Environmental Blog

Colombia aims to add 6 GW of renewable energy to its electricity matrix before 2027. To achieve this, the government issued two regulatory instruments in 2025 that significantly change the environmental licensing rules for solar and wind projects: Decree 1033 of 2025, which created LASolar, and Decree 1186 of 2025, which created LAEólica. Both establish optimized licensing routes that reduce timeframes and requirements compared to the ordinary licensing procedure.

However, optimized licensing does not mean licensing without management. These new routes include specific technical requirements, strict location restrictions and community engagement obligations that developers must understand before starting the process.

This article explains which route applies to each technology, what each route requires and which critical aspects determine whether the licensing process moves forward smoothly or comes to a halt.

Having a valid environmental license does not mean that a project can evolve freely. When project conditions change compared to what was evaluated and approved by ANLA, the obligation to modify the license may arise before the project can continue.

Carrying out activities not covered by the original license without the corresponding procedure constitutes an environmental violation that may lead to sanctions, suspension of works and, in extreme cases, revocation of the license.

This article explains when it is mandatory to file for an environmental license modification, the difference between a license modification and a minor change, the step-by-step procedure before ANLA, how long the process may take and the most costly mistakes made by license holders.

On April 7, 2026, Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development issued Resolution 0305, updating the Manual for the Compensation of the Biotic Environment and the Removal of Areas from Forest Reserve Status. For environmental license holders, this is not merely a regulatory update: it directly modifies obligations that must be fulfilled during project implementation and environmental monitoring, many of which are reported through the Environmental Compliance Report —ICA, by its Spanish acronym.

This article explains what changes under the new manual, the specific obligations environmental license holders must comply with, and how to align the Compensation Plan with the Environmental Management Plan —PMA— and the ICA to avoid observations from ANLA and the Regional Environmental Authorities.