Hydrocarbons have long shaped Colombia’s economic, political and social structures and spurred its economic growth over the last decade, accounting for around half of its export earnings. In this context, Gustavo Petro has repositioned climate justice at the centre of his political agenda, alongside the fight against poverty and inequality. Whatever the resolution of current debates about the future of fossil fuels in Colombia, it will have a profoundly impact on Ecopetrol’s raison d’être and the country’s identity.
Daniel Chavez co-authored the essay “State-Run Oil Companies and the Energy Transition: The Case of Colombia’s Ecopetrol” for the Transnational Institute’s 2024 State of Power report. You can read an excerpt below and the full essay here.
