Bogotá, 01 February 2023 - The European Union announced the five winning projects for Colombia of the AL-INVEST Verde programme, with an investment of close to 1.9 million euros (around 9.6 billion pesos), which will benefit more than 2,500 entrepreneurs and MSMEs from all sectors in Colombia.
The entities responsible for the implementation of these projects are the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá, the Chamber of Commerce of Barranquilla, the Chamber of Commerce of Bucaramanga, the Interactuar Corporation, Fundación del Valle and the National Association of Foreign Trade - ANALDEX, which will work in the departments of Atlántico, Magdalena, César, Cundinamarca, Santander, La Guajira, Bolívar, Valle del Cauca, Antioquía, the Archipelago of San Andrés Providencia and Santa Catalina, the Eje Cafetero region and Bogotá.
The programme aims to support energy transition, job creation, increased turnover, the adoption of sustainable production practices and the development of rural women entrepreneurs.
"The European Union is committed to environmental transition issues and the private sector plays a very important role in this. We have been working hand in hand with partner countries and Latin America is a very important region for the achievement of sustainable development. The implementation of a programme such as AL-INVEST Verde contributes to the achievement of the 2030 climate goals, taking into account the European Green Pact and contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals."said Félix Fernández-Shaw, Director of International Partnerships for Latin America of the European Commission
The AL-INVEST Verde programme is a European Union initiative that promotes sustainable growth and job creation in the region, with an emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which has earmarked more than 9 million euros to promote green economy projects in Latin America.
Throughout its implementation, the programme will provide training, technical assistance and trade promotion activities, networking and other actions to contribute to the productivity and competitiveness of SMEs in the region.
The implementation of the selected projects aims to improve productivity and competitiveness through innovation, promotion of sustainability and inclusion in MSMEs. In addition, it seeks to improve the energy efficiency of the beneficiary companies, generating an estimated potential saving of 40 per cent.
"For the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and its allies, being part of this programme means the opportunity to contribute to the transition of more than 370 MSMEs towards a comprehensive approach to environmental sustainability in business practice, as one of the determining factors in the growth and potential development of companies, irrespective of their economic activity, size or sector", said Nicolás Uribe Rueda, executive president of the CCB.
About AL-INVEST Verde
AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 1, the programme manages funds for the implementation of innovative projects of small business associations to promote sustainable practices in the private sector. Component 1 is led by sequaThe German non-profit organisation, which operates worldwide with the aim of promoting the private sector.
