Shaping Inclusive Narratives About Just Transition in Colombia

Why are narratives about the energy transition in Colombia so important?

Colombia has long relied on oil and mining, which account for more than half of the country's exports. Despite some progress on the energy transition away from fossil fuel, including Colombia's current president recently assuming leadership roles in international forums, there is still a lack of clarity at the national level on what this transition should look like and how economic, social, environmental and institutional change might happen.

This uncertainty has led to polarization and narratives opposing the energy transition—primarily led by powerful economic and political actors with vested interests in continued fossil fuel exploitation. These actors have shaped much of public opinion against the energy transition by framing it as unnecessary, arguing that the country is not a significant carbon dioxide emitter and that the transition is detrimental to economic stability and national development. This polarization has turned the discussion into a political debate about who supports or opposes the current government’s agenda.

Civil society organizations, citizens, local communities and Indigenous Peoples are not sufficiently represented in this debate. And among them perspectives are fragmented and scattered. There isn’t a unified alternative viewpoint in the public discourse that considers the energy transition as a desirable, possible, and all-embracing  process. Without an alternative narrative that proposes a different vision, the energy transition itself may perpetuate the same historic inequality and inequity and imbalance of power that we see today.

So how has NRGI engaged on narratives in the country? What actions were taken, and what were the main findings or insights gained? Any surprising findings?

NRGI convened a diverse group of 30 individuals representing local communities, grassroots and Indigenous and women’s organizations, academics, and national and international civil society organizations (CSOs) to create a meta-narrative for a just transition as envisioned by various populations and civil society actors in Colombia.

This initiative empowered communities and civil society to contribute more effectively to a public discourse that supports the energy transition. Participants learned about the concepts of stories, narratives and meta-narratives, and their role in strategic communications. For example, a story describes a single fact, while a series of stories form a narrative. A meta-narrative, on the other hand, encompasses several specific narratives, including core values and worldview that underpin them, and explains how we understand our relationships with ourselves, others and the world.

A key objective was to connect emotionally with the participants, fostering empathy for how others are experiencing the energy transition, particularly in Colombia’s north, where coal mines were closed and wind projects established. This work was also inspired by philosopher Martha Nussbaum’s ideas on the role of emotions in shaping public culture and a renewed ideal of justice.

With an academic partner we also used artificial intelligence to analyze outputs in Colombian news media to identify dominant narratives, providing a baseline of how the energy transition was framed by the media. We used this to develop our meta-narrative and ensure it was grounded in evidence.

One of the biggest challenges was balancing different views and the inability to reach consensus on some topics. However, in other areas, we found alternative ways to approach our differences. For example, an Afro-Colombian woman supported the energy transition but opposed new projects in her community due to their negative impacts. As a result, we included the principle that justice entails avoiding overburdening energy-rich regions with large-scale energy transition projects.

Two key aspects of this initiative stand out: first, the diverse contexts and realities of populations across different regions were central to crafting the meta-narrative, which is unprecedented in the sector. Bringing such particularities into the national discussion is essential for fostering a more inclusive decision-making process. Second, the project strengthened social capital by uniting a diverse group of individuals who are now more aligned and eager to continue working collaboratively to influence a just energy transition agenda in Colombia.

How do you ensure that the narratives you promote are inclusive and represent diverse community voices?

The meta-narrative drew on the diverse perspectives, values and ambitions discussed by the participants of a country beyond fossil fuels, with renewable energy sources and a diversified economy. To ensure inclusivity, we actively engaged participants with differing views and experiences. For instance, one Indigenous woman expressed that her community did not want the energy transition, fearing it would increase copper mining, threatening their customary lands and an important water source for their community and the wider region. In response, we included a principle in the meta-narrative that Indigenous communities have the right to manage their own lands. This aligns with Colombia’s constitution, which grants Indigenous peoples’ jurisdiction over their territories, and with the International Labour Organization Convention No. 169, which supports free, prior and informed consent.

Building trust within the group was crucial from the start. We created a neutral, safe and inclusive environment where everyone felt comfortable, respected and valued. This approach was key to building consensus, so we made efforts to prevent and manage situations that could lead to feelings of competition, mistrust or power imbalances, particularly between national and local organizations. The exchange of different types of knowledge—including technical expertise, ancestral wisdom and lived experience—was highly valued and complementary.

As a result, the meta-narrative effectively captured the common goals identified by all members for a just energy transition, therefore supporting the collective efforts to position it in the public discourse. 

Recently, we held an event aimed at "giving life to the meta-narrative," which provided capacity building on strategic communications and identified key political moments for its dissemination, such as COP16, COP29, and COP30. This event brought together 45 participants, including many from last year, fostering a growing network of individuals from various producing regions of the country who are now exchanging knowledge and strategies for advocacy to influence public discourse effectively.

NRGI is supporting civil society organizations and leaders to implement the meta-narrative in their communications and aiming to position this vision about just energy transition into the public discourse.