Infrastructure at the Mantus wetlands in Guasca, Cundinamarca
Infrastructure at the Mantus wetlands in Guasca, Cundinamarca
Environmental management leads us to understand the characteristics of the territories where we operate and to identify and assess social and environmental risks and opportunities in each context. It represents one of the pillars for performance of our projects in all stages of maturity of the business.
The Transmission Environmental Department addresses the environmental requirements of the projects in terms of viability, licensing and development and implementation of the environmental management plans, as well as those derived from operation and maintenance, which are fundamental for the development of each project and for the management of the operating assets of GEB. In this sense, our environmental management involves the identification of the environmental impacts produced by the construction and operation activities of electric energy transmission projects, with the purpose of establishing strategies for their prevention, mitigation, correction or offsetting.
In addition to fulfilling the Sustainability Policy, the Environmental Department adopts the corporate guidelines on environmental management, which focus on the identification and control of the environmental impacts produced in the territories and in the offices where we carry out administrative activities. The guidelines include measuring the carbon footprint, managing the archaeological heritage and management of biodiversity.
We apply environmental management to each phase of maturity of the business, as follows:
In our Sustainability Policy, we are committed to the incorporation of good practices and the promotion of actions aimed at protecting the environment, performing management at an early stage, and under the precautionary risk principle, of the impacts and opportunities that may arise in terms of the environment and compliance with applicable legislation.
During the pandemic, we designed an emergency plan to address impacts on certain activities that faced restrictions for working in the field and orders to stop certain assessment processes. This plan allowed us to mitigate the effects of delays in the timetables for activity performance, and consequently of the increase in the amounts budgeted for 2020. In 2021, our plan calls for completing the activities to return to the field, such as the forestry inventories and environmental monitoring required by the authorities for electric energy transmission projects.
Biking at the Tominé Reservoir
In 2020, the Group and its affiliates reported zero penalties or fines for non-compliance with environmental regulations.
In the last four years, no penalties or fines have been imposed on GEB and TGI for breach of environmental laws or regulations.
We fulfilled the commitments, environmental regulations and the activities related to the environmental management plans of each project, in each phase, as reflected in the environmental compliance reports (ICA, for the Spanish original).
We identified the environmental risks that may arise in the territories where we are present for the effects of decision-making during all the stages of maturity of the projects. This is carried out in accordance with the risk model adopted by GEB.
We obtained the environmental license for the Chivor-Norte and Sogamoso Project from ANLA; this is a fundamental project to fulfill the country’s electricity demand.
As part of our institutional relations strategy, we actively participate in events such as the following:
Bogotá el Mejor Hogar, and we joined the initiative Alianza por el Hábitat de Bogotá.
“Colombia CEO Forum: una mirada al futuro” (Colombia CEO Forum: A view to the Future), organized by BTG Pactual.
The Energy CEOs, organized by Confidencial Colombia.
3rd Forum on Electric Energy Transportation in Guatemala.
Transition to a Low-carbon Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the OECD.
As part of our regulatory management, we participate, through industry associations, in discussion processes of new regulations and monitoring of environmental regulations:
Environmental Chamber of Andesco.
Round table on Biodiversity and Development of Sabana de Bogotá, led by ANDI.
Environmental Committee of Acolgen.
Task Group on Changing the Methodology for Preparation and Presentation of Environmental Studies, with ANLA and MADS.
Task groups on changes in regulations related to lifting of bans on species.
We fulfill 100 % of the preventive environmental inspection program in the project areas of Contugas, including follow-up on implementation of the opportunities for improvement.
We received approval of the Updated Environmental Impact Assessment (U-EIA) from the Regional Mines and Energy Office (DREM Ica), which will apply to Contugas operations starting in 2021.
At Cálidda, no findings were reported in special field inspections made by OEFA during 2020.
At Electro Dunas, we achieved 100 % fulfillment of the General Environmental Compliance Indicator (Procedure 245-2007-OS/CD), which covers the mitigation, reduction or control of environmental impacts. Additionally, no events with impacts on the environment were reported.
At TGI, we surpassed the 92 % target in the process indicator through which we monitor and control compliance with the legal requirements of ANLA derived from granted environmental licenses (new or amended). The actual result was 96.3 %.
The external entity Bureau Veritas performed the follow-up audit of TGI’s Environmental Management System under the technical standard ISO 14001:15, and we were re-certified under this standard.
At TGI, we achieved compliance of 100 % at our facilities of night-time noise levels established by environmental regulations (Resolution 0627 / 2006), and 90 % for daytime noise levels. To this end, we consolidated the noise generation and propagation assessments of the gas compression stations at Hatonuevo, Puente Guillermo and Miraflores, taking into consideration the acoustic power and intensity.
We have the challenge of strictly complying with environmental regulations at every one of our projects.
Adapt to and effectively comply with ever more ambitious regulatory frameworks.
Successfully complete the prior consultations with the ethnic communities and the environmental studies in the department of La Guajira in order to obtain approval for the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Colectora Project.
Materialize a strategy that identifies GEB as a role model in terms of the protection of biodiversity and coexistence with the infrastructures in the territories where we are present.
Ensure that our projects are aligned and are compatible with the sustainability of the territories where we are present.
Fully comply with the preventive environmental inspections in the areas in progress.
(103-2) At Contugas, continue to fulfill 100 % of the commitments established in the EIA, environmental regulations and the environmental documentation deliverables within the established terms.
At Cálidda, implement the Contractor Environmental Performance Indicator to measure legal compliance during construction of the internal networks and connecting pipelines.
(103-2) At TGI, obtain from ANLA approval for the updated environmental management measures of 15 files, for efficient monitoring of the environmental performance of our operations.
Establish the baseline for environmental noise in the areas surrounding TGI’s gas compression stations.