Pledge overview

According to the Large and Ambitious Strategic Goal (MEGA) for 2030 of the EPM Group, "We generate well-being and sustainable development with agile solutions in Public Services," and recognizing that the sustainability approach is the fundamental basis of our strategic direction, the EPM Group has established four Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) indicators to measure its contribution to this approach: (i) Value Generation Index for Stakeholder Groups, (ii) Contribution to the sustainable development of territories, (iii) Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and (iv) Adaptation to Climate Change.

In this regard, the Company's commitment to 1t.org is based on the Contribution to the sustainable development of territories and Adaptation to Climate Change, through the Water Resource and Biodiversity Management Strategy and the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS).

In accordance with the above, EPM has established two objectives:

Protect and conserve 26,000 hectares of forests: This includes the acquisition of new protection areas important for water conservation and biodiversity in municipalities within the influence area of the Ituango Hydroelectric Project in the Department of Antioquia. Various activities will be carried out in these areas, such as passive and active ecological restoration, conservation, planting of native species, establishment of conditions for natural regeneration, among others.

Donate 20 million trees: Production in our nurseries of 20 million trees, which will be delivered to communities within the influence area of our projects, to be planted by them as part of the Forest Promotion Program, a voluntary program that the Company has been developing continuously since 2000, contributing to restoration, reforestation, and conservation.

With these actions, we will contribute to the protection and improvement of the environmental conditions of the watershed areas supplying the provisioning systems and reservoirs, as well as the management of risks associated with water availability and quality for operations and the populations served. Additionally, it contributes to improving air quality by producing oxygen and absorbing CO2, as well as protecting water sources, soils, and biodiversity by restoring intervened areas, increasing vegetation cover with native species, and generating a greater supply of habitats for wildlife. Simultaneously, socio-economic benefits will be generated, as activities are carried out through contracts with the communities present in these areas, generating employment and income for them.

Our ecologically and socially responsible approach

The protection and conservation of 26,000 hectares of forests involve the acquisition of land and the implementation of active and passive ecological restoration activities, which stimulate natural regeneration and contribute to the conservation and protection of ecosystems such as the Tropical Dry Forest. Communities are directly involved in these activities and are contracted to carry them out.

Additionally, activities such as voluntary land acquisition in the Premontane Moist Forest life zone for the conservation of this type of ecosystem, through actions such as removing stressors to the natural regeneration process, are ecologically responsible and contribute to biodiversity protection.

Similarly, the objective associated with tree production and delivery is an ecologically and socially responsible activity. Since the year 2000, EPM has been continuously developing the Forest Promotion Program, through which trees of different native species are produced in nurseries located in Playas, Porce, Piedras Blancas, and Riogrande. These trees are then donated to communities for planting in various municipalities of the Department of Antioquia. In addition to these actions, the nursery of the Ituango Hydroelectric Project produces native species typical of ecosystems such as the Tropical Dry Forest. The individuals produced there will be used for both forest compensation activities and for protecting the 100-meter zone around the reservoir, as well as for delivery to communities within the project's influence area, so that they can carry out planting activities as they deem appropriate.

The protocols for evaluating our practices adhere to the requirements of Colombian environmental authorities and regulations.

Our results tracking

The ecological metrics information is captured annually through the Organization's own templates 'Areas and Land Uses', which serve as inputs to consolidate this information into the sustainability report.

The social metrics information is captured annually through an application called 'IDSOS Social and Economic', which serves as input to consolidate this information into the sustainability report.

The impact of the conservation goal of 26,000 hectares will be evaluated through periodic landscape monitoring every 5 years.

For the donation goal of 20 million trees, visits will be conducted to approximately 47% of the planting areas, with verification of the condition of the trees and photographic records of the same.

For the social component, an annual registration of personnel from the communities in the area of influence will be carried out. These personnel are hired for conservation and restoration activities. Regarding the delivery of planting materials, a record will be kept of the number of people impacted per year with the number of plants delivered per person, which is supported by delivery records.

Ecological metrics

- (Compensation area acquired per life zone / Total area to be compensated per life zone) *100
- (Area intervened through ecological restoration activities / Area designated for restoration within the acquired properties) *100
- Number of trees delivered / Number of trees produced in nurseries *100

Social metrics

- Labor hired for restoration area / Economically active population of communities in the restoration area *100
- Number of individuals, entities, associations benefited from delivery of planting materials

Our system of accreditation

For the objective "protect and conserve 26,000 hectares of forests" within the framework of the Ituango Hydroelectric Project, monitoring of vegetation cover and landscape is carried out in compensation areas and the reservoir protection zone every five years through entities such as the National University of Colombia.

Our locations

We are working at locations across Colombia.

The objective "Protect and conserve 26,000 hectares of forests", it includes the acquisition of new protection areas of importance for water conservation and biodiversity in municipalities within the influence area of the Ituango Hydroelectric Project in the Department of Antioquia, such as: Santafé de Antioquia, Liborina, Buriticá, Sabanalarga, Peque, Toledo, Ituango, and Briceño, in ecosystems including Premontane Moist Forest, Tropical Dry Forest, and Tropical Moist Forest.

Regarding the objective to "Donate 20 million trees", the nurseries where tree production takes place are located in the municipalities of Guarne, Amalfi, San Rafael, and Ituango in the department of Antioquia.