el Banco de Occidente, por los logros alcanzados en beneficio del cuidado del agua y la biodiversidad.
Glossary
Biodiversity
According to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, it is “the term by which reference is made to the wide variety of living things on Earth and the natural patterns it forms, the result of billions of years of evolution according to natural processes and also from the growing influence of human activities.” And it adds that biodiversity also includes “the variety of ecosystems and the genetic differences within each species (genetic diversity) that allow the combination of multiple forms of life, and whose mutual interactions with the rest of the environment base the sustenance of life on the world” (https://www.un.org/es/events/biodiversityday/background.shtml).
Mitigation Hierarchy
A tool that helps to limit, as far as possible, the negative impacts on biodiversity produced by development projects. It is based on implementing best practices to avoid and minimize negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services, managing residual impacts through restoration and compensation actions (https://www.thebiodiversityconsultancy.com/es/approaches/mitigation-hierarchy/).
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
A union of members made up of sovereign states, government agencies and civil society organizations. IUCN is the world authority regarding the state of nature and natural resources, as well as the necessary measures to protect them (https://www.un.org/es/events/biodiversityday/background.shtml).