On October 26, the “Experts’ Meeting on Regulation, Incentives and Subsidies for the Development of Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs) in Colombia” took place. The event was organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, the National Planning Department, and the Congress of the Republic, within the framework of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) implemented by UNIDO and funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The meeting was held in Bogotá on October 26, 2023.
The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders from government, industry associations and chambers, free trade zones and/or industrial parks, companies, academia, and financing institutions. Participants shared knowledge and experience on multiple EIP-related topics, including government policies, financial tools, private-sector initiatives, circular economy business practices, and applications of eco-industrial parks.
The discussion also addressed the regulatory framework, the status of financing, and the current landscape of subsidies and incentives.
The meeting was opened by Hernán Zúñiga, Director of Regulation at Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism; Mario Reina Carrillo, National Programme Officer for Economic Cooperation and Development (SECO) at the Embassy of Switzerland in Colombia; Carolina Gonzáles Müller, UNIDO Representative for Colombia, Peru, Guyana and Suriname; and César Barahona, International Lead and Consultant from UNIDO’s Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Unit.
Afterwards, speakers presented progress on: regulatory implementation (Sara Zafra Murcia, Legal and Policy Expert, PEI Colombia Programme), the waste guideline (Paola Espinosa, Monitoring Officer, PEI Colombia Programme), and Colombia’s technical standard for Eco-Industrial Parks (Juan David Salazar, National Technical Coordinator, Global EIP Programme in Colombia).
Two working groups were held during the meeting: the first aimed to discuss progress in implementing the regulatory concept of eco-industrial parks, and the second focused on practical solutions regarding the role of key stakeholders in developing the EIP concept in Colombia in areas such as regulation, incentives, and subsidies.
Finally, recognition was given to the effort and commitment of the companies and free trade zones that are part of the PEI Colombia Programme. The awarded organizations were:
-
EIP Anchor Company Award: Virutex
-
Sustainable Industrial Practices Award: Ovopacific S.A.
-
Resource Efficiency & Cleaner Production Pioneer Award: Omnilife
-
Sustainability Commitment Award: Global Industrias
-
Social Commitment Award: B. Braun Group
-
Energy Efficiency Leadership Award: Acesco
-
Renewable Energy Leadership Award: Alival S.A.
-
EIP Ambassador Award: Zona Franca del Cauca