Submitted by H. Hutton on Wed, 24/02/2016 - 15:15
Cartagena (Colombia), 24 February 2016 – Over 20 Colombian business and government leaders are taking part in the first Sustainability Leadership Programme ever organised by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership in Colombia.
The three-day high-level programme, organised in partnership with the Universidad de los Andes, aims to provide senior leaders and influencers in Colombia with a shared understanding of the context and opportunities for green, inclusive growth in the region.
Colombia faces multiple challenges in consolidating its security, alleviating poverty and inequality, and transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient development pathway. It is home to ecosystems of exceptional diversity whose condition is of national and global importance due to the ecosystem services they provide. Managing the need for development within the peace process without further eroding Colombia’s natural capital is critical.
The action-focused education programme for influential individuals within the Colombian government and private sector builds on over 20 years of experience of University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) delivering the Business & Sustainability Programme to an international audience of business leaders and policymakers.
Mike Peirce, Programme Director at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, said: “This Programme comes at a critical moment for Colombia – in anticipation of the peace deal and following the key international meetings of 2015 including the COP21climate summit and the launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We are delighted to be able to work directly with Colombian leaders from business and government at this time and have the opportunity to consider what form leadership will take in the country as well as the wider Pacific Alliance region.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Administration, Universidad de los Andes, said: "It is a strategic decision to offer the commitment of our Faculty to support peacebuilding and the development of responsible leadership thereby helping to build sustainable organizations and a sustainable country"
The Colombia Sustainability Leadership Programme is focused on helping to facilitate more consistent, collaborative and integrated decision-making in Colombia following the peace process, building a network of leaders, and inspiring transformative action through:
- Encouraging a constructive and informed debate around a shared vision of sustainable development for Colombia in a post-conflict scenario.
- Identifying and supporting opportunities for new collaborative business and policy activity.
The programme has been developed with the support of the Colombian and UK Governments as well as key business networks in Colombia and internationally.
