An Alliance with ANDI

GTE plays a role in strengthening industry-wide sustainability efforts through participation in the National Business Association of Colombia’s (ANDI) biodiversity and sustainability initiatives, participating in multilateral partnerships that promote conservation and the advancement of scientific knowledge in the country.

ANDI, Gran Tierra Energy, Corpoamazonia, the National Natural Parks of Colombia, Amazonian Institute of Scientific Research (SINCHI) 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:

Launching an “Open Data on Biodiversity” strategy to showcase how the hydrocarbon sector contributes to biodiversity conservation.
Creating a public-private partnership to develop joint biodiversity compensation efforts in key areas that connect the Andes and the Amazon. This includes working on land-use planning strategies that support both conservation and sustainable development in the Amazon region.
Responsible for managing the progress, communication, and successful completion of projects such as ‘Aquatic Diversity in the Interfluvial Area of the Sub-basins of the Putumayo and Caquetá Rivers in the Putumayo Department,’ including reviewing and providing feedback on biodiversity standards issued by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS).
Establishing ANDI’s biodiversity office in Putumayo to support public sector efforts, with plans to expand to the Colombian Caribbean region and build new partnerships between Gran Tierra Energy and key allies for projects in the Middle Magdalena Valley.

Transforming Residual Wastewater into Biogas

In many rural Colombian villages, untreated wastewater flows through open sewers, creating serious health and environmental risks—especially during the rainy season. At the same time, limited access to propane forces many households to rely on firewood, contributing to deforestation, air pollution, and causing significant adverse health effects.

To tackle these dual challenges, GTE partnered with Antonio Nariño University to install residential-scale anaerobic biodigesters in Putumayo villages near its operations. The systems, each of which can capture and treat organic household waste for up to five households, naturally produce biogas for cooking, lighting, and other uses in rural communities with scarce energy sources and fertilizer. Some families have been able to eliminate propane purchases entirely while others have reduced wood consumption, contributing to lower deforestation pressure and improved indoor air quality.

Nearly 1,000 residents currently benefit from the installed biodigesters, which require minimal maintenance and can be repaired using local materials. As additional communities have expressed interest, further expansion of this program is being assessed. This technology demonstrates how a thoughtful design can create lasting environmental, social, and economic impacts.

“The Biodiversity and Development Agreement for Putumayo, which brings together five entities of the National Environmental System, ANDI and energy companies such as Gran Tierra Energy, celebrates 10 years of work in Putumayo. This alliance has been a platform for public-private work, the generation of trust and the union of collective efforts for Andean-Amazonian connectivity. This agreement, led by Gran Tierra Energy, has allowed the cleanup of the Orito Ingi Ande Medicinal Plant Sanctuary, the management of new knowledge of the region’s biological diversity, the generation of strategies and high standards of monitoring and sectoral planning around biodiversity.”

DORA MONCADA

Director of the National Centre for Water and Biodiversity, ANDI