Page 5 - 2020 Sustainability Report - Gran Tierra Energy

We are following a similar approach as we start activities in Ecuador. For public health reasons we paused several of our in-person social investment programs, but we found new ways throughout the year to engage meaningfully with communities around economic, health and human rights issues. We also continued to make progress on
our signature programs strengthening the cacao sector, reforestation and conservation of the rainforest, removing anti-personnel mines and protecting vulnerable children, all of which support Colombia’s efforts
to enshrine lasting territorial peace.
We are focused not only on being an excellent partner to communities, but
also on leaving a permanent legacy of environmental protection in the regions where we work. All of our environmental efforts are guided by this total life-cycle perspective in which we strive to minimize our impacts on water, land and air. We powered more of our operations by using natural gas produced from our fields
than in previous years, reducing the need to purchase diesel or draw electricity from the local grid. These efforts have increased the efficiency of our operations and reduced flaring of excess gas.
Our team is deeply committed to addressing pressing environmental challenges in Colombia. We go Beyond Compliance
to align our regulatory commitments
and voluntary initiatives with the government’s broad environmental strategy, increasing the long-term protection
of the country’s natural resources.
NaturAmazonas, GTE’s flagship voluntary program to reduce deforestation in Colombia’s Amazonia region, home to
one of the most biodiverse and sensitive ecosystems in the world, is on pace to exceed
its original objectives. The USD
$13 million, eight-year program, conducted in partnership with NGO Conservation International, will restore millions of trees and thousands of hectares of depleted forest, while also addressing the human and socioeconomic causes of deforestation in the area. In 2020 alone, the project added multiple forestry centres, including the newly opened Sacha Wasi nursery, in which millions of seedlings will grow each year. The project will sequester approximately 8.7 million tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime.
Gran Tierra Energy created over USD
$295 million in economic value for Colombia during 2020, much of which
was directed towards Putumayo and the Middle Magdalena Valley through our contractors, vendors and staff. Thousands of jobs were maintained at a time when a great deal of the local, national and global economy had come to a near standstill.
We are appreciative of the Colombian and Ecuadorian governments for their support during a critical period. We are exceedingly thankful to our local community
partners for their continued trust and collaboration, and to our entire team in the office and the field, who have performed commendably under difficult conditions.
We are excited to keep building for tomorrow by creating long-term value and delivering on our Environmental, Social and Governance commitments today.
“We are focused not only on being
an excellent partner to communities, but also on leaving a permanent legacy of environmental protection in the regions where we work.”
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