Thursday 7 February 2019

UK’s PACT with Colombia to improve energy access

The UK is supporting a project aimed at unlocking funds to provide sustainable energy access while reducing emissions in Colombia.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) £60 million international climate finance programme called UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) has partnered with the Carbon Trust in Colombia to provide the necessary tools and frameworks for the government’s planning agency for energy and mining.

Around three million people in the country have no access to electricity and many live in remote areas unsuitable for grid connection.

To address the issue, the £13 million Colombian Fund for Non-Conventional Renewable Energies and Efficiency Energy Management (FENOGE) was established to finance energy access and energy efficiency projects.

However, the fund requires support and improved technical capacity to assess and select the necessary projects – and the UK PACT programme aims to do that.

The assistance from the UK Government will directly help FENOGE spend its 2019 funding allocation.

Dr Peter Tibber, British Ambassador to Colombia said: “This first project of UK PACT in Colombia will support the improving provision of energy access whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring that critical projects to bring sustainable energy to Colombia’s remote regions can go ahead.”

BEIS has committed to provide at least £5.8 billion of international climate finance between 2016 and 2020.