Upon reading the title of this news, you might wonder: What does it mean to become an “ecocity”? Although the answer is simple, it carries a great responsibility. Aware of the climate challenges, through this proposal, Medellín recognizes the need to manage the climate transition and joins the efforts of local governments to mitigate climate change, build resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate effects. To scale up its actions, the city joined the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) in 2015 and also receives support from the GCoM’s regional leadership group through C40 Cities. Under the GCoM initiative, the city has received medals for mitigation, for its greenhouse gas inventory, and for adaptation, for climate assessment. Medellín also has the support of the Colombian Association of Capital Cities (Asocapitales) and ICLEI South America, both institutions serving as national coordinators of the Global Covenant of Mayors in Colombia. The term ‘ecocity,’ now incorporated into the speeches of Mayor Daniel Quintero and his team, is part of one of the five pillars of the Medellín Futuro 2020-2023 Development Plan. To consolidate the ecocity, under the leadership of the Environment Secretariat, the “Medellín 2020-2050” Climate Action Plan was developed. The city has drawn up a roadmap with the aim of building a carbon-neutral city by 2050 and with the capacity to face the impacts of rising temperatures and precipitation variability. “The document outlines the path to take for a progressive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, to achieve neutrality and increase adaptation capacities from a low-carbon development perspective,” the city government reported. This plan was created on a robust technical foundation that revealed Medellín’s trends in GHG generation, the effects of climate change on precipitation and temperature, the territory’s risk to climate effects, and the inclusion needs that create gaps and affect vulnerability. “Medellín recognizes its responsibility and impact in executing transformative actions that will lead it to become an Ecocity for everyone, ensuring peaceful and constructive coexistence among all forms of life. This great challenge we face is not carried out in isolation, but in partnership with international allies with whom we can build a relationship of mutual learning through pacts and agreements that ensure sustainable and lasting development,” stated Eleonora Betancur, Executive Director of the Cooperation and Investment Agency.
Medellín Cares for Me: Integrated Work for Climate Change and Health
As part of an innovative initiative, the city has developed, under the guidelines of the Decennial Public Health Plan, a health adaptation plan to climate change and variability. Its formulation and implementation are within the goals of the Territorial Health Plan, “Healthy Communities, Bodies, and Minds Towards a Healthy Territory,” provided for in the third pillar of the municipal development plan. This instrument contributes to the development of the adaptation measures portfolio of Colombia’s Nationally Determined Contribution and will strengthen the municipal management of climate change by reducing the vulnerability of Medellín’s health system and its inhabitants to the effects of climate change. Also related to the environment and climate, the city has the Air Quality Pact, which includes 176 public and private signatories who have voluntarily committed to carrying out various actions to improve air quality. To attract more signatories, a system of badges has been designed to recognize the actions taken. In this field, another initiative stands out. The Mobility Secretariat leads the formulation and consolidation of the country’s first Protected Air Zone as part of the Sustainable Mobility component. Two square kilometers are being intervened through various measures aimed at reducing emissions and improving the health of the city’s inhabitants. The project is in the awareness-raising stage and is part of the guidelines of the PAC’s Transport and Sustainable Mobility Sector and the commitments of the Green and Healthy Streets and Clean Air declarations.
Joint Strategies That Bring Results
Medellín was recognized as the first city in Colombia to obtain carbon credits from the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Initiatives Certification and Registration Program (Proclima), which will allow it to reduce or offset 7,733 tons of CO₂ in its carbon footprint. The recognition was announced by Mayor Daniel Quintero Calle in September 2021 during the event “Medellín and Its International Allies,” which was attended by delegations from 36 countries who came to the city to learn about the most important projects and initiatives of the Medellín Futuro Development Plan. “This is great news. Medellín is one step ahead and becomes a pioneer in issuing carbon credits for the entire world. These credits are now tradable worldwide, and most importantly, we presented this at Medellín and Its International Allies in front of ambassadors, so they can take a message to their countries, so we can all take a step to save the planet and prevent the disaster that is coming if we don’t make the right decisions,” Mayor Daniel Quintero Calle explained at the time. Each of the credits represents one ton of carbon emissions captured by trees and can be used to offset the carbon footprint or traded internationally as part of actions to reduce the impact of climate change. This offsetting is achieved through the restoration of 238.5 hectares of forest in the municipality’s five rural areas through reforestation and conservation of green areas, certified by the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (ICONTEC). The Environment Secretariat is advancing various ecological protection strategies to ensure the conservation of 4,319 hectares of native forests. One of these is Payment for Environmental Services – PSA, which seeks to generate economic incentives for landowners in the municipality’s rural areas. This has allowed for the restoration and conservation of 805.48 hectares in 88 properties in the five rural areas. In 2021, through the program, 47 voluntary conservation agreements were signed for 749.33 hectares, of which 739.29 hectares belong to conservation areas and 10.04 hectares to restoration. With these 47 agreements, the Environment Secretariat provided $194,001,621 to landowners who contribute to the conservation of territories that help maintain and improve the quality and quantity of water resources supplying Medellín’s aqueducts. Another recognition was received by the “30 Green Corridors” project, winner of the Ashden Award 2019 in the “Cooling for People” category for its contributions to improving Medellín’s thermal sensation. Ashden is a UK-based charity that champions and supports sustainable energy leaders to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon world. Medellín has approximately 4 million square meters of green areas associated with creek setbacks. Actions include tree planting, garden establishment, planting functional plants, setting up planters, installing lightweight furniture made of treated wood, etc. In 2021, 2,578 square meters of green corridors were intervened in the city.
