Environmental
performance
Global compact:Principios 7 | 8 | 9
SDG
Our Environmental Policy establishes clear responsibilities for the protection of nature in the areas of influence of our projects, through best environmental management practices, aligned with the Global Compact principles and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The mitigation hierarchy is applied in all operating activities: avoid, minimize and control the environmental impacts, and when this is not possible, restore and offset in order to avoid, to the extent possible, any net loss of biodiversity.
A life cycle approach is used to manage the carbon footprint, comprehensive waste management, no loss of biodiversity and the alignment of the strategy to the circular economy, using products, technologies and procedures that contribute to this purpose.
Aware of the environmental, social, economic, political and ethical challenges that will be faced due to climate change, we are committed to the reduction of our carbon footprint and to adapting our infrastructure to face hydro-meteorological and hydro-climatic threats.
One of our strategic objectives is to assure an environmentally responsible operation, and for this reason our activities are guided by our Environmental Policy and the commitments related to climate change and the preservation of biodiversity, and in compliance with applicable environmental regulations and the requirements of the national environmental authority, ANLA, and the regional environmental authorities of the areas where we operate.
In the context of the licenses and permits issued by these authorities, we fully implement the measures defined in the Environmental Management Plans and we establish Disaster Response Management Plans at all our operations, which are updated and communicated to the communities of the area of influence and as required.
In order to adequately manage these obligations and commitments, we have a solid Environmental Management System in place, certified under the ISO 14001 standard, which is assessed annually by external reviewers to assure compliance and conformance to the standard.
The main programs implemented to assure a responsible operation include the adequate management of resources and waste, programs for the efficient use of water and energy, and waste management programs that contemplate reductions at the source and the optimization of recycling.
The following are the main highlights of our environmental performance:We joined the National Carbon Neutrality Program developed by the Ministry of the Environment, with the aim of strengthening and increasing the visibility of our management of greenhouse gas emissions and our capabilities to develop a Management Plan.
Over the last four years, we have created new natural reserves, including the development of
185.42 hectares of dry tropical forest in new reserves in the Caribbean region.
We published 117,783 new fauna and flora biodiversity records as part of a data publication strategy with the SIB Colombia network, for a total of 160,572 published records to date since 2020.
We were awarded the Colibrí Dorado (gold hummingbird) granted by CRC, for the implementation of the project developed by the CEO affiliate for the conservation and improvement of the environment (solar farm)
We obtained certification from Icontec under the ISO 14001 standard for the entire group in Colombia.
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In 2021, no violations were reported to environmental laws and regulations related to the Company’s operations.
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We invested COP 12,264,749,820 in environmental studies, the implementation of controls and offsetting activities.
Our precautionary principle forms integral part of our environmental management; in the absence of knowledge about a potential impact or risk, we take steps to scientifically study and assess the risks during the planning stages of projects, which implies that before any potential impacts occur, we implement measures to prevent, minimize, restore and offset any potential environmental and social impacts that may be produced by the activities, products and services of our current operations, as well as those that may arise from the development of new business or from the acquisition of new projects, considered within the framework of our environmental policy and commitments, which include a life cycle approach, management of the carbon footprint, no loss of biodiversity, comprehensive waste management and alignment with the circular economy strategy, using products, technologies and procedures that contribute to this purpose.
In the following sections, we present our performance by environmental action lines.
Biodiversity
Promigas is committed to the protection, conservation and preservation of biodiversity, and for this reason we design strategies aimed at caring for the environment and we continue to implement actions that ratify our commitment to the protection of the dry tropical forest in the Colombian Caribbean region, such as expanding the number of protected areas, strengthening of existing ones, and the development of sustainable production projects that relieve the pressure on the natural resources of these ecosystems and others prioritized by our management.
Protected or restored habitats
During 2021, the implementation of projects for the connection and conservation of the tropical dry forest and productive projects in beekeeping, silvopastoral, poultry, agroforestry, ecotourism and water solutions continued.
Likewise, we supported the creation of connectivity corridors to reduce ecosystem fragmentation, accompanied by biological monitoring to assess the biodiversity state and the ecosystem services they offer, thanks to which species of great importance to the ecosystem have been identified.
At Promigas, we recognize that in order to achieve the objectives of biodiversity preservation, conservation and protection, we must work together with different types of institutions, communities, control bodies and others to ensure that biodiversity protection is carried out in a comprehensive and correct manner. For this reason, we continue to work for the Caribbean biodiversity preservation and recovery, and we have been pioneers, together with ANDI, Regional Autonomous Corporations, PNN and NGOs, to continue replicating connectivity corridor exercises and work on conservation and restoration mosaics and nodes in Atlántico, Magdalena and La Guajira departments.
Within the management carried out for the ecosystems protection and restoration, we achieved the following during 2021:
We worked in partnership with institutions that share our biodiversity conservation goals, such as
Fundación Proyecto Tití, Herencia Ambiental Caribe, and Corporación Mas Bosques.
We compensated in 187 ecosystems ha, contemplating:
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Expansion of 2.9 ha in the civil society nature reserve creation area, in the
PNN Los Colorados Fauna and Flora Sanctuary influence area.
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Preservation of 73.62 ha of tropical dry forest, in which fauna and flora isolation and monitoring were carried out, for its subsequent declaration as a civil society nature reserve, in Los Colorados Flora Fauna Sanctuary influence area.
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Restoration of 9.6 ha and 6.342 seedlings planting with 21 native species, in the “White-headed tamarin” conservation area, an endemic species of the Colombian Caribbean region.
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We contributed to property sanitation, through the purchase and registration of 100.89 ha with the purpose of consolidating public protected
areas in Los Colorados Fauna and Flora Sanctuary and in Montes de María.
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We have a total of 446.34 ha compensated between 2019 and 2021.
In the Pacific region, an increase of 120 ha was achieved in the conservation areas, in the reserves of Geneva and Seville municipalities, and including a new property in Dovio municipality, as voluntary actions. These account for a total of 464 voluntarily conserved ha between 2020 and 2021.
We planted 38,278 native trees, complying with mandatory and voluntary environmental compensation, which have generated environmental value and contribute to the protection of the natural environment in the different territories where we have a presence.
Operational sites owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas
IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species in our areas affected by operations:
2 endangered plant species:
Carreto (Aspidosperma polyneuron) and Perehuetano (Parinari pachyphylla Rusby)
3 vulnerable species: for plants, the pochote (Pachira quinata) and, for wildlife, the Colombian slider (Trachemys callirostris) and red-footed tortoise (Chelonoides carbonarius)
Least concern
an orchid ( (Oeceoclades maculata).
We have no species classified as critically endangered, vulnerable or near threatened.
45 endangered species:
Wildlife, such as hicotea (Trachemys callirostris) and the red-footed tortoise (Chelonoides carbonarius), and plants, such as the carreto (Aspidosperma polyneuron), and pochote (Pachira quinata).
Certain native animal species, some of them endangered, included in the conservation projects of the ecosystems, in offsetting plans, and on which we carry out protection actions are:
The poison dart frong (Colostethus inguinalis) is endemic only in Colombia and to date has only been observed and recorded in Bolívar.
The pearl hearted glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium tatayoi) is a species of the dry tropical forest ecosystem that had not been detected in Bolívar.
The white-bellied spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps), endangered. It is mainly found in the conserved forests of the Colombian Caribbean.
La rana cristal de corazón perlado (Hyalinobatrachium tatayoi), especie del ecosistema bosque seco tropical, que no se había detectado en Bolívar.
The congona turkey (Penelope purpurascens) and the Caribbean guacharaca (Ortalis garrula), locally endangered, are protected in the forests we are conserving under conservation agreements.
The white-headed titi monkey (Saguinus oedipus), an endemic species of the Colombian Caribbean dry forest, critically endangered.
The crimson-backed tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus), the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) and the green anole (Anolis carolinensis).
Through our GdO affiliate we are protecting a spectacled bear species in the municipality of Dagua, Valle del Cauca
Impacta + Biodiversidad
In order to contribute to the social, environmental and economic development of the territories where we operate, one of our key objectives in 2021 was to begin the design of the Impacta + Biodiversidad Corporate Program, to enable us, through voluntary contributions, to work on the protection and restoration of strategic ecosystems located along our operating areas, hand-in-hand with the local communities
Through this project we seek to contribute to:
In 2022, we will launch our first pilot project in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in partnership with the NGO Conservation International, in which we will work with close to 100 families of the Arhuaco community on restoring 128 hectares by planting native species and signing a conservation agreement with these families.
Through this project, we seek to align and integrate the mandatory investments with voluntary programs for the protection of biodiversity.
Significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversityIn construction of the Zona Bananera regional pipeline, which will expand the natural gas transportation infrastructure of Promigas, felling of trees has been curtailed and only
48 % of the total tress approved by the environmental authority have been used, considering an 85% completion rate of the works to date.Consequently,
31.7 ha with forestry use have been intervened.The most intervened representative species in the project corresponded to: Astronium graveolens Jacq, Cecropia peltata L, Cordia alba (Jacq.) Roem. & Schult, Guazuma ulmifolia Lam and Pereskia guamacho F.A.C. Weber.
In order to offset the negative impacts, in accordance with the projections of the Zona Bananera Project and combining the calculations of the effects of loss of biodiversity and the use of soil, a total of
65.41 hectares will be offset, twice as much as the impact on the abiotic component of the intervened hectares.
In the process of rescuing, relocating and maintaining the epiphyte species in the projects carried out by the Company over the last five years, the consolidated result is 4,499 rescued epiphytes.
We are currently implementing offsetting actions to create the habitats for the non-vascular epiphyte species on 44.5 hectares to promote the conservation of the species and avoid the loss of the genetic diversity of the dry tropical forest, with participation by the local authorities and ethnic communities in the territories. The actions include:
- Careful selection of the property for the relocation of the rescued species and for offsetting.
- Temporary nurseries to collect the rescued plants.
- Relocation and maintenance of the plants, including maintenance during three years to assist in their adaptation process and ensure their survival and adaptation to the new selected ecosystem.
Simultaneously, since the outset of the projects, we have been implementing an environmental education program aimed at the communities, and have entered into agreements during prior consultations:
We have trained nearly:
We respect biodiversity, and consequently we apply the mitigation hierarchy:
Climate Change
Our management of climate-related risks is based on an assessment of the strategic risk of inadequate climate change management. The following physical risks are taken into consideration:
Major: Catastrophic breakage due to coastal erosion; atmospheric natural catastrophes such as hurricanes,electric storms and cyclones, and geological events such as landslides, land movements and earthquakes, that affect service provision and have reputational impacts.
Chronic: Catastrophic breakage due to increasing sea levels.
Physical risk management methods or controls include:
Pipeline inspection and protection program to assure pipeline integrity.
Annual assessments at critical sites, based on which annual infrastructure maintenance plans are developed.
Monitoring and follow-up of edges by means of bathymetry and topography.
Contingency Plan and Emergency Response Plan.
All-risk insurance policy covering risks associated with threats to the gas infrastructure.
GHG emissions in 2021Continuing with the improvement of our climate change management, we adapted the methodology for measuring carbon footprint to contemplate what is established in the ISO 14064 version 2020 standard. The results with this methodology mean that Scope 3 emissions for 2021 are not comparable with the results obtained in previous years, when the measurement was based on the methodological guidelines described in the Corporate GHG Accounting and Reporting Standard Protocol, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); as well as the NTC-ISO 14064-1:2006. In accordance with the foregoing, as the standard allows, the new baseline will be considered as of the 2021 measurement.
Demonstrating our commitment to stakeholders, that is, providing them with clear and transparent information on the management and handling of climate-related issues, we have begun to implement the TCFD framework with the aim of creating the first Promigas climate report based on the 2021 information.
Direct GHG emissions when generating energy (Scope 1)Gases that are part of these emissions are CO2, CH4, N2O and fluorinated compounds. With this identification, a total of 199,653.25 tCO2 is calculated.
The ISO 14064-1 version 2018 standard, adopted in Colombia in 2020, indicates that all process emissions from the oil and gas sector must be classified as fugitive emissions, but these are the same as those previously reported as process emissions. The higher emissions in 2021 correspond mainly to the change in methodology.
Indirect GHG emissions when generating energy (Scope 2)For indirect emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2) was identified as the main gas emitted into the atmosphere. According to this, in 2021 there were indirect emissions of greenhouse gases for a total of 8,714.37 tCO2.
In 2021, there was an increase in these emissions as a result of greater consumption of electrical energy, which finds an explanation in the return of employees to the offices in alternation mode, since during 2020, the administrative staff was most of the time in home office mode.
* The data from 2019 and 2020 had a minor adjustement during the emission certification of one subsidiary company.
Other indirect GHG emissions (Scope 3)As a result of the implementation of the new ISO 14064 version, scope 3 included emissions related to products marketed by companies. This resulted in an increase in emissions in this scope for distribution companies, who at the time of closing this report, are undergoing their carbon footprint certification process. Therefore, the emissions corresponding to scope 3 are not included in this report and will be updated later.
By 2023, scopes 1 and 2 CO2 emissions will be 558.28 tCO2 e/US$ million Ebitda. With the results obtained, we find ourselves at a corporate level at 626.6 tCO2 e/US$ million Ebitda; however, we continue to advance reduction plans that allow us to meet the goal in the expected time.
GHG emissions 2021 – Updated information
The results in 2021 from the CDP report (Carbon Disclosure Project) placed Promigas at level C within the oil and gas industry for Latin America, which corresponds to the sector average and refers to
good knowledge and understanding of the impacts and risks related to climate change.
* Leakage calculation in 2021 for transport Gen was carried out based on direct measurements in a sample of 10% from Promigas equipment. Based on this, leakage was projected in 100% of the transportation network equipment. In the Distribution Gen, the methodology for calculating leakage in 2021 was unified.With the establishment of the new baseline, work will be carried out on projects aimed at reducing emissions based on more robust risk analysis and improving transparency in the results disclosure of our climate management:
- Prepare the Task Force on Climate Related Finance Disclosures (TCFD) report for climate issues communication.
- Definition of GHG emission reduction goals in accordance with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) standard.
- Protection of at least 1,000 hectares of tropical dry forest by 2025
Additionally, we continually strive to manage the leakage rate in transportation, distribution and storage, in order to positively contribute to the emissions reduction.
Environmental Eco-efficiency
EnergyOur electric power consumption and costs are based on the amounts indicated in the monthly public utility bills. Consequently, the consumption of non-renewable energy is calculated as a function of the amounts of fuel consumed by fixed and mobile sources and the calorific value of the fuels (ACPM, gasoline, NGV) reported on a monthly basis. Solar energy consumption is estimated based on the power generation bill and the generation capacity of the equipment used by the Scada system.
The cost increase shown in the above table arises because in 2021 both billed electric power and purchased fuels are included, whereas in previous years only electric power costs were reported.
Our electric power consumption goal is 7,432 MWh (using 2019 as a baseline), and consumption in 2021 was 6810.99 MWh, staying within the proposed goal. A reduction of 8.4%* was obtained in the period, based on the implemented actions (such as changing lamps for LED and using air conditioning units in specific areas).
*The reduction of energy consumption is not quantified by individual actions, but globally. The lower presence of personnel in administrative areas due to alternation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic also influenced this reduction.
WaterWe prioritize the conservation and ordering of water resources to minimize local water stress in each area, through:
- The verification of consumption, to avoid exceeding the levels allowed (under concessions) by the environmental authority at existing underground water wells.
- The update and monitoring of the goals and targets related to this resource.
- The implementation of new technologies to prevent environmental impacts on natural resources.
Interactions with water as a shared resource
Our Environmental Policy and our Environmental Management System enable the verification of possible leaks, pollution and waste of water or the conditions that can produce them (pipelines in poor conditions, water taps with no valve, etc.). Consequently, the measures adopted include the verification of the conditions of water pipelines and the oily water pipelines flowing into rainwater channels, in order to mitigate impacts on bodies of water and environmental biodiversity. We also have water saving equipment or systems to make efficient use of water, complemented by Efficient Water Use programs implemented by Promigas, which includes talks on the efficient use of water resources.
On the other hand, when interventions are required in water flows, we request the respective permits from the competent environmental authority and fully comply with the recommended measures.
Lastly, it is important to communicate the verification that water consumption does not exceed the level allowed (under concession) by the environmental authority at existing underground water wells, which is aligned with the conservation of water resources and enables ordering of such resources, so as to minimize local water stress in each area.
Water withdrawal
Our water withdrawal is from municipal water networks, underground water sources, and purchases of blocks of water volumes. The wastewater produced is delivered to the sewage system or disposed of through authorized third parties.
Effluents and WasteWaste management efforts are based on the principles of the established hierarchy, which promotes prevention in waste generation, waste recycling and reuse and ensuring traceability. Promigas and the corporate offices have a Comprehensive Waste Management Plan that provides guidelines for the reduction, use and final disposal through authorized companies, with established monthly indicators to quantify our own waste and the waste generated by our contractors.
Total waste generated, in tons
The disposal of hazardous wastes doubled in 2021 compared to 2019 and 2020, mainly due to the replacement of coating performed in the department of La Guajira, which generated close to 90 tons of coal tar that must be disposed of in safety cells.
The increase in the reuse of hazardous waste is due to contracting of operators that offered the option of treatment and reuse of the waste rather than final disposal.
The increase in the percentage of reuse of non-hazardous waste in 2021 compared to 2020 and 2019 demonstrates greater awareness on this aspect at the corporate level. We even reduced the amount of disposal of non-hazardous waste three-fold, as a result of campaigns carried out to reduce and use waste at the source.
Even though the non-hazardous waste table does not include the scrap metal generated due to accumulation in recent years at the Cascajal property of Promigas, we should highlight the sale of
2,721.69 tons through auction in 2021 as a good practice.With the aim of continuously improving our comprehensive waste management, we highlight our plans for 2022:
With the objective of certifying the administrative offices and stations of Promigas under the Zero Waste Management System, in 2021, thanks to good solid waste comprehensive management practices, we reached a 40 % percentage of reuse, through which we fulfill the first requirement to quality for Zero Waste certification, which consists in potential reuse equal to or greater than 34%. In 2022, we will move forward in the implementation of the Management System in order to obtain certification in 2023.
CEO, one of the affiliates, obtained Icontec certification for its Waste Management System.
