The entities responsible for implementing these projects are the Bogota Chamber of Commerce, the Barranquilla Chamber of Commerce, the Bucaramanga Chamber of Commerce, Corporación Interactuar 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 Bogota.

The program seeks to support the energy transition, job creation, increased business volume, 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 program such as AL-INVEST Verde contributes to the achievement of climate objectives for 2030, 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 at the European Commission.

The AL-INVEST Verde program 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), and has earmarked more than 9 million euros to promote green economy projects in Latin America.

Throughout its implementation, the program will provide training, technical assistance, 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 seeks to improve productivity and competitiveness through innovation, the promotion of sustainability and inclusion in MSMEs. It also seeks to improve the energy efficiency of the beneficiary companies, generating an estimated potential savings of 40 percent.

"For the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and its allies, being part of this program 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, regardless 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 program whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 1, the program 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 Sequa, a German non-profit organization that operates worldwide with the objective of promoting the private sector.