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Our Commitment to Shareholders
“GTE’s foundation is built on running a profitable and stable business while responsibly maintaining and growing a high-quality portfolio.”
– Gary Guidry, President and CEO, Gran Tierra Energy
Environment Spotlight
Inviting Communities to Participate in Water Monitoring
Social Spotlight
Gran Tierra’s Emprender+ Program
Governance Spotlight
Gran Tierra’s Commitment to Governing our Business Ethically
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Supporting Community Environmental Monitoring in Ecuador
GTE maintains transparency about its environmental practices by ensuring stakeholders are well-equipped to understand, analyze, and respond to the information they receive, some of which can include highly technical data.
In 2023, GTE offered an Environmental Monitoring Training workshop to help people living in the community of Unión Balsareña, who live near the Company’s operations in the Chanangue block in Sucumbíos, Ecuador, more effectively observe and provide feedback about GTE’s environmental monitoring procedures. The workshop covered regulations, studies, surveys and management, and ecological monitoring methodology and practices.
Seventeen community members participated in the workshop, and the Company will also provide ongoing support to ensure community leaders and program participants can continue to engage environmental experts to support their oversight role.
Innovative Conservation Agreements Protect Sensitive Areas
One of the highlights of GTE’s work this year with the Putumayo Biodiversity and Development Initiative was the restoration of 29 hectares within the Orito Ingi-Ande Flora Sanctuary for Medicinal Plants.
Dialogue with 15 families who were living in the protected zone and cultivating coca, resulted in important conservation agreements to protect the land. As part of the agreements, Gran Tierra Energy helped relocate the families, providing land and training to help them maintain their livelihoods. This allowed the environmental authorities, including the National Parks and the Ministry of Environment, to replace the illegal crops with native vegetation and preserve the integrity of the entire protected area of more than 100 square kilometres. So far, 29 hectares of land has been protected and restored.
NaturAmazonas: Gran Tierra’s Largest Environmental Initiative
NaturAmazonas, the flagship conservation program started by GTE and Conservation International, has grown into an alliance of public and private institutions working together to address the root causes of deforestation. It works to develop solutions for reversing the process, while increasing the well-being of nearby communities.
GTE’s program has grown into a joint effort between the Colombian Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, regional environmental agency, Corpoamazonia, and NGO Conservation International which oversees the project. The overall objective is to create the conditions required to protect and conserve Colombia’s Amazonia region by planting millions of trees and conserving land to restore important forested lands, helping residents live and work in greater harmony with the forest, and fostering partnerships amongst the institutions needed to effect long-term change at scale. This initiative strengthens the mechanisms needed for sustainable reforestation and large-scale conservation.
These include:
- Bringing numerous public and private institutions under an established framework to collaborate and increase their combined impact.
- Increasing knowledge of, and respect for, the value of forested areas.
- Implementing mechanisms for people and communities that reside in the area to make a sustainable living in harmony with nature.
In its first six years, this USD $18 million initiative has reforested and ecologically restored over 1,700 hectares of land and has attracted additional partners interested in moving this revolutionary program forward. In 2023, Gran Tierra extended the NaturAmazonas program for another four years and continues its industry-leading reforestation in partnership with Conservation International.
0M
trees
+1.38M trees have been planted
through NaturAmazonas
+0
people
+3,800 people have been positively impacted through
NaturAmazonas
+0
hectares
1,700 hectares of land has been
reforested and ecologically
restored
SWIPE FOR MORE
+0M
seedlings
Over 3.4M seedlings have been distributed at the NaturAmazonas nurseries
0
farmers
GTE helped 1,460 farmers sustainably cultivate cacao, sugar cane, honeybees and acai
~0
cameras
GTE installed nearly 40 motion sensor cameras in Piamonte and Cauca to monitor local fauna
SWIPE FOR MORE
Agroforestry Centres
The Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre in the town of Piamonte was converted and refurbished from an abandoned social site of a nearby Indigenous Inga community and is capable of growing over one million seedlings each year to support the reforestation initiative. Women from Miraflores and the surrounding areas carry out planting work at the Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre. Cacao seedlings are spliced together to develop high quality and resilient varieties of the crop.
The Sacha Wasi Agroforestry Centre located in El Mesón, Villagarzón has a production capacity of one million seedlings per year, a total area of 8.06 hectares, and is designed with spaces to store materials, equipment and supplies. This agricultural-focused nursery includes specific areas for preparation and bagging of the substrate, irrigation, germination, management and sowing modules.
Knowledge Generation
Local residents have been hired for expeditions deep into the Piedmont, collecting and categorizing over 10,000 specimens of native plants. They are referred to as Guardians of Botanical Knowledge and they build their knowledge about the native plants and contribute to the creation of important mapping of the botanical make-up of the forest in their areas. Previously unknown plant species have been discovered by the Guardians.
So far, 27,000 specimens have been collected and processed, 1,404 of species have been identified, two of which are new for Colombia and over 130 people have directly benefited from the project.
Botanical Health Development Through Beekeeping
Thousands of bees swarm around unprotected beekeepers, who are not concerned because these are stingless bees, native to this part of the Amazon rainforest. It had previously been illegal in Colombia to cultivate stingless bees, but Gran Tierra worked with the Colombian authorities to change the regulations to allow local people to engage in this important line of sustainable production through the Company’s NaturAmazonas program. The bees pollinate plants and trees, supporting reforestation and contributing to botanical health while also producing honey for the farmers—a valuable, durable commodity with appeal in both local and national markets.
There is a high demand for stingless bee syrups, which have a number of different flavours, and keepers can also rent the bees out to local farmers for pollination, providing yet another stream of income. The association of beekeepers continues to grow, with over 300 current members having been trained and certified.
GTE's Environmental Management Plan
Gran Tierra Energy’s company-wide Environmental Management Plan (EMP) addresses how it handles environmental issues arising from its exploration and development projects and other operations.
The Plan is based on the environmental performance standards of the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and reflects best industry practices. It will be amended and updated periodically. In any instances where local laws or regulations differ from the standards contained in Gran Tierra’s EMP, the Company will adhere to the more stringent requirement.
The EMP addresses issues like:
- Defining a code of conduct for all workers
- Conserving biodiversity
- Minimizing construction impacts, flaring and water use
- Controlling erosion
- Optimizing road and pipeline routing and construction
- Managing solid and liquid waste including hazardous substances
- Protecting and preserving cultural and archaeological resources
Waste Management
Gran Tierra’s Waste Management Plan (WMP) recognizes the Company’s responsibility to manage wastes properly. Waste is handled independently, according to the type (contaminated, organic, unusable or recyclable), through a process of separation at source.
One of the goals of internal management is always to reduce at the source the different waste generated by the operation and ensure as far as possible that the greatest amount of waste generated be reusable. Two examples of the reuse of waste are:
- At GTE’s Acordionero and Costayaco oil fields organic waste is composted. The compost is then used to fertilize gardens and to stabilize slope areas occupied by a project team.
- Plastic generated at our Putumayo field operations is sent to a plastic recycling plant through a cooperative agreement that allows for more than 80% of the plastic to be transformed into products such as plastic wood posts, plastic wood planks, hoses and dustpans.
For waste that cannot be reused or recycled, the Company’s overall approach is to utilize capable third-party facilities, while minimizing volumes sent to sanitary landfills. It is taking steps to lower the volume of wastes to the extent possible and to recycle or reuse waste in cooperation with local communities when possible.
GTE has established a procedure for selecting waste management companies with the best environmental performance records in the region. This process requires a legal review of the Company, internal and external audits and a review of their relationships with the environmental authorities and with the neighbors of their facilities.
Emissions Reduction: Reporting
Gran Tierra Energy’s environmental policy calls for the Company to track its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and take steps to reduce them wherever economically feasible.
Gran Tierra continues to voluntarily retain a respected expert in the field of air quality, to create an assessment of its greenhouse gas emissions in Colombia and Ecuador. This assessment involves collecting, analyzing and quantifying annual air emissions data from GTE’s operations. It was conducted according to the guidelines and standards adopted by the following organizations: International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), American Petroleum Industry (API), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Since 2016, the Company has also reported to the Carbon Disclosure Project.
An updated assessment using 2022 air emissions data has been released. View the Greenhouse Gas & Air Quality Report here.
Electrical Power Use
In 2023, 68% of the total energy used in Gran Tierra’s total operations was generated through the Gas-to-Power projects. GTE’s energy consumption from the municipal grid has decreased by 50% since 2018. The Company continues to develop Gas-to-Power projects to decrease its use of electrical power from the local grid.
FIELD | GAS-TO-POWER (kWh) | GAS USED (scf) | SAVINGS (USD)1 |
---|---|---|---|
COSTAYACO2 | 91,283,243 | 959,778,000 | $8,545,240 |
MOQUETA3 | 300,951 | 3,755,000 | $42,647 |
ACORDIONERO4 | 126,651,761 | 1,491,286,000 | $16,575,935 |
MONO ARAÑA6 | 479,341 | 17,745,000 | $59,006 |
VONU5 | 9,993,809 | 98,946,000 | $1,206,570 |
LOS ANGELES7 | 836,612 | 16,609,000 | $107,331 |
COHEMBI8 | 14,767,928 | 80,922,000 | $1,635,278 |
JUGLAR9 | 212,109 | 3,200,000 | $14,485 |
-
View Footnotes
-
1) TRM=$USD 4,100.
2) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs National Power Grid 640-256=384 COP/kWh (0,09366 USD/kWh). – CYC
3) Savings calculated from gas generation cost 581 COP/kWh (0,14171). In 2023, MQT G2P is exclusively used as generation support when occurs a failure in the national grid. For that reason there is not a cost associated to G2P. – MQT
4) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 780-243=537 COP/kWh (0, 13098 USD/kWh). – ACR
5) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 751-256=495 COP/kWh (0,1207USD/kWh). – VNU
6) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 1657-1152=505 COP/kWh (0,12317USD/kWh). – MAR
7) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 744-218=526 COP/kWh (0,12828USD/kWh). – LAN
8) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 1168-714=454 COP/kWh (0,11073USD/kWh). – CHB
9) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs National Power Grid 1024-744=280 COP/kWh (0,06829USD/kWh). – JGL
Emissions Reduction: Nature-Based Solutions
Nature-based solutions are an important pillar of Gran Tierra’s emissions reductions efforts, and the company supports environmental projects that aid in natural carbon sequestration. Natural carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric CO2, as forests, wetlands and vegetation sequester carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting it into organic matter.
Costayaco Forestry Centre: A Unique Resource for Reforestation
The Costayaco Forestry Centre (CFC), established by Gran Tierra Energy in coordination with the regional environmental regulator, and Corpoamazonia is one of the most innovative reforestation efforts in South America. The CFC contains 335 hectares of new and maturing forested areas, and is close to achieving its long-term goal of connecting a critical ecological corridor linking the Andean foothills with the Amazon Rainforest. These two ecosystems are some of the most biodiverse in the world.
In total GTE has planted 1.64 million trees and has conserved, preserved, or reforested 4,514 hectares of land through all of the Company’s environmental efforts since 2018. Careful management ensures that the once-delicate saplings grow into sturdy, mature trees that contribute to the national emissions reduction strategy goals.
Through the CFC, Gran Tierra has planted over 200,000 trees across the Putumayo and Cauca Departments, and over 72,000 trees have been donated to local communities and educational centres. The Centre also works to increase environmental awareness by providing educational opportunities for communities to learn about the importance of protecting the forests and environment.
To learn more about the Costayaco Forestry Centre, click here.
Reforestation Project with Conservation International
Gran Tierra prioritizes the protection and conservation of the environment and works with organizations that share similar values. Gran Tierra, in partnership with respected International NGO Conservation International, has contributed USD $18 million over eight years to a major reforestation and conservation project. In 2023, Gran Tierra extended its support another four years, to this project that has already yielded great results for the region.
Given that nature-based approaches including conservation and restoration of tropical forests can provide 30% of the solution to climate change, Gran Tierra believes that projects and partnerships such as this are contributing positively. It is expected that the actions developed by NaturAmazonas will contribute to reducing the rate of deforestation in the Amazonian foothills by at least 20%.
Furthermore, the overall objective of the NaturAmazonas project is to create the conditions required to protect and conserve Colombia’s Amazon region by planting millions of trees and conserving land to restore important forested areas previously affected by deforestation. The project also helps residents live and work in harmony with the forest, all while fostering partnerships with important regional and national institutions needed to implement long-term change at scale.
To read more about the NaturAmazonas project, click here.
Emissions Reduction: Gas-to-Power
Gran Tierra’s ongoing effort to reduce direct emissions by converting associated gas produced from its wells into an energy source for its operations, continues to generate results. Additionally, converting gas to electricity significantly reduces the demand on municipal utilities, increases fiscal resilience by lowering unit production costs, and provides a more stable energy supply, while reducing flaring and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Company’s Gas-to-Power (G2P) program has significantly reduced emissions intensity over the last few years by using produced natural gas to produce electricity, reduce flaring, and significantly reduce the need to purchase, transport, and burn diesel fuel. When excess power is produced, GTE can provide additional electricity to the local grid helping residents and stabilizing energy sources. 2023 saw a 19% increase in electricity generated from gas from GTE’s operations on local grids.
With all major fields fully converted, GTE has turned its attention towards generating gas power at its smaller locations and finding ways to implement this strategy at our fields in Ecuador.
FIELD | GAS-TO-POWER (kWh) | GAS USED (scf) | SAVINGS (USD)1 |
---|---|---|---|
COSTAYACO2 | 91,238,243 | 959,778,000 | $8,545,240 |
VONU5 | 9,993,809 | 98,946,000 | $1,206,570 |
MOQUETA3 | 300,951 | 3,755,000 | $42,647 |
ACORDIONERO4 | 126,651,761 | 1,491,286,000 | $16,575,935 |
MONO ARAÑA6 | 479,341 | 17,745,000 | $59,006 |
LOS ANGELES7 | 836,612 | 16,609,000 | $107,331 |
COHEMBI8 | 14,767,928 | 80,922,000 | $1,635,278 |
JUGLAR9 | 212,109 | 3,200,000 | $14,485 |
-
View Footnotes
-
1) TRM=$USD 4,100.
2) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs National Power Grid 640-256=384 COP/kWh (0,09366 USD/kWh). – CYC
3) Savings calculated from gas generation cost 581 COP/kWh (0,14171). In 2023, MQT G2P is exclusively used as generation support when occurs a failure in the national grid. For that reason there is not a cost associated to G2P. – MQT
4) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 780-243=537 COP/kWh (0,13098 USD/kWh). – ACR
5) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 751-256=495 COP/kWh (0,1207USD/kWh). – VNU
6) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 1657-1152=505 COP/kWh (0,12317USD/kWh). – MAR
7) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 744-218=526 COP/kWh (0,12828USD/kWh). – LAN
8) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs Diesel generation 1168-714=454 COP/kWh (0,11073USD/kWh). – CHB
9) Savings calculated from gas generation Vs National Power Grid 1024-744=280 COP/kWh (0,06829USD/kWh). – JGL
Amazon Butterfly Species Guidebook
Butterflies are an important indicator for maintaining healthy ecosystems and are a critically important part of conservation and management practices in the area.
An alliance of public and private institutions led by GTE and the industry group National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), completed a study on the diversity of butterflies to better understand the role conservation, preservation and educational initiatives play in protecting the Andean-Amazonian piedmont region.
La Gran Tierra de las Mariposas (The Great Land of Butterflies) includes photographs of 250 species of diurnal butterflies. The alliance is also working on additional monitoring, educational, regulatory and community initiatives.
This study and cataloguing are a significant step in developing management and conservation practices for these species with high potential for scientific research and tourism.
The Putumayo Biodiversity Initiative Enters a Second Phase
The Putumayo Biodiversity Initiative, a wide-ranging alliance of public and private institutions dedicated to preserving biodiversity in the Andean-Amazonian foothills in the department of Putumayo, entered its second phase in 2021. The initiative protects, conserves, and restores ecosystem connectivity and biodiversity through sustainable development. The initiative has become an important national benchmark for public-private investment in Colombia, creating new businesses and economic opportunities in biodiversity.
Gran Tierra is the first oil company to contribute environmental data to the Biodiversity Information System of Colombia (SIBColombia), providing researchers across Colombia access to thousands of records, images and videos from their biodiversity and conservation initiatives.
The initiative will also contribute towards the Putumayo-Içá River Basin Integrated Management Project, a pioneering international collaboration by Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, providing a baseline for the Putumayo River and formulating guidelines for watershed management.
A Partnership with the Humboldt Institute
The partnership between Gran Tierra Energy and the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute contributes to the understanding of biodiversity in the Putumayo and addressing concerns about industrial development in the area. Colombia has highly biodiverse areas, with large numbers of plant species, microorganisms, and fungi. However, some of the country’s ecosystems have deteriorated tremendously due to agriculture and livestock activities, urban expansion, illegal mining and illegal land practices.
The joint GTE-Humboldt Institute Chawar Project is a regional environmental assessment, created as a technical tool to track and monitor biodiversity changes in the Putumayo by incorporating a wide range of data sets including biodiversity, ecosystem services, and social and cultural information, especially in the Andean foothills. The project is part of GTE’s efforts to help the country proactively develop an understanding of species that need to be protected, and it will allow the Company to better consider environmental issues when determining how and where to plan development.
It also shows how compensation for the Company’s voluntary environmental and social investments can be structured to have the greatest impact on specific areas of interest as well as the broader region for years to come.
It will also show how compensation for the Company’s voluntary environmental and social investments can be structured to have the greatest impact on specific areas of interest as well as the broader region for years to come.
An Alliance with ANDI
ANDI (the National Business Association of Colombia), Gran Tierra, the National Natural Parks of Colombia and the Humboldt Biological Research Institute, have partnered together in an alliance that is focused on ecosystem protection, restoration and connectivity, sustainable development of biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in the region.
The alliance’s accomplishments thus far include:
- National Parks of Colombia and Gran Tierra completed agreements to conserve hundreds of hectares, establish seedling nurseries, monitor biodiversity, and promote agroforestry practices.
- Implemented a biological wastewater treatment system as an alternative to septic tanks.
- Hosted a birdwatching festival near the Orito Ingi Ande Flora and Medicinal Plants Sanctuary.
- Completed an ecotourism course to exchange relevant knowledge, tools, and experiences.
- Continued an ongoing study on the Caquetá River’s aquatic ecosystem.
- GTE’s Costayaco Forestry Centre has supported the ecosystem connectivity strategy by restoring and protecting 335 hectares.
- Ongoing coordination of environmental investments.
Conserving Wild Cats
Gran Tierra’s pioneering initiative to promote wild cat conservation in the Colombian Amazon, has identified six feline species that use its Costayaco Forestry Centre as a habitat. The project, implemented by Corpoamazonia in partnership with Gran Tierra Energy, has achieved a number of accomplishments in the Alto Putumayo, Amazonian Andean Foothills and the Amazon Plain regions.
Environmental Professional, Mario Chávez has been committed to biodiversity protection for his entire career before joining the GTE team in 2021. He has been working in the Putumayo region for more than seven years since completing service as a university researcher. He previously worked in biodiversity protection at Corpoamazonia and the National Authority of Environmental Licences (ANLA). As a result of Mario’s research and thesis on wild felines, GTE decided to fund his project.
Inviting Communities to Participate in Water Monitoring
In accordance with Company policy and regulations, Gran Tierra regularly monitors and analyzes surface and groundwater using an external lab certified by government authorities; however, a myth that the Company often encounters in local communities is that lab results released by a corporation must be compromised.
To counter this, GTE will fund additional independent water studies for local communities in Colombia and Ecuador if they want to hire their own laboratory (as long as it is certified by Colombian and Ecuadorian regulators). GTE will take its own samples and compare them with the communities’ samples, sharing the results at a community meeting.
NaturAmazonas: Gran Tierra’s Largest Environmental Initiative
NaturAmazonas, the flagship conservation program started by GTE and Conservation International, has grown into an alliance of public and private institutions working together to address the root causes of deforestation. It works to develop solutions for reversing the process, while increasing the well-being of nearby communities.
GTE’s program has grown into a joint effort between the Colombian Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, regional environmental agency, Corpoamazonia, and NGO Conservation International which oversees the project. The overall objective is to create the conditions required to protect and conserve Colombia’s Amazonia region by planting millions of trees and conserving land to restore important forested lands, helping residents live and work in greater harmony with the forest, and fostering partnerships amongst the institutions needed to effect long-term change at scale. This initiative strengthens the mechanisms needed for sustainable reforestation and large-scale conservation.
These include:
- Bringing numerous public and private institutions under an established framework to collaborate and increase their combined impact.
- Increasing knowledge of, and respect for, the value of forested areas.
- Implementing mechanisms for people and communities that reside in the area to make a sustainable living in harmony with nature. As it continues to mature, the program has begun to serve as an increasingly effective environmental offset, contributing to global climate objectives and supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
In its first six years, this USD $13 million initiative has reforested and ecologically restored over 1,400 hectares of land and has attracted additional partners interested in moving this revolutionary program forward. In 2023, Gran Tierra will extend the NaturAmazonas program another four years and continue its industry-leading reforestation which will be implemented by Conservation International.
0M
trees
+1.25M trees have been planted
through NaturAmazonas
+0
families
+3,500 families have been
positively impacted through
NaturAmazonas
0
hectares
1,494 hectares of land has been
reforested and ecologically
restored
SWIPE FOR MORE
+0K
seedlings
855,621 seedlings have
been produced at the
NaturAmazonas nurseries
0
farmers
GTE helped 300 farmers
sustainability cultivate cacao,sugar cane, honeybees and acai
~0
cameras
GTE installed nearly 40 motion sensor cameras in Piamonte and Cauca to monitor local fauna
SWIPE FOR MORE
Agroforestry Centres
The Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre in the town of Piamonte was converted and refurbished from an abandoned social site of a nearby Indigenous Inga community and is capable of growing over one million seedlings each year to support the reforestation initiative. Dozens of women from Miraflores and the surrounding areas carry out planting work at the Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre. Cacao seedlings are spliced together to develop high quality and resilient varieties of the crop.
The Sacha Wasi Agroforestry Centre located in El Mesón, Villagarzón has a production capacity of one million seedlings per year, a total area of 8.06 hectares, and is designed with spaces to store materials, equipment and supplies. This agricultural-focused nursery includes specific areas for preparation and bagging of the substrate, irrigation, germination, management and sowing modules.
Knowledge Generation
Local residents have been hired for expeditions deep into the Piedmont, collecting and categorizing over 10,000 specimens of native plants. They are referred to as Guardians of Botanical Knowledge and they build their knowledge about the native plants and contribute to the creation of important mapping of the botanical make-up of the forest in their areas. New species of plants, have been discovered by the Guardians.
So far, 27,000 specimens have been collected and processed, 1,404 of species have been identified, two of which are new for Colombia and over 130 people have directly benefited from the project.
Botanical Health Development Through Beekeeping
Thousands of bees swarm around unprotected beekeepers, who are not concerned because these are stingless bees, native to this part of the Amazon rainforest. It had previously been illegal in Colombia to cultivate stingless bees, but Gran Tierra worked with the Colombian authorities to change the regulations to allow local people to engage in this important line of sustainable production through the company’s NaturAmazonas program. The bees pollinate plants and trees, supporting reforestation and contributing to botanical health while also producing honey for the farmers—a valuable, durable commodity with appeal in both local and national markets.
There is a high demand for stingless bee syrups, which have a number of different flavours, and keepers can also rent the bees out to local farmers for pollination, providing yet another stream of income. The association of beekeepers continues to grow, with over 300 current members having been trained and certified. In 2023, Gran Tierra extended the NaturAmazonas program another four years and continues its industry-leading reforestation which is implemented by Conservation International.
Gran Tierra’s Key Partners Program
GTE’s successful Key Partners program has evolved from a simple award given to the best performing vendors into an integrated, multi-stage program with five components. This program has led to tremendous growth in the capabilities, capacity and competitiveness of vendors in the areas where the company operates.
GTE’s Key Partners program helps supply chain partners develop their technical and administrative capabilities. Key Partners includes educational programs tailored to the needs of local suppliers in partnership with well-respected academic institutions and regional Chambers of Commerce. Key Partners also facilitates relationships between contractors and local suppliers, fostering a growing ecosystem of opportunities for area businesses. Performance evaluations measure, recognize, and reward outstanding vendors.
Components of Key Partners
- Developing close, beneficial relationships with existing and potential vendors through continuous contact with dedicated company staff. This ensures ongoing dialogue and alignment between vendor and company.
- Dedicated high-value training offered to managers and owners of vendor companies delivered in partnership with regional Chambers of Commerce.
- Supply Chain standards that ensure GTE’s contractors are also sourcing from local suppliers.
- Performance evaluations that measure, recognize and reward outstanding vendors.
- Facilitating relationships between contractors and local suppliers to foster a growing ecosystem of opportunities for area businesses.
Gran Tierra’s Commitment to our Key Partners
- Economic Growth
Gran Tierra Energy promotes free competition as a constitutional right. This encourages local businesses to provide higher quality goods and services not only to our operations, but also to Colombia. - Education Development
Gran Tierra develops educational programs tailored to the needs of our local suppliers. Through these programs we are providing opportunities for educational advancement with well-respected academic institutions. - Improved Networking
We provide our Key Partners with full access to the database for commercial opportunities with Gran Tierra and our contractors. - Sustainable Relationships
Gran Tierra recognizes the importance of sustaining strong relationships with our suppliers and contractors through our Key Partners program. We are always willing to listen and assist our Key Partners.
Members of the Key Partners Program are Expected To:
- Offer high quality goods and services.
- Submit competitive proposals, both in price and quality, when invited to bid.
- Be a collaborative partner with the goal of ensuring that GTE operations are carried out safely and accurately.
- Respect corporate decisions made by GTE or its contractors.
- Understand and apply GTE’s human rights and anti-corruption policies in their business practices.
- Participate in activities developed by GTE aimed at strengthening business skills.
Preventing Child Recruitment in Putumayo
Gran Tierra Energy, the FC Barcelona Foundation, Colombia’s Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) and the World Vision International Foundation, continue their strategic alliance to increase resilience in vulnerable children and reduce their susceptibility to two important Human Rights concerns in the area: substance abuse and militia recruitment.
Financed by GTE, the program is implemented by the Youth Violence Prevention Program of the Barça Foundation and uses football as a unifying tool for children from vulnerable populations, children living in poverty and descendants of Afro-Indigenous minorities to learn about conflict resolution, prosocial behaviour development and other important life skills. Expected long-term outcomes include stronger, more stable communities, greater education attainment, increased employment and positive health indicators.
According to the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), the project has been effective in preventing forced recruitment of minors, having documented multiple cases of preventions in program participants. The project also helps female victims of sexual and physical violence with psychiatric, emotional and legal support.
Approximately 1,000 kids from the Putumayo and Cesar departments in Colombia participated in GTE’s Preventing Child Recruitment Program in 2023, a 29% increase over previous years.
+0
youth
Over 950 kids participated in GTE’s Child Recruitment Prevention program in 2023
+0
KIDS AGED 6-17
Over 2,500 children benefit from the Child Recruitment Prevention program, including children living in poverty & descendants of Afro-Indigenous minorities
0
prevention cases
8 cases of forced recruitment were prevented to date
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Addressing Legacy Threats to Human Safety
One of the most significant Human Rights threats throughout Colombia is the prevalence of anti-personnel mines and other explosive devices that are an unfortunate legacy of the decades-long conflict in the country.
To address this risk in southern Putumayo where the Company undertakes exploration and development activities, GTE launched a Humanitarian Demining Pilot Project in 2019 with the help of an alliance made up of GTE, theColombian Campaign Against Mines (CCCM), the Colombian High Commissioner of Peace, Ecopetrol, the United States Department of State and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This important demining project has investigated over 57,400 hectares of land that has now been cleared of anti-personnel mines and the Puerto Vega Teteyé area in Puerto Asís has been declared free of contamination.
Because of this project, nearly 3,000 residents of nearby towns can now move about freely along the Puerto Vega-Teteyé corridor without the fear of legacy anti-personnel devices. In 2023, more than 22,400 additional hectares in the municipalities of Puerto Asís and Orito were certified free from antipersonnel mines and explosive devices, and nearly 300 landmines, unexploded ordinance, and improvised explosive devices have been identified and removed since 2021 with zero accidents and the full support of local communities.
Prior Consultation with Indigenous Groups
Colombia’s Constitution grants Indigenous groups the right to “Free Prior Informed Consultation” or Prior Consultation (PC) before any project is considered near Indigenous land. These communities can be found throughout the country, and there are a number of Indigenous groups and several Afro-Colombian groups in the Putumayo near Gran Tierra’s operations. With its increased exploration and development activities in the Putumayo, many of which interact with these protected communities, GTE has created a department focused solely on the Prior Consultation process.
PC represents a formal process for establishing dialogue between ethnic communities and the Company to ensure they are adequately informed and consulted about company activities; how these activities might interact with and/or impact them; and how any impacts will be mitigated, compensated or prevented. GTE, like other companies in Colombia that participate in the PC process, works with Colombia’s Ministry of the Interior, which follows the formal process and ensures that someone from the ministry or local government are present during each community interaction.
GTE believes that the culture, beliefs, and worldview of Indigenous and ethnic communities offer immense value to society, and Prior Consultations are opportunities to strengthen relationships with these important stakeholders. In 2023, GTE made progress in 13 Prior Consultation processes, five of which are still ongoing. Since 2016, GTE has initiated 57 Prior Consultation processes, 86% of which resulted in successful agreements.
Furthermore, the Company has several programs designed to support the Indigenous and Afro-descendant population through socio-cultural, social infrastructure and development projects. The Company has also built four ancestral cultural centres for community meetings and activities in order to strengthen the traditions of the Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities of Orconepul, Alto Orito, Afro Council of Puerto Limón and Martin Luther King.
Threads of the Earth
Gran Tierra Energy recognizes the importance of strengthening relations with Indigenous communities living in areas near GTE’s operations. With this in mind, Gran Tierra in partnership with the World Corporation for Women in Colombia (CMMC) created the Hilos de la Tierra (Threads of the Earth) program, which aims to recover ancestral practices through the creation of handcrafted designs using recycled materials as well as innovate with new materials and techniques in design.
In the Putumayo, the program works with artisans and ethnic women’s groups using natural fibers, dyes, seeds and recycled goods to help facilitate the recovery of ancestral practices. In the Middle Magdalena Valley, the program works with vulnerable women dedicated to fashion. The project is aimed at improving the incomes of participants and addresses gender bias in traditional family dynamics with women making up 91% of the participants in 2023.
The handcrafted products reflect the culture, traditional practices, and history from local Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean and rural communities. In 2023, 60% of participants of the program were of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous descent. These traditional artisans preserve their culture through their handcrafted artifacts and share stories about their lived experiences and their territories as a way to inform and educate others.
Through this program, participants and renowned Colombian designer Juan Pablo Socarrás, took centre stage on the runway during North America’s third-largest fashion show, Vancouver Fashion Week 2023 to showcase a clothing collection they collaborated on. Three of the artisans were sponsored by GTE to travel to Vancouver, Canada, to participate in the entire fashion week experience. The artisans prepared for the show with Socarrás and his team, observed their work on a major international runway, and connected with international sellers following the show.
The Suruma Museum
Gran Tierra Energy in partnership with Corpoamazonia and the Colombia Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH) built and opened, in November 2021, a museum in Putumayo that will serve local communities as a permanent archaeological exhibition.
The Suruma museum is located in the Amazon Experimental Centre (CEA) and is an educational space to preserve historical artifacts and tell the story of the history and culture of the Putumayo department. There are 15 permanent museum exhibits, distributed in two structures and a central area showcasing the reconstruction of an archaeological excavation area.
All of the artifacts housed in the Suruma Museum were discovered by Gran Tierra Energy through our archaeological activities in Putumayo. These specific archaeological activities took more than four months of work and during this period of time, 25 archaeologists and 160 local field helpers excavated more than 3,300 square metres.
To date, more than 20 tons of archaeological materials have been recovered and the inventory of the recorded archaeological material is composed of ceramic fragments, lithic artifacts (two carved projectile points), complete pottery pieces, archeological features (coal and fire pits) and a goldsmith’s piece.
In 2023, more than 28,000 people visited the Suruma Museum during its third year open. Located near Mocoa, Putumayo the museum contributes to the social growth of these territories and their communities by allowing visitors to explore and celebrate the cultural diversity of Putumayo and the Colombian Amazon.
From its inception, Suruma was conceived to have potential also as a travelling museum that can bring its exhibits, cultures, and traditions to other communities. In June 2023, the temporary exhibit “People of Putumayo Narrate: Journeys, Exchanges, and Claims” began travelling across the country, including to the National Museum of Colombia in Bogota and UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site, San Agustín Archaeological Park in the department of Huila.
Engaging Leading Human Rights Experts
GTE and renowned business and human rights experts Shift first collaborated in 2019 to identify and work to address human rights issues related to GTE’s business operations and value chain. Shift is the leading centre of expertise on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The nonprofit organization is chaired by John Ruggie who authored the Guiding Principles during his mandate as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Business & Human rights.
Shift introduced GTE staff to a methodology for effectively assessing human rights risks. Shift also facilitated discussions with GTE’s management, corporate responsibility personnel and other field staff at the Company’s operations sites in Colombia and Ecuador, in order to build additional capacity within the Company for managing human rights issues.
With new operations in Ecuador currently growing, in 2023, the Company carried out training led by Shift , on the standards of the Guiding Principles of Human Rights and Business. This training workshop was attended by 60 people, most of whom are supply chain partners. Government officials and civil society organizations were also in attendance. In addition, the Company held a session with 19 local supply chain partners in Lago Agrio, communicating its Human Rights Policy, operating philosophy, and the requirements to apply its corporate policies and contractual clauses that speak to the respect and protection of Human Rights.
The partnership between Shift and GTE continues today. Gran Tierra is one of 19 companies that participate in Shift’s Business Learning program, which was designed to support companies that are committed to working to fulfill their responsibility to respect Human Rights. In order to qualify for the program, participants must meet the following criteria:
- Evidence of high-level commitment to business and Human Rights
- Demonstrated organizational capacity to drive the implementation process
- Support for the broader, mission-driven learning approach
- Coherence with Human Rights principles
Protecting Human Rights in Ecuador
As a new operator in a country, Gran Tierra must contend with industry legacy impacts that the region may have had. While it is a new company for local Ecuadorian populations in the Sucumbíos province, Gran Tierra’s international experience as a responsible business partner has prepared it well to meaningfully engage communities and manage Human Rights risks in Ecuador. Continued proactive relationship building efforts are key factors in the Company’s ability to demonstrate its respect for protecting Human Rights and its commitment to protecting health safety and the environment to its neighbours.
Prior to any exploration and development work taking place in Ecuador, a Human Rights and Environmental training session was conducted for 35 leaders in the area of influence of GTE’s operations. The session was intended to share knowledge and provide tools to better understand the international rules and regulations that exist to help protect Human Rights, the Environment, and natural resources.
Access to information is a right that Gran Tierra promotes in the regions where it operates. In Ecuador, the Company has implemented a Transparency Committee as an innovative way to facilitate trust and relationship building between communities, local authorities, and GTE. The Committee guarantees a space for dialogue, transparency and community participation to validate regulations, agreements and commitments.
Supporting Colombia’s Reintegration and Reincorporation Efforts
A number of GTE’s efforts are focused on supporting the Colombian government’s reintegration of ex-combatants back into Colombian society. The dynamics of post-conflict situations are complex, but the objective is simple: to support the country’s efforts at achieving lasting peace. Creating economic opportunities is one of the critical issues facing the reintegration of 13,000 ex-combatants back into Colombian society.
Providing these individuals with viable economic opportunities is instrumental in ensuring their successful transition from a life marked by conflict and violence to one characterized by stability and productivity. By facilitating access to employment, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities, GTE contributes to the broader objective of encouraging ex-combatants to become self-sufficient, law-abiding citizens. When individuals are gainfully employed and can support themselves and their families through legitimate means, they are far less likely to revert to the activities that led to their involvement in conflict.
GTE’s successful reintegration and peace process will help strengthen the civil society and the economic underpinnings of the country. GTE has been recognized for its commitment to multiple Human Rights projects supporting Colombia’s reintegration efforts by the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN).
GTE’s reintegration contributions are made through the following Human Rights programs:
- Cacao Nurseries
This program created by Gran Tierra Energy and Fedecacao provided participants with nurseries and the opportunity to grow and sell cacao with technical support and guidance from experts in the field. - Preventing Child Recruitment Program
This program works to prevent the forced recruitment of girls and boys by using football as a unifying tool for children to learn about conflict resolution, prosocial behaviour development and other important life skills. Ex-combatants, who are reintegrated into society, have an opportunity to share their stories and teach future generations how and why to avoid recruitment. Click here to learn more about the Preventing Child Recruitment program.
Gran Tierra Te Escucha: An Open Door for the Community
As part of its efforts to maintain a strong, positive relationship with local communities, Gran Tierra has local offices that are part of a program called “Gran Tierra Te Escucha” (Gran Tierra Listens). The role of each office is to create a physical, easily accessible channel for community members to engage in two-way communications with the Company.
Community members are encouraged to visit the offices in an effort to uncover potential concerns, which are referred to as Petitions, Complaints and Grievances (PQR’s). This important feedback from community partners can highlight opportunities for improvement or specific issues that the company must respond to.
Gran Tierra also offers Mobile GTE Te Escucha offices in Ecuador to ensure that the residents of the more remote communities near the Company’s Charapa and Chanangue operations have the opportunity to be heard and regularly engage directly with the Company each month.
Gran Tierra can measure the effectiveness of its grievance management process through the number of PQRs, the higher the numbers of petitions, questions, complaints, or claims (PQRs) indicate that communities feel comfortable engaging with the company. In 2023, Gran Tierra Te Escucha offices received 1,461 PQRs.
How Gran Tierra Handles Petitions, Complaints and Claims
Gran Tierra respects the evolving relationships with local communities and the Company has continued to build relationships based on mutual understanding and acceptance. Gran Tierra seeks to provide quality, timely, coherent, efficient and responsible responses that build trust, manage expectations and minimize environmental risks.
Whether Gran Tierra has delegated an activity or performed it directly, GTE is committed to being responsible for how it is carried out. Dialogue with communities through Petitions, Complaints and Claims (PQRs) embodies principles recommended by the World Bank Group and performance criteria that are set forth in the United Nations publication Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
This process serves as an early warning system for emerging community concerns, providing the Company an opportunity to analyze the situation, assess the impact, anticipate any issues, and appropriately respond.
The Process
There are four in-person and correspondence-based channels that people can use to file petitions, complaints and claims. These are screened and go through the documentation centre and the coordination centre. Everything is coded with a report received in real time at Gran Tierra’s headquarters in Canada and regular reports are sent to senior management. An Effectiveness Committee meets every month, looking at trends. To ensure that the system continues to improve, internal and external satisfaction surveys and performance statistics are reviewed by GTE’s senior management team on a regular basis.
To see the ways to submit a PQR visit our Community Queries page here.
Familiarization Trips
GTE has several programs that let people see first-hand what the Company does to minimize the impact of its operations on the environment. One program is called Familiarization Trips (Fam Trips), which involves encouraging stakeholders to visit production sites and observe the Company’s practices, particularly with respect to operations and the environment. This program has proved to be effective in countering myths some people have regarding industry practices, by providing basic information about hydrocarbons, and by providing basic information on how oil operations work. Some visitors come from areas near current operations and some are from areas where GTE is planning to operate.
In 2023, Gran Tierra hosted FamTrips in the Middle Magdalena Valley and Putumayo regions. More than 80 individuals including local school teachers, volunteers from the Society of Petroleum Engineers and members of the Indigenous Cabildo Kiparadó Community, got a first-hand view of Company facilities at the Costayaco Forestry Centre, and the Costayaco and Acordionero operations facilities.