Press investigations reveal carbon offset investments in Colombian Amazon failing to uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

Private sector investments promoting the sale of forest carbon credits in the Colombian Amazon accused of disrespecting the right to prior consultation and FPIC of Indigenous Peoples

A growing number of press articles published by the Latin American Center for Journalistic Investigation (CLIP) expose problems with commercial interventions negotiating carbon credits in indigenous territories in the Colombian Amazon over the past 24 months. Different complaints associated with these carbon market investments denounce flawed procedures for prior consultation and lack of mechanisms to respect free prior and informed consent (FPIC), as well as problems with inequitable benefit sharing, lack of transparency and the generation of divisions, conflicts, and tensions within and between indigenous communities and with neighbouring Indigenous Peoples.

The cases investigated so far by CLIP journalists include carbon credit investments in Medio Caquetá, Vaupés, Guainía and Guaviare. These emerging experiences with the local and international carbon markets in Colombian lowland forests again highlight a need for Indigenous Peoples to locally define their own procedures for good faith free, prior and informed consent that are culturally appropriate, based on the principles of customary law and respectful of the processes for collective decision-making.

Fundamentally, all these cases indicate the need for a much stricter state regulation of private sector activities relating to forest carbon offsets, REDD+ and other payments for environmental service initiatives that could directly or indirectly affect the fundamental rights of Indigenous Peoples, and that may potentially impact their territories, their cultural integrity and their ways of life.

Information sources and press articles (only available in Spanish):

• Bermúdez Liévano A (2023) ‘Las dos comunidades indígenas excluidas de un proyecto de carbono en su territorio (Caso de Monochoa)’ CLIP, marzo 30 de 2023, https://www.elclip.org/indigenas-monochoa-exclusion-bonos-carbono/  
• Bermúdez Liévano A (2022) ‘Territorio de los jaguares de Yuruparí dividido por proyecto de bonos de carbono’ octubre 26 de 2022 La Silla Vacia https://www.lasillavacia.com/historias/silla-nacional/territorio-de-los-jaguares-de-yurupari-dividido-por-proyecto-de-bonos-de-carbono/
• Bermúdez Liévano A (2022) ‘Sin salvaguardas para los proyectos de carbono, no hay paraíso’ CLIP, 4 de noviembre de 2022 https://www.elclip.org/salvaguardas-proyectos-carbono-colombia-indigenas/ 
• Bermúdez Liévano A (2023) ‘El político sancionado que negocia bonos de carbono en la Amazonía’ Mongabay 25 de enero de 2023 https://es.mongabay.com/2023/01/politico-sancionado-que-negocia-bonos-de-carbono-en-la-amazonia-colombia/
• Caicedo, E (2022) ‘Bonos de carbono: Denuncian presuntos engaños a indígenas con contratos’ El Tiempo, 1 de agosto de 2022 https://www.eltiempo.com/vida/medio-ambiente/bonos-de-carbono-denuncian-presuntos-enganos-a-indigenas-con-contratos-677722 
• CLIP (2022) ‘Carbono opaco: Waldrattung y los bonos de la discordia: Indígenas negocian bonos de carbono en desventaja y sin respaldo estatal’ Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación Periodística (CLIP) La Liga Contra el Silencio, Mongabay Latam, Rutas del Conflicto en 1 septiembre 2022 https://es.mongabay.com/2022/09/indigenas-negocian-bonos-de-carbono-en-desventaja-y-sin-respaldo-estatal-en-colombia/
• CLIP (2022) Lo que dicen los contratos de bonos de carbono que dividen a comunidades indígenas de Vaupés https://es.mongabay.com/2022/08/que-dicen-los-contratos-de-bonos-de-carbono-que-dividen-a-comunidades-indigenas-en-colombia/#:~:text=%E2%80%9COtras%20empresas%20sin%20moral%20empresarial,de%20esas%20empresas%E2%80%9D%2C%20dijo.
• Bermúdez Liévano A (2021) ‘El mayor proyecto de bonos de carbono de Colombia podría estar vendiendo aire caliente’ Mongabay Colombia 20 de junio de 2021 https://es.mongabay.com/2021/06/bonos-de-carbono-mataven-colombia-redd-investigacion/