COLOMBIA - Green Economy
Manager, VISIÓN 30/30 ANDI
Bio
Mónica Villegas Carrasquilla is an anthropologist from the Universidad de los Andes with a master’s degree in development policy from the Institute of Economic and Social Development Studies of the University of Paris IPantheon-Sobornne and in geography and urban and territorial planning from the Institute of Higher Studies of Latin America of the University of Paris III Sorbonne-Nouvelle, and with studies in city management at the Universidad Oberta de Cataluña. She worked at Corpovisionarios as head of city projects and was a consultant for IDB as well as professor at Universidad Externado de Colombia in Planning for Development. She was also director of the Bogotá CómoVamos program and project manager of the Corona Foundation.
In 2019, ANDI and a group of companies initiated Vision 30/30 in response to Colombia’s 1407 of 2018 Resolution for extended producer responsibility (EPR), which is a principle of the circular economy framework that originated in Sweden in the 1990s. This principle places responsibility on producers for waste generated by their products. It has encouraged the private sector to invest in environmental issues, resulting in a substantial social impact, and tremendous success. Colombia is a pioneer of EPR, with 12 resolutions addressing the management of difficult or dangerous materials, such as batteries, tires, and insecticides. The packaging resolution, which tackles a significant waste issue in Colombia, was initiated in response to the country’s need to comply with OECD requirements. ANDI and the private sector co-led the packaging resolution with the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, resulting in the creation of Vision 30/30 ANDI, a program aimed at promoting the circular economy by identifying economic, environmental, and social challenges and obstacles while driving measures to generate systematic change. Vision 30/30 ANDI now has 334 companies representing 27 economic sectors, making it the largest response to the packaging resolution in Colombia.
The goal is to build lasting capacities for sustainability, though the definition of an end point varies depending on the territory. In Bogotá, for example, there are already numerous capacities in place that support our initiatives, and we are confident that even if there is a change in government, the momentum will continue; however, in other territories where development plans are not being implemented, it is harder to make progress. We cannot address all challenges, so we focus on where we can make the most impact. Our approach also depends on finding local foundations with strong territorial presence that can support our initiatives and provide both public and private capacities. We need to work closely with these organizations to ensure the initiatives are sustainable in the long run and will not fall apart after we leave.
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