Toward a New Horizon: A Just Energy Transition in Colombia’s Putumayo Region

This week, leaders of Amazonian countries are gathering in Colombia for the 5th Summit of Presidents of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). This meeting will be critical for making strategic decisions to protect the biome and coordinate efforts ahead of COP30 in Brazil.

The Colombian Amazon faces a silent threat: the risk of reaching a point of no return. Rapid forest loss, driven by extractive activities, illegal economies and weak governance, endangers not only a vital ecosystem but also the lives of the communities who inhabit it—and, ultimately, the planet itself.

“Putumayo is Amazonia, the Amazon is life, life is our very existence on Earth.”
said a young woman during the NRGI Narratives for a Just Energy Transition workshop in 2024.

Why Putumayo?

Putumayo is a gateway to the Amazon, rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage. It is home to Indigenous peoples, farming communities, and Afro-descendant groups. Nearly 68 percent of its land remains covered by natural ecosystems like forests, rivers, and wetlands. Around 22 percent of its population belongs to ethnic groups, including more than 14 Indigenous communities.

Yet, this richness contrasts with the challenges the region faces. Eleven percent of its population lives in poverty. It is one of Colombia’s least electrified regions and struggles with the presence of armed groups, illicit crops, and illegal mining. On top of this, Putumayo has long been an oil-producing hub for Colombia’s Amazon.

Oil extraction has shaped its economy since the 1960s. But times are changing. Global demand for oil is expected to peak around 2030 and then decline. In Putumayo, that decline is already happening. Production has dropped nearly 50 percent since 2015 and could fall by two-thirds by 2035.

This downturn creates uncertainty for jobs, public revenue, and local economies. But it also opens an opportunity to rethink development models and chart a new path: one that is fair, sustainable, and community-driven.

A space for dialogue on a just transition

To support this shift, NRGI and its partners have been creating spaces for dialogue and learning in Putumayo. These forums aim to strengthen local knowledge on environmental protection, economic diversification, and social justice during the energy transition.

In June 2025, we hosted the event “Just Energy Transition and Deforestation in Putumayo: Strategies to Avoid an Amazonian Tipping Point.” It brought together government officials, academics, Indigenous leaders, community representatives, and civil society groups.

The conversations focused on three major issues: how to diversify the economy, how to manage a responsible exit from the oil sector, and how to protect ecosystems and communities from the dual threats of oil decline and deforestation.

“We must feed communities’ curiosity so they can shape the policies that affect their future.”

One clear message emerged: communities need access to clear and timely information. Without it, meaningful participation in decisions about land use and the energy transition is impossible. As one local leader said, “We must feed communities’ curiosity so they can shape the policies that affect their future.”

From oil decline to strategic planning

Falling production raises pressing questions about Putumayo’s future. Local actors agree that Colombia still lacks a comprehensive policy for a just transition—one that connects economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions. Without it, there is a real danger of replacing one extractive industry with another, such as moving from oil to large-scale copper mining, and repeating an unsustainable model.

Participants at the event identified three priorities for moving forward:

1. Address environmental liabilities. Clean up contaminated water sources and clearly assign financial responsibility for remediation.
2. Diversify the economy. Strengthen sustainable value chains like cocoa, coffee, Amazonian fruits, and ecotourism. Explore opportunities in the bioeconomy and renewable energy, while addressing land tenure issues and ensuring real participation from Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural communities.
3. Plan responsible oil sector exits. Guarantee proper closure of wells and infrastructure, manage financial and legal risks, and protect labor, social, and environmental rights. Prior consultation must be meaningful, not a bureaucratic checkbox.

A just transition must reflect local needs, safeguard civic space and foster dialogue among actors in a territory still grappling with armed groups.

Women’s voices: justice at the heart of the transition

Women in Putumayo are making their voices heard. They are demanding that the transition not only includes communities but also addresses their specific needs. Ignoring these perspectives would mean imposing solutions disconnected from local realities and worldviews.

“We are the only species on this planet capable of stopping climate change.”

Their demands echo those of Indigenous Peoples and social movements: recognize ancestral knowledge and avoid one-size-fits-all models for diverse ethnic groups. For women leaders, the transition must put social and environmental justice first. It is about protecting ecosystems that sustain life and reaffirming humanity’s relationship with nature.

As they remind us: “We are the only species on this planet capable of stopping climate change.”

A shared horizon

Putumayo’s future must be defined now. Moving beyond oil is inevitable—not only because reserves are finite but because global and local dynamics demand it. The alternative must be built on an integrated vision: robust policies, strategic projects, environmental restoration, institutional trust, and above all, strong community participation.

This is not just about replacing lost revenues. It is about transforming the economic structure of the region based on justice, equity, sustainability, and respect for life.

Avoiding an Amazon tipping point requires bold and coordinated decisions. Resources may be limited, but collective action can make a just energy transition not only possible but urgent and real.

NRGI remains committed to working alongside Putumayo’s communities and local actors to achieve a future that is fair, prosperous, sustainable, and in harmony with one of the world’s most vital ecosystems.