We Take Care of the Planet
Environmental Management
At Celsia, we take care of the planet: we are committed to renewable energies, the conservation of ecosystems and efficiency in processes.
GRI (103-1, 102-11) Our commitment is to sustainability and the rational use of natural resources, which is why at Celsia, we promote transformative actions aimed at conservation, comprehensive management of the environmental impacts and due diligence throughout the value chain, to generate benefits for our clients, Stakeholders and to contribute to the restoration of ecosystems, taking into account the needs and expectations of our Stakeholders and the proper management of the opportunities and/or risks inherent in our operation of assets or projects. This is why the monitoring, reporting, consolidation and definition of environmental goals have become a pillar for Celsia’s Strategy, which allows us to generate added value for society and make strategic alliances that allow us to remain – over time – in the places where we are present.
Our Management
DJSI (2.2.1) GRI (103-2, 102-11) Our Environmental Policy directs the framework of action of our employees for their relationship with Stakeholders, covering our operations of:
- Energy generation (conventional and non-conventional).
- Energy-distribution processes, products and services.
- Waste management (circular economy), suppliers and contractors.
- Operations managed by third parties.
- Due-diligence processes, mergers and acquisitions.
- Other key partners (for example, unmanaged operations, joint-venture partners, licensees, outsourcing partners, etc.).
Likewise, we ratify and continue with the commitments that we have set for ourselves in the medium and long term:
- For 2025, Celsia’s Energy-Generation Matrix will correspond to 25% with non-conventional technology.
- Issuance of Carbon Bonds.
- Conservation of hydrographic basins in the Departments where we are present.
- For 2022, we will certify ourselves in carbon neutrality under ICONTEC’s “Guide for the Verification and Certification of neutral carbon.”
Through our good socio-environmental practices, we hace certification in the ISO 14001 – 2015 Standard, which ensures that the different activities in the operation and/or maintenance of our assets comply with current socio-environmental regulations and actions are taken for continuous improvement.
Environmental-Management System
Certification, Verification and Auditing of the Environmental-Management System
Certification, Verification and Auditing of the Environmental-Management System
Environmental-Impact Assessments
DJSI (2.2.4)
At Celsia, we have current environmental licenses as a result of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which may be consulted by Stakeholders. This process is complemented with permanent communication activities with the community, to guarantee that their point of view regarding the project impacts is included.
During 2021, the Valle del Cauca Regional Autonomous Corporation (CVC, in Spanish) awarded us licenses for the construction of two solar farms, with a capacity of 19.9 and 32.23 MW, in the municipalities of Palmira and Candelaria.
Our Socio-Environmental Team directly considers the participation of Stakeholders in the different projects or assets, through the identification of socio-environmental restrictions, the preparation of the EIAs and the formulation of measures to manage and mitigate impacts.
The information from the environmental studies of the power plants in operation and of the Company’s projects are public; they are consigned in the offices of the competent environmental authorities where we are present. A summary of the Environmental-Impact Studies (EIAs, in Spanish) for each of the power plants may be consulted on our Website; they contain geographic information, the year of beginning operation, the environmental license number, the environmental authority and management measures.
Environmental Investment
Main results
DJSI (2.2.3) GRI (103-3, 102-11, 307-1) In the last four years, at Celsia there were no fines or environmental violations derived from the operations and maintenance of all our assets.
We implemented a technological platform to consolidate environmental variables; it is expected that this will facilitate data capture, information processing and decision making.
We continued with the annual socio-environmental legal-compliance assessments that allow us to mitigate risks and identify opportunities for the operation and construction of assets.
In 2021, we exceeded the goal, planting 3,056,214 new native-species trees in the Departments of Antioquia, Valle del Cauca and Tolima, while conserving 10 species with high conservation value.
We continued supporting the conservation of species, such as the Wax Palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), frog (Oophaga lehmanni) and turtle (Podocnemis Lewyana) in the ecosystem present in the area of influence of the Cucuana, Bajo Anchicayá and Prado Hydroelectric Plants.
In 2021, we obtained recognition from BÓSCARES, in the Category of Reforestation and Restoration of Forests, awarded by Reforestamos México.
New challenges
GRI (103-2)
These are our challenges in the short-, medium-, and long term:
(0 to 2 years)
- Achieve 100% approval of good environmental practices in Central America and Colombia.
- Achieve certification of the ReverdeC Program as a carbon-emission-capture project.
- Guarantee compliance with environmental legislation and management without significant environmental incidents through our Environmental-Management System.
- Update the environmental goals and indicators for Colombia and Central America.
- Implement the Circular-Economy Strategy throughout the Organization
- Complete the ecological-compensation process for Dos Mares. Begin the execution of the activities framed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (PNNFC, in Spanish), articulating the interventions to the conservation objectives and Environmental-Management Plan of the area protected and the Alto Anchicayá Hydroelectric Plant.
- Support the proposal for the conservation of the Wax Palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense) and its implementation in the Cucuana Hydroelectric Plant.
(3 to 5 years)
- Achieve certification of 100% of the energy generated with the Environmental-Management System under ISO 14001.
- Innovate in the development of strategies, mitigation and compensation of the environmental impacts of our operation.
- Implement Celsia’s Circular-Economy Strategy in suppliers and Joint Ventures for the optimization of resources impacted in the value chain.
(6 or more years)
- Achieve a positive net contribution to the environment through the proper identification and measurement of impacts, and the development of mitigation and compensation strategies.
Glossary
Areas of Influence: Areas surrounding our operation centers.
BÓSCARES: An award that recognizes the best practices and business initiatives in caring for forests, and seeks to position the forestry agenda in the private sector and motivate and inspire action for sustainability.
Carbon Bonds: An international decontamination mechanism to reduce polluting emissions to the environment. It is a mechanisms to reduce emissions that cause global warming and the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) effect.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): The basic instrument for decision making on projects, works or activities that require an environmental license; they will be required in all cases that require it, in accordance with the law.
