On May 28th 2015, ALCLIMA - the first platform to showcase best practice climate actions- was launched in Colombia. The event was held in Bogota and the 110 attendees represented Colombia's Congress, government entities, donors, private companies, local authorities, academia as well as a mixture of ethnic groups; displaying the growing interest of new and innovative ways to tackle climate change among political, public and private leaders, as well as within the community of development and climate change.

Rewarding the first best-practice climate projects in Colombia

During the launch event, a special recognition was given to three inspiring climate projects selected by a committee of experts as best-practice of climate action in Colombia. These were:

• "Creation of three participatory early warning systems in Eastern Caldas" a project led by CORPOCALDAS

• "Forests for the Future of Caqueta" a project led by “Colombia Responde“and CORPOAMAZONIA

• "Urban green belt in Medellin" a project led by the Urban Development Company of Medellin

As well as the diplomas presented by representatives of allied organisations of ALCLIMA, the three initiatives benefited from video and journalistic coverage of their projects, boosting awareness of their work. (See this edition of SEMANA Sostenible).

Sharing experiences and ideas

ALCLIMA is an interactive online platform where good practices in climate compatible development will be collected in a dynamic and participatory way, therefore contributing to building a community of climate leaders through the exchange of experiences, knowledge and inspiring initiatives.

ALCLIMA is the first of its kind in Colombia. It is accessible to everyone and was bought about thanks to the contributions of people interested in climate change issues, including many Colombian leaders.

With ALCLIMA, it is easy to share your innovative and inspiring ideas. You can promote your project by filling in the form developed by the ALCLIMA team, entering the portal through http://sostenibilidad.semana.com/home or directly through http://alclima.sostenibilidad.semana.com. The evaluation committee is formed by various climate experts in Colombia, and they periodically select which projects should be presented on the platform.

ALCLIMA: an innovation in Colombia's development

ALCLIMA has equipped Colombia with a tool that was missing in the landscape of development and climate change. It allows various communities - public, business, ethnic and academic - to take action on climate and development and to connect through technology. It creates a bank of good practice actions and ideas to inspire change, and it will be a bridge between the different sectors and regions in identifying and implement effective solutions. Regarding this, it will be a crucial tool to contribute to the integration of climate change policies and development strategies that are appropriate within the specific region and sector, making the successes generated in the country nationally as well as internationally visible. 

Where does ALCLIMA come from?

ALCLIMA is the result of the work of different Colombian leaders from all sectors and corners of the country who participated in a Laboratory for Climate Action "ACTION LAB" organised by CDKN and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. ACTION LAB participants devised new ways to coordinate actions on climate change and developed the prototype ALCLIMA. This pioneering initiative in the country is supported by SEMANA Sostenible, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, CDKN Colombia, the Regional Port Society of Cartagena and INVEMAR.