GTE maintains transparency about its environmental practices by ensuring stakeholders are well-equipped to understand, analyze, and respond to the information they receive, some of which can include highly technical data.

In 2023, GTE offered an Environmental Monitoring Training workshop to help people living in the community of Unión Balsareña, who live near the Company’s operations in the Chanangue block in Sucumbíos, Ecuador, more effectively observe and provide feedback about GTE’s environmental monitoring procedures. The workshop covered regulations, studies, surveys and management, and ecological monitoring methodology and practices.

Seventeen community members participated in the workshop, and the Company will also provide ongoing support to ensure community leaders and program participants can continue to engage environmental experts to support their oversight role.

“We look for opportunities to make the greatest social, environmental and Human Rights impact possible, rather than just checking a box.”

Eduar Mendoza

Environmental Compliance Coordinator

One of the highlights of GTE’s work this year with the Putumayo Biodiversity and Development Initiative was the restoration of 29 hectares within the Orito Ingi-Ande Flora Sanctuary for Medicinal Plants.

Dialogue with 15 families who were living in the protected zone and cultivating coca, resulted in important conservation agreements to protect the land. As part of the agreements, Gran Tierra Energy helped relocate the families, providing land and training to help them maintain their livelihoods. This allowed the environmental authorities, including the National Parks and the Ministry of Environment, to replace the illegal crops with native vegetation and preserve the integrity of the entire protected area of more than 100 square kilometres. So far, 29 hectares of land has been protected and restored.

“GTE’s role was critical in restoring those degraded areas, creating synergy with the government, and helping all the families improve the quality of their lives. This represents a new way of understanding what is possible with innovative thinking about the environment. There is a huge difference between a company like GTE which has a holistic view and tries to make a real impact, versus one that looks to comply with the least effort.”

Walker Hoyos

Wildlife Sanctuary Leader, Orito Ingi-Ande Flora Sanctuary for Medicinal Plants

NaturAmazonas, the flagship conservation program started by GTE and Conservation International, has grown into an alliance of public and private institutions working together to address the root causes of deforestation. It works to develop solutions for reversing the process, while increasing the well-being of nearby communities.

GTE’s program has grown into a joint effort between the Colombian Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, regional environmental agency, Corpoamazonia, and NGO Conservation International which oversees the project. The overall objective is to create the conditions required to protect and conserve Colombia’s Amazonia region by planting millions of trees and conserving land to restore important forested lands, helping residents live and work in greater harmony with the forest, and fostering partnerships amongst the institutions needed to effect long-term change at scale. This initiative strengthens the mechanisms needed for sustainable reforestation and large-scale conservation.

These include:

• Bringing numerous public and private institutions under an established framework to collaborate and increase their combined impact.
• Increasing knowledge of, and respect for, the value of forested areas.
• Implementing mechanisms for people and communities that reside in the area to make a sustainable living in harmony with nature.

In its first six years, this USD $18 million initiative has reforested and ecologically restored over 1,700 hectares of land and has attracted additional partners interested in moving this revolutionary program forward. In 2023, Gran Tierra extended the NaturAmazonas program for another four years and continues its industry-leading reforestation in partnership with Conservation International.

Agroforestry Centres

The Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre in the town of Piamonte was converted and refurbished from an abandoned social site of a nearby Indigenous Inga community and is capable of growing over one million seedlings each year to support the reforestation initiative. Women from Miraflores and the surrounding areas carry out planting work at the Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre. Cacao seedlings are spliced together to develop high quality and resilient varieties of the crop.

The Sacha Wasi Agroforestry Centre located in El Mesón, Villagarzón has a production capacity of one million seedlings per year, a total area of 8.06 hectares, and is designed with spaces to store materials, equipment and supplies. This agricultural-focused nursery includes specific areas for preparation and bagging of the substrate, irrigation, germination, management and sowing modules.

Knowledge Generation

Local residents have been hired for expeditions deep into the Piedmont, collecting and categorizing over 10,000 specimens of native plants. They are referred to as Guardians of Botanical Knowledge and they build their knowledge about the native plants and contribute to the creation of important mapping of the botanical make-up of the forest in their areas. Previously unknown plant species have been discovered by the Guardians.

So far, 27,000 specimens have been collected and processed, 1,404 of species have been identified, two of which are new for Colombia and over 130 people have directly benefited from the project.

Botanical Health Development Through Beekeeping

Thousands of bees swarm around unprotected beekeepers, who are not concerned because these are stingless bees, native to this part of the Amazon rainforest. It had previously been illegal in Colombia to cultivate stingless bees, but Gran Tierra worked with the Colombian authorities to change the regulations to allow local people to engage in this important line of sustainable production through the Company’s NaturAmazonas program. The bees pollinate plants and trees, supporting reforestation and contributing to botanical health while also producing honey for the farmers—a valuable, durable commodity with appeal in both local and national markets.

There is a high demand for stingless bee syrups, which have a number of different flavours, and keepers can also rent the bees out to local farmers for pollination, providing yet another stream of income. The association of beekeepers continues to grow, with over 300 current members having been trained and certified.

“NaturAmazonas was the best opportunity we’ve had as a conservation organization to invest in this important part of Colombia. Having exceeded its original goals, this project has now opened the doors for other funders to amplify these efforts to the whole Colombian Amazon Region. This has been absolutely massive from a conservation point of view. The multi-year investment that GTE made was very important and provides a roadmap for how other industrial companies can contribute to reforestation. ”

Jose Vicente Rodriguez Mahecha

Director of Cientifico Senior De Conservation International Colombia

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Gran Tierra Energy’s company-wide Environmental Management Plan (EMP) addresses how it handles environmental issues arising from its exploration and development projects and other operations.

The Plan is based on the environmental performance standards of the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and reflects best industry practices. It will be amended and updated periodically. In any instances where local laws or regulations differ from the standards contained in Gran Tierra’s EMP, the Company will adhere to the more stringent requirement.

The EMP addresses issues like:

• Defining a code of conduct for all workers
• Conserving biodiversity
• Minimizing construction impacts, flaring and water use
• Controlling erosion
• Optimizing road and pipeline routing and construction
• Managing solid and liquid waste including hazardous substances
• Protecting and preserving cultural and archaeological resources

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Gran Tierra’s Waste Management Plan (WMP) recognizes the Company’s responsibility to manage wastes properly. Waste is handled independently, according to the type (contaminated, organic, unusable or recyclable), through a process of separation at source.

One of the goals of internal management is always to reduce at the source the different waste generated by the operation and ensure as far as possible that the greatest amount of waste generated be reusable. Two examples of the reuse of waste are:

• At GTE’s Acordionero and Costayaco oil fields organic waste is composted. The compost is then used to fertilize gardens and to stabilize slope areas occupied by a project team.
• Plastic generated at our Putumayo field operations is sent to a plastic recycling plant through a cooperative agreement that allows for more than 80% of the plastic to be transformed into products such as plastic wood posts, plastic wood planks, hoses and dustpans.

For waste that cannot be reused or recycled, the Company’s overall approach is to utilize capable third-party facilities, while minimizing volumes sent to sanitary landfills. It is taking steps to lower the volume of wastes to the extent possible and to recycle or reuse waste in cooperation with local communities when possible.

GTE has established a procedure for selecting waste management companies with the best environmental performance records in the region. This process requires a legal review of the Company, internal and external audits and a review of their relationships with the environmental authorities and with the neighbors of their facilities.

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Gran Tierra Energy’s environmental policy calls for the Company to track its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and take steps to reduce them wherever economically feasible.

Gran Tierra continues to voluntarily retain a respected expert in the field of air quality, to create an assessment of its greenhouse gas emissions in Colombia and Ecuador. This assessment involves collecting, analyzing and quantifying annual air emissions data from GTE’s operations. It was conducted according to the guidelines and standards adopted by the following organizations: International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), American Petroleum Industry (API), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Since 2016, the Company has also reported to the Carbon Disclosure Project.

An updated assessment using 2022 air emissions data has been released. View the Greenhouse Gas & Air Quality Report here.

Electrical Power Use

In 2023, 68% of the total energy used in Gran Tierra’s total operations was generated through the Gas-to-Power projects. GTE’s energy consumption from the municipal grid has decreased by 50% since 2018. The Company continues to develop Gas-to-Power projects to decrease its use of electrical power from the local grid.

Nature-based solutions are an important pillar of Gran Tierra’s emissions reductions efforts, and the company supports environmental projects that aid in natural carbon sequestration. Natural carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric CO₂, as forests, wetlands and vegetation sequester carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting it into organic matter.

Costayaco Forestry Centre: A Unique Resource for Reforestation

The Costayaco Forestry Centre (CFC), established by Gran Tierra Energy in coordination with the regional environmental regulator, and Corpoamazonia is one of the most innovative reforestation efforts in South America. The CFC contains 335 hectares of new and maturing forested areas, and is close to achieving its long-term goal of connecting a critical ecological corridor linking the Andean foothills with the Amazon Rainforest. These two ecosystems are some of the most biodiverse in the world.

In total GTE has planted 1.64 million trees and has conserved, preserved, or reforested 4,514 hectares of land through all of the Company’s environmental efforts since 2018. Careful management ensures that the once-delicate saplings grow into sturdy, mature trees that contribute to the national emissions reduction strategy goals.

Through the CFC, Gran Tierra has planted over 200,000 trees across the Putumayo and Cauca Departments, and over 72,000 trees have been donated to local communities and educational centres. The Centre also works to increase environmental awareness by providing educational opportunities for communities to learn about the importance of protecting the forests and environment.

To learn more about the Costayaco Forestry Centre, click here.

Reforestation Project with Conservation International

Gran Tierra prioritizes the protection and conservation of the environment and works with organizations that share similar values. Gran Tierra, in partnership with respected International NGO Conservation International, has contributed USD $18 million over eight years to a major reforestation and conservation project. In 2023, Gran Tierra extended its support another four years, to this project that has already yielded great results for the region.

Given that nature-based approaches including conservation and restoration of tropical forests can provide 30% of the solution to climate change, Gran Tierra believes that projects and partnerships such as this are contributing positively. It is expected that the actions developed by NaturAmazonas will contribute to reducing the rate of deforestation in the Amazonian foothills by at least 20%.

Furthermore, the overall objective of the NaturAmazonas project is to create the conditions required to protect and conserve Colombia’s Amazon region by planting millions of trees and conserving land to restore important forested areas previously affected by deforestation. The project also helps residents live and work in harmony with the forest, all while fostering partnerships with important regional and national institutions needed to implement long-term change at scale.

To read more about the NaturAmazonas project, click here.

Gran Tierra’s ongoing effort to reduce direct emissions by converting associated gas produced from its wells into an energy source for its operations, continues to generate results. Additionally, converting gas to electricity significantly reduces the demand on municipal utilities, increases fiscal resilience by lowering unit production costs, and provides a more stable energy supply, while reducing flaring and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Company’s Gas-to-Power (G2P) program has significantly reduced emissions intensity over the last few years by using produced natural gas to produce electricity, reduce flaring, and significantly reduce the need to purchase, transport, and burn diesel fuel.  When excess power is produced, GTE can provide additional electricity to the local grid helping residents and stabilizing energy sources. 2023 saw a 19% increase in electricity generated from gas from GTE’s operations on local grids.

With all major fields fully converted, GTE has turned its attention towards generating gas power at its smaller locations and finding ways to implement this strategy at our fields in Ecuador.

Butterflies are an important indicator for maintaining healthy ecosystems and are a critically important part of conservation and management practices in the area.

An alliance of public and private institutions led by GTE and the industry group National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), completed a study on the diversity of butterflies to better understand the role conservation, preservation and educational initiatives play in protecting the Andean-Amazonian piedmont region.

La Gran Tierra de las Mariposas (The Great Land of Butterflies) includes photographs of 250 species of diurnal butterflies. The alliance is also working on additional monitoring, educational, regulatory and community initiatives.

This study and cataloguing are a significant step in developing management and conservation practices for these species with high potential for scientific research and tourism.

“Butterflies are widely accepted as a key bioindicator due to their sensitivity to changes in air and water quality. The presence of butterflies in Putumayo indicates the continuing health of local ecosystems. The Butterfly guidebook helps local community members gain a deeper understanding of the natural environment in the richly biodiverse ecosystems as well as GTE’s commitment to preserving the environment.”

Carlos Fonseca

Social Leader, Putumayo, GTE

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The Putumayo Biodiversity Initiative, a wide-ranging alliance of public and private institutions dedicated to preserving biodiversity in the Andean-Amazonian foothills in the department of Putumayo, entered its second phase in 2021. The initiative protects, conserves, and restores ecosystem connectivity and biodiversity through sustainable development. The initiative has become an important national benchmark for public-private investment in Colombia, creating new businesses and economic opportunities in biodiversity.

Gran Tierra is the first oil company to contribute environmental data to the Biodiversity Information System of Colombia (SIBColombia), providing researchers across Colombia access to thousands of records, images and videos from their biodiversity and conservation initiatives.

The initiative will also contribute towards the Putumayo-Içá River Basin Integrated Management Project, a pioneering international collaboration by Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, providing a baseline for the Putumayo River and formulating guidelines for watershed management.

“Connecting different projects can significantly increase their combined and lasting impact. This is important to us because our goal is not just to comply with regulations, but to be understood as a company that leaves no long-term impact and helps the regional and national environmental protection agencies achieve their objectives.”

Olga Lucia Casañas Suarez

Leader, Forestry Compensation

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The partnership between Gran Tierra Energy and the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute contributes to the understanding of biodiversity in the Putumayo and addressing concerns about industrial development in the area. Colombia has highly biodiverse areas, with large numbers of plant species, microorganisms, and fungi. However, some of the country’s ecosystems have deteriorated tremendously due to agriculture and livestock activities, urban expansion, illegal mining and illegal land practices.

The joint GTE-Humboldt Institute Chawar Project is a regional environmental assessment, created as a technical tool to track and monitor biodiversity changes in the Putumayo by incorporating a wide range of data sets including biodiversity, ecosystem services, and social and cultural information, especially in the Andean foothills. The project is part of GTE’s efforts to help the country proactively develop an understanding of species that need to be protected, and it will allow the Company to better consider environmental issues when determining how and where to plan development.

It also shows how compensation for the Company’s voluntary environmental and social investments can be structured to have the greatest impact on specific areas of interest as well as the broader region for years to come.

It will also show how compensation for the Company’s voluntary environmental and social investments can be structured to have the greatest impact on specific areas of interest as well as the broader region for years to come.

“The Chawar Project is an example of an oil company trying to have a real conversation with the environmental sector and big picture thinking about transitioning towards sustainability.”

FRANCISCO JOSÉ GÓMEZ_MONTES

Deputy Director, Scientific Services and Special Projects, Humboldt Institute

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ANDI (the National Business Association of Colombia), Gran Tierra, the National Natural Parks of Colombia and the Humboldt Biological Research Institute, have partnered together in an alliance that is focused on ecosystem protection, restoration and connectivity, sustainable development of biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in the region.

The alliance’s accomplishments thus far include:

• National Parks of Colombia and Gran Tierra completed agreements to conserve hundreds of hectares, establish seedling nurseries, monitor biodiversity, and promote agroforestry practices.
• Implemented a biological wastewater treatment system as an alternative to septic tanks.
• Hosted a birdwatching festival near the Orito Ingi Ande Flora and Medicinal Plants Sanctuary.
• Completed an ecotourism course to exchange relevant knowledge, tools, and experiences.
• Continued an ongoing study on the Caquetá River’s aquatic ecosystem.
• GTE’s Costayaco Forestry Centre has supported the ecosystem connectivity strategy by restoring and protecting 335 hectares.
• Ongoing coordination of environmental investments.

“The Biodiversity and Development Agreement for Putumayo, which brings together five entities of the National Environmental System, ANDI and energy companies such as Gran Tierra Energy, celebrates 10 years of work in Putumayo. This alliance has been a platform for public-private work, the generation of trust and the union of collective efforts for Andean-Amazonian connectivity. This agreement, led by Gran Tierra Energy, has allowed the cleanup of the Orito Ingi Ande Medicinal Plant Sanctuary, the management of new knowledge of the region’s biological diversity, the generation of strategies and high standards of monitoring and sectoral planning around biodiversity.”

DORA MONCADA

Director of the National Centre for Water and Biodiversity, ANDI

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Gran Tierra’s pioneering initiative to promote wild cat conservation in the Colombian Amazon, has identified six feline species that use its Costayaco Forestry Centre as a habitat. The project, implemented by Corpoamazonia in partnership with Gran Tierra Energy, has achieved a number of accomplishments in the Alto Putumayo, Amazonian Andean Foothills and the Amazon Plain regions.

Environmental Professional, Mario Chávez has been committed to biodiversity protection for his entire career before joining the GTE team in 2021. He has been working in the Putumayo region for more than seven years since completing service as a university researcher. He previously worked in biodiversity protection at Corpoamazonia and the National Authority of Environmental Licences (ANLA). As a result of Mario’s research and thesis on wild felines, GTE decided to fund his project.

“Before I started working with Gran Tierra, I was very familiar with their work because the Company has always been serious about making a real impact in biodiversity protection. The CFC has had enormous results, and the facility has been an integral part of protecting the biodiversity of the region.”

MARIO CHÁVEZ

Environmental Professional

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In accordance with Company policy and regulations, Gran Tierra regularly monitors and analyzes surface and groundwater using an external lab certified by government authorities; however, a myth that the Company often encounters in local communities is that lab results released by a corporation must be compromised.

To counter this, GTE will fund additional independent water studies for local communities in Colombia and Ecuador if they want to hire their own laboratory (as long as it is certified by Colombian and Ecuadorian regulators). GTE will take its own samples and compare them with the communities’ samples, sharing the results at a community meeting.

“With GTE, we’ve always had a dialogue and have been able to work out any issues. It’s clear that GTE wants to show us that they have nothing to hide, and we’ve worked together very well with the company on different environmental and social initiatives.”

YURI MARCELA TORO VELEZ

Legal Representative of Campo Alegre Village

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NaturAmazonas, the flagship conservation program started by GTE and Conservation International, has grown into an alliance of public and private institutions working together to address the root causes of deforestation. It works to develop solutions for reversing the process, while increasing the well-being of nearby communities.

GTE’s program has grown into a joint effort between the Colombian Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, regional environmental agency, Corpoamazonia, and NGO Conservation International which oversees the project. The overall objective is to create the conditions required to protect and conserve Colombia’s Amazonia region by planting millions of trees and conserving land to restore important forested lands, helping residents live and work in greater harmony with the forest, and fostering partnerships amongst the institutions needed to effect long-term change at scale. This initiative strengthens the mechanisms needed for sustainable reforestation and large-scale conservation.

These include:

• Bringing numerous public and private institutions under an established framework to collaborate and increase their combined impact.
• Increasing knowledge of, and respect for, the value of forested areas.
• Implementing mechanisms for people and communities that reside in the area to make a sustainable living in harmony with nature. As it continues to mature, the program has begun to serve as an increasingly effective environmental offset, contributing to global climate objectives and supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

In its first six years, this USD $13 million initiative has reforested and ecologically restored over 1,400 hectares of land and has attracted additional partners interested in moving this revolutionary program forward. In 2023, Gran Tierra will extend the NaturAmazonas program another four years and continue its industry-leading reforestation which will be implemented by Conservation International.

Agroforestry Centres

The Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre in the town of Piamonte was converted and refurbished from an abandoned social site of a nearby Indigenous Inga community and is capable of growing over one million seedlings each year to support the reforestation initiative. Dozens of women from Miraflores and the surrounding areas carry out planting work at the Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre. Cacao seedlings are spliced together to develop high quality and resilient varieties of the crop.

The Sacha Wasi Agroforestry Centre located in El Mesón, Villagarzón has a production capacity of one million seedlings per year, a total area of 8.06 hectares, and is designed with spaces to store materials, equipment and supplies. This agricultural-focused nursery includes specific areas for preparation and bagging of the substrate, irrigation, germination, management and sowing modules.

Knowledge Generation

Local residents have been hired for expeditions deep into the Piedmont, collecting and categorizing over 10,000 specimens of native plants. They are referred to as Guardians of Botanical Knowledge and they build their knowledge about the native plants and contribute to the creation of important mapping of the botanical make-up of the forest in their areas. New species of plants, have been discovered by the Guardians.

So far, 27,000 specimens have been collected and processed, 1,404 of species have been identified, two of which are new for Colombia and over 130 people have directly benefited from the project.

Botanical Health Development Through Beekeeping

Thousands of bees swarm around unprotected beekeepers, who are not concerned because these are stingless bees, native to this part of the Amazon rainforest. It had previously been illegal in Colombia to cultivate stingless bees, but Gran Tierra worked with the Colombian authorities to change the regulations to allow local people to engage in this important line of sustainable production through the company’s NaturAmazonas program. The bees pollinate plants and trees, supporting reforestation and contributing to botanical health while also producing honey for the farmers—a valuable, durable commodity with appeal in both local and national markets.

There is a high demand for stingless bee syrups, which have a number of different flavours, and keepers can also rent the bees out to local farmers for pollination, providing yet another stream of income. The association of beekeepers continues to grow, with over 300 current members having been trained and certified. In 2023, Gran Tierra extended the NaturAmazonas program another four years and continues its industry-leading reforestation which is implemented by Conservation International.

“NaturAmazonas was the best opportunity we’ve had as a conservation organization to invest in this important part of Colombia. Having exceeded its original goals, this project has now opened the doors for other funders to amplify these efforts to the whole Colombian Amazon Region. This has been absolutely massive from a conservation point of view. The multi-year investment that GTE made was very important and provides a roadmap for how other industrial companies can contribute to reforestation. ”

Jose Vicente Rodriguez Mahecha

Director of Cientifico Senior De Conservation International Colombia

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GTE’s successful Key Partners program has evolved from a simple award given to the best performing vendors into an integrated, multi-stage program with five components. This program has led to tremendous growth in the capabilities, capacity and competitiveness of vendors in the areas where the company operates.

GTE’s Key Partners program helps supply chain partners develop their technical and administrative capabilities. Key Partners includes educational programs tailored to the needs of local suppliers in partnership with well-respected academic institutions and regional Chambers of Commerce. Key Partners also facilitates relationships between contractors and local suppliers, fostering a growing ecosystem of opportunities for area businesses. Performance evaluations measure, recognize, and reward outstanding vendors.

Components of Key Partners

• Developing close, beneficial relationships with existing and potential vendors through continuous contact with dedicated company staff. This ensures ongoing dialogue and alignment between vendor and company.
• Dedicated high-value training offered to managers and owners of vendor companies delivered in partnership with regional Chambers of Commerce.
• Supply Chain standards that ensure GTE’s contractors are also sourcing from local suppliers.
• Performance evaluations that measure, recognize and reward outstanding vendors.
• Facilitating relationships between contractors and local suppliers to foster a growing ecosystem of opportunities for area businesses.

Gran Tierra’s Commitment to our Key Partners

• Economic Growth
  Gran Tierra Energy promotes free competition as a constitutional right. This encourages local businesses to provide higher quality goods and services not only to our operations, but also to Colombia.
• Education Development
  Gran Tierra develops educational programs tailored to the needs of our local suppliers. Through these programs we are providing opportunities for educational advancement with well-respected academic institutions.
• Improved Networking
  We provide our Key Partners with full access to the database for commercial opportunities with Gran Tierra and our contractors.
• Sustainable Relationships
  Gran Tierra recognizes the importance of sustaining strong relationships with our suppliers and contractors through our Key Partners program. We are always willing to listen and assist our Key Partners.

Members of the Key Partners Program are Expected To:

• Offer high quality goods and services.
• Submit competitive proposals, both in price and quality, when invited to bid.
• Be a collaborative partner with the goal of ensuring that GTE operations are carried out safely and accurately.
• Respect corporate decisions made by GTE or its contractors.
• Understand and apply GTE’s human rights and anti-corruption policies in their business practices.
• Participate in activities developed by GTE aimed at strengthening business skills.

“GTE recognized our capability to take on more responsibilities and gave us the training we needed to grow. After GTE arrived, people moved from illegal crops and armed groups to finding jobs and educating themselves to become businessmen, doctors, and technicians. Before we had wood shacks with thatched roofs, and now we have cement houses, paved roads, community and health centres.”

JOHN JAIRO MEZA CABEZAS

Partner, Soluciones Integrales J.M., Puerto Limón, Putumayo

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Gran Tierra Energy, the FC Barcelona Foundation, Colombia’s Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) and the World Vision International Foundation, continue their strategic alliance to increase resilience in vulnerable children and reduce their susceptibility to two important Human Rights concerns in the area: substance abuse and militia recruitment.

Financed by GTE, the program is implemented by the Youth Violence Prevention Program of the Barça Foundation and uses football as a unifying tool for children from vulnerable populations, children living in poverty and descendants of Afro-Indigenous minorities to learn about conflict resolution, prosocial behaviour development and other important life skills. Expected long-term outcomes include stronger, more stable communities, greater education attainment, increased employment and positive health indicators.

According to the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), the project has been effective in preventing forced recruitment of minors, having documented multiple cases of preventions in program participants. The project also helps female victims of sexual and physical violence with psychiatric, emotional and legal support.

Approximately 1,000 kids from the Putumayo and Cesar departments in Colombia participated in GTE’s Preventing Child Recruitment Program in 2023, a 29% increase over previous years.

“The kids love the program — they’ve become less aggressive and more nurturing, and I’ve seen improvements in their handling of interpersonal conflicts. And the kids can use the skills they’re learning in this program in other parts of their lives.”

CINDY MIRANDA

Guidance Counselor, Cohembi Ecological School, Putumayo

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One of the most significant Human Rights threats throughout Colombia is the prevalence of anti-personnel mines and other explosive devices that are an unfortunate legacy of the decades-long conflict in the country.

To address this risk in southern Putumayo where the Company undertakes exploration and development activities, GTE launched a Humanitarian Demining Pilot Project in 2019 with the help of an alliance made up of GTE, the Colombian Campaign Against Mines (CCCM), the Colombian High Commissioner of Peace, Ecopetrol, the United States Department of State and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This important demining project has investigated over 57,400 hectares of land that has now been cleared of anti-personnel mines and the Puerto Vega Teteyé area in Puerto Asís has been declared free of contamination.

Because of this project, nearly 3,000 residents of nearby towns can now move about freely along the Puerto Vega-Teteyé corridor without the fear of legacy anti-personnel devices. In 2023, more than 22,400 additional hectares in the municipalities of Puerto Asís and Orito were certified free from antipersonnel mines and explosive devices, and nearly 300 landmines, unexploded ordinance, and improvised explosive devices have been identified and removed since 2021 with zero accidents and the full support of local communities.

“We’ve worked with GTE in several ways, but one of the most impactful activities has been the demining of our region, which has dramatically changed the way people live and move in this area.”

LUZ DEIFI_VELAZQUEZ

President, La Carmelita JAC

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Colombia’s Constitution grants Indigenous groups the right to “Free Prior Informed Consultation” or Prior Consultation (PC) before any project is considered near Indigenous land. These communities can be found throughout the country, and there are a number of Indigenous groups and several Afro-Colombian groups in the Putumayo near Gran Tierra’s operations. With its increased exploration and development activities in the Putumayo, many of which interact with these protected communities, GTE has created a department focused solely on the Prior Consultation process.

PC represents a formal process for establishing dialogue between ethnic communities and the Company to ensure they are adequately informed and consulted about company activities; how these activities might interact with and/or impact them; and how any impacts will be mitigated, compensated or prevented. GTE, like other companies in Colombia that participate in the PC process, works with Colombia’s Ministry of the Interior, which follows the formal process and ensures that someone from the ministry or local government are present during each community interaction.

GTE believes that the culture, beliefs, and worldview of Indigenous and ethnic communities offer immense value to society, and Prior Consultations are opportunities to strengthen relationships with these important stakeholders. In 2023, GTE made progress in 13 Prior Consultation processes, five of which are still ongoing. Since 2016, GTE has initiated 57 Prior Consultation processes, 86% of which resulted in successful agreements.

Furthermore, the Company has several programs designed to support the Indigenous and Afro-descendant population through socio-cultural, social infrastructure and development projects. The Company has also built four ancestral cultural centres for community meetings and activities in order to strengthen the traditions of the Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities of Orconepul, Alto Orito, Afro Council of Puerto Limón and Martin Luther King.

“The Prior Consultation process is important to us because of our concerns about preserving our way of life and protecting our sacred areas and spirits. We’re grateful for all the effort the company has put in place to protect the community.”

Edgas Aizama

Governor Cabildo Tordua Kidua, of the Embera Chamí ethnic community

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Gran Tierra Energy recognizes the importance of strengthening relations with Indigenous communities living in areas near GTE’s operations. With this in mind, Gran Tierra in partnership with the World Corporation for Women in Colombia (CMMC) created the Hilos de la Tierra (Threads of the Earth) program, which aims to recover ancestral practices through the creation of handcrafted designs using recycled materials as well as innovate with new materials and techniques in design.

In the Putumayo, the program works with artisans and ethnic women’s groups using natural fibers, dyes, seeds and recycled goods to help facilitate the recovery of ancestral practices. In the Middle Magdalena Valley, the program works with vulnerable women dedicated to fashion. The project is aimed at improving the incomes of participants and addresses gender bias in traditional family dynamics with women making up 91% of the participants in 2023.

The handcrafted products reflect the culture, traditional practices, and history from local Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean and rural communities. In 2023, 60% of participants of the program were of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous descent. These traditional artisans preserve their culture through their handcrafted artifacts and share stories about their lived experiences and their territories as a way to inform and educate others.

Through this program, participants and renowned Colombian designer Juan Pablo Socarrás, took centre stage on the runway during North America’s third-largest fashion show, Vancouver Fashion Week 2023 to showcase a clothing collection they collaborated on. Three of the artisans were sponsored by GTE to travel to Vancouver, Canada, to participate in the entire fashion week experience. The artisans prepared for the show with Socarrás and his team, observed their work on a major international runway, and connected with international sellers following the show.

“Hilos de la Tierra helped us see that if many talented artisans work together in the same direction, we can make an impact. We learned so much by travelling to Vancouver and it is my responsibility to share that knowledge with my community and the other participants.”

FRANCISCO JANSASOY

Artisan, Resguardo Wasipungo, Putumayo

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Gran Tierra Energy in partnership with Corpoamazonia and the Colombia Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH) built and opened, in November 2021, a museum in Putumayo that will serve local communities as a permanent archaeological exhibition.

The Suruma museum is located in the Amazon Experimental Centre (CEA) and is an educational space to preserve historical artifacts and tell the story of the history and culture of the Putumayo department. There are 15 permanent museum exhibits, distributed in two structures and a central area showcasing the reconstruction of an archaeological excavation area.

All of the artifacts housed in the Suruma Museum were discovered by Gran Tierra Energy through our archaeological activities in Putumayo. These specific archaeological activities took more than four months of​ work and during this period of time, 25 archaeologists and 160 local field helpers excavated more than 3,300 square metres.

To date, more than 20 tons of archaeological materials have been recovered and the inventory of the recorded archaeological material is composed of ceramic fragments, lithic artifacts (two carved projectile points), complete pottery pieces, archeological features (coal and fire pits) and a goldsmith’s piece.

In 2023, more than 28,000 people visited the Suruma Museum during its third year open. Located near Mocoa, Putumayo the museum contributes to the social growth of these territories and their communities by allowing visitors to explore and celebrate the cultural diversity of Putumayo and the Colombian Amazon.

From its inception, Suruma was conceived to have potential also as a travelling museum that can bring its exhibits, cultures, and traditions to other communities. In June 2023, the temporary exhibit “People of Putumayo Narrate: Journeys, Exchanges, and Claims” began travelling across the country, including to the National Museum of Colombia in Bogota and UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site, San Agustín Archaeological Park in the department of Huila.

“We celebrate that Gran Tierra has voluntarily built this museum helping to safeguard Colombia’s anthropological and historical knowledge for the public. The project was designed and implemented with institutional collaboration and built upon community ideas. It shows the Company is focused on creating social capital and considers how its actions can contribute to society in a positive way.”

Nicolás Loaiza

Former General Manager, ICANH

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GTE and renowned business and human rights experts Shift first collaborated in 2019 to identify and work to address human rights issues related to GTE’s business operations and value chain. Shift is the leading centre of expertise on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The nonprofit organization is chaired by John Ruggie who authored the Guiding Principles during his mandate as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Business & Human rights.

Shift introduced GTE staff to a methodology for effectively assessing human rights risks. Shift also facilitated discussions with GTE’s management, corporate responsibility personnel and other field staff at the Company’s operations sites in Colombia and Ecuador, in order to build additional capacity within the Company for managing human rights issues.

With new operations in Ecuador currently growing, in 2023, the Company carried out training led by Shift , on the standards of the Guiding Principles of Human Rights and Business. This training workshop was attended by 60 people, most of whom are supply chain partners. Government officials and civil society organizations were also in attendance. In addition, the Company held a session with 19 local supply chain partners in Lago Agrio, communicating its Human Rights Policy, operating philosophy, and the requirements to apply its corporate policies and contractual clauses that speak to the respect and protection of Human Rights.

The partnership between Shift and GTE continues today. Gran Tierra is one of 19 companies that participate in Shift’s Business Learning program, which was designed to support companies that are committed to working to fulfill their responsibility to respect Human Rights. In order to qualify for the program, participants must meet the following criteria:

• Evidence of high-level commitment to business and Human Rights
• Demonstrated organizational capacity to drive the implementation process
• Support for the broader, mission-driven learning approach
• Coherence with Human Rights principles

“Partnering with Shift has been a game-changer for us at Gran Tierra Energy. We are committed as a company to integrate the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in our business and this partnership has allowed us to take our focus on human rights to the next level. We are grateful to continue to work with the Shift team, and look forward to their guidance and expertise in order to become a human rights leader in our industry and in support of Colombia and Ecuador.”

DIEGO PEREZ-CLARAMUNT

Vice President, Health Safety and Environment & Corporate Social Responsibility, GTE

As a new operator in a country, Gran Tierra must contend with industry legacy impacts that the region may have had. While it is a new company for local Ecuadorian populations in the Sucumbíos province, Gran Tierra’s international experience as a responsible business partner has prepared it well to meaningfully engage communities and manage Human Rights risks in Ecuador. Continued proactive relationship building efforts are key factors in the Company’s ability to demonstrate its respect for protecting Human Rights and its commitment to protecting health safety and the environment to its neighbours.

Prior to any exploration and development work taking place in Ecuador, a Human Rights and Environmental training session was conducted for 35 leaders in the area of influence of GTE’s operations. The session was intended to share knowledge and provide tools to better understand the international rules and regulations that exist to help protect Human Rights, the Environment, and natural resources.

Access to information is a right that Gran Tierra promotes in the regions where it operates. In Ecuador, the Company has implemented a Transparency Committee as an innovative way to facilitate trust and relationship building between communities, local authorities, and GTE. The Committee guarantees a space for dialogue, transparency and community participation to validate regulations, agreements and commitments.

A number of GTE’s efforts are focused on supporting the Colombian government’s reintegration of ex-combatants back into Colombian society. The dynamics of post-conflict situations are complex, but the objective is simple: to support the country’s efforts at achieving lasting peace. Creating economic opportunities is one of the critical issues facing the reintegration of 13,000 ex-combatants back into Colombian society.

Providing these individuals with viable economic opportunities is instrumental in ensuring their successful transition from a life marked by conflict and violence to one characterized by stability and productivity. By facilitating access to employment, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities, GTE contributes to the broader objective of encouraging ex-combatants to become self-sufficient, law-abiding citizens. When individuals are gainfully employed and can support themselves and their families through legitimate means, they are far less likely to revert to the activities that led to their involvement in conflict.

GTE’s successful reintegration and peace process will help strengthen the civil society and the economic underpinnings of the country. GTE has been recognized for its commitment to multiple Human Rights projects supporting Colombia’s reintegration efforts by the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN).

GTE’s reintegration contributions are made through the following Human Rights programs:

• Cacao Nurseries
  This program created by Gran Tierra Energy and Fedecacao provided participants with nurseries and the opportunity to grow and sell cacao with technical support and guidance from experts in the field.
• Preventing Child Recruitment Program
  This program works to prevent the forced recruitment of girls and boys by using football as a unifying tool for children to learn about conflict resolution, prosocial behaviour development and other important life skills. Ex-combatants, who are reintegrated into society, have an opportunity to share their stories and teach future generations how and why to avoid recruitment. Click here to learn more about the Preventing Child Recruitment program.

As part of its efforts to maintain a strong, positive relationship with local communities, Gran Tierra has local offices that are part of a program called “Gran Tierra Te Escucha” (Gran Tierra Listens). The role of each office is to create a physical, easily accessible channel for community members to engage in two-way communications with the Company.

Community members are encouraged to visit the offices in an effort to uncover potential concerns, which are referred to as Petitions, Complaints and Grievances (PQR’s). This important feedback from community partners can highlight opportunities for improvement or specific issues that the company must respond to.

Gran Tierra also offers Mobile GTE Te Escucha offices in Ecuador to ensure that the residents of the more remote communities near the Company’s Charapa and Chanangue operations have the opportunity to be heard and regularly engage directly with the Company each month.

Gran Tierra can measure the effectiveness of its grievance management process through the number of PQRs, the higher the numbers of petitions, questions, complaints, or claims (PQRs) indicate that communities feel comfortable engaging with the company. In 2023, Gran Tierra Te Escucha offices received 1,461 PQRs.

“This space is important for citizens to understand the current regulatory framework to protect people and the environment, GTE’s operations, and the Company’s role as a source of responsible development for the region and the country.”

OMAR FLORES

Parish President, General Farfán, Sucumbíos

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Gran Tierra respects the evolving relationships with local communities and the Company has continued to build relationships based on mutual understanding and acceptance. Gran Tierra seeks to provide quality, timely, coherent, efficient and responsible responses that build trust, manage expectations and minimize environmental risks.

Whether Gran Tierra has delegated an activity or performed it directly, GTE is committed to being responsible for how it is carried out. Dialogue with communities through Petitions, Complaints and Claims (PQRs) embodies principles recommended by the World Bank Group and performance criteria that are set forth in the United Nations publication Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

This process serves as an early warning system for emerging community concerns, providing the Company an opportunity to analyze the situation, assess the impact, anticipate any issues, and appropriately respond.

The Process

There are four in-person and correspondence-based channels that people can use to file petitions, complaints and claims. These are screened and go through the documentation centre and the coordination centre. Everything is coded with a report received in real time at Gran Tierra’s headquarters in Canada and regular reports are sent to senior management. An Effectiveness Committee meets every month, looking at trends. To ensure that the system continues to improve, internal and external satisfaction surveys and performance statistics are reviewed by GTE’s senior management team on a regular basis.

To see the ways to submit a PQR visit our Community Queries page here.

“Our job is to maintain different spaces for communicating with people. We do our jobs based on GTE’s principles; taking care of people transparently and respectfully.”

Yojana Quintero Amaya

Engagement Professional, GTE Te Escucha, San Martín

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GTE has several programs that let people see first-hand what the Company does to minimize the impact of its operations on the environment. One program is called Familiarization Trips (Fam Trips), which involves encouraging stakeholders to visit production sites and observe the Company’s practices, particularly with respect to operations and the environment. This program has proved to be effective in countering myths some people have regarding industry practices, by providing basic information about hydrocarbons, and by providing basic information on how oil operations work. Some visitors come from areas near current operations and some are from areas where GTE is planning to operate.

In 2023, Gran Tierra hosted FamTrips in the Middle Magdalena Valley and Putumayo regions. More than 80 individuals including local school teachers, volunteers from the Society of Petroleum Engineers and members of the Indigenous Cabildo Kiparadó Community, got a first-hand view of Company facilities at the Costayaco Forestry Centre, and the Costayaco and Acordionero operations facilities.

“This FamTrip activity carried out by Gran Tierra allows us to see first-hand the environmental efforts that they implement, such as the Costayaco Forestry Centre. These projects added to other projects such as PetrolCopa make us have greater gratitude and trust towards the Company.”

Bladimir Rodriguez

Docente San Francisco, Puerto Asís

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Gran Tierra believes that the protection of freshwater is an essential part of responsible oil and gas exploration and production. The Company is committed to ensure that its operations do not have an impact on groundwater and aquifers. Independent monitoring and testing have confirmed that Gran Tierra has fully safeguarded groundwater quality throughout its history of drilling operations in Colombia.

Clean water is a vital, limited resource everywhere in the world, and fundamental to healthy, thriving communities in Colombia and Ecuador. Gran Tierra’s goal is to maintain efficient and responsible water usage throughout the life cycle of its operations and to achieve zero surface water usage.

GTE implements multiple strategies to reduce the use of surface water for industrial processes. The Company has updated its existing operations and implemented new project design requirements that minimize surface water use, making significant progress towards its objective of 100%, closed-cycle production water use, meaning, any water discharged from GTE’s operations must meet high-level, internationally accepted quality standards before release.

GTE’s Water Management Program ensures its water use does not adversely impact access to water by residents and businesses in communities near its operations.

Independent Water Monitoring in Local Communities

GTE will fund additional independent water studies for local communities in Colombia and Ecuador if they want to hire their own laboratory (as long as it is certified by Colombian and Ecuadorian regulators). GTE will take its own samples and compare them with the communities’ samples, sharing the results at a community meeting.

Gran Tierra also performs rigorous environmental impact assessments of its proposed projects. An important part of GTE’s approach is being transparent about environmental practices, inviting communities to witness its activities and dispelling myths. The goal is to show communities what the company is doing, rather than just talking about it.

If you have any questions about Gran Tierra’s operations near your community, please contact us at: teescuchacolombia@grantierra.com or teescuchaecuador@grantierra.com.

“With GTE, we’ve always had a dialogue and have been able to work out any issues. It’s clear that GTE wants to show us that they have nothing to hide, and we’ve worked together very well with the company on different environmental and social initiatives.”

YURI MARCELA TORO VELEZ

Legal Representative of Campo Alegre Village

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GTE continues to increase opportunities for local contractors and suppliers through a strategy focusing on putting local companies first to meet its needs for goods and services, only expanding its search beyond the locality if no qualified providers are available. Local vendors are an important driver of regional economies, as GTE’s contributions circulate well beyond its direct supply chain.

Providing opportunities for local businesses to participate and evolve with GTE’s operations is a fundamental value. Significant investments have been made in training, education and operations to drive economic growth and build a reliable supply chain through its award-winning Key Partners program.

“GTE’s contributions to our community have made it into an incredible partner for us, and now we are seeing results materialize. Our municipality is stronger as a result of the dialogue, agreements and social endeavours that we have worked on together.”

Rubén Darío Villabona Pérez

Former Mayor, Rionegro

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As an operator in a country with significant archaeological potential, Gran Tierra implements the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History’s (ICAHN) Archeology program that guides our projects during the early stages of operations. This allows the Company to identify and plan for the specific archaeological characteristics of the areas where the Company wants to build new civil works or infrastructure. In turn, this helps to assure the protection, conservation and recovery of the country’s archaeological heritage.

Gran Tierra’s Environmental Management Plan, the EMP, calls for the following measures to be taken before any operational development begins:

• Prior to the beginning of excavation in any area that has not been disturbed for the development of well pads or roads, a preliminary assessment of cultural/archaeological values will be conducted by a qualified specialist.
• If significant sites exist or are suspected, appropriate measures to protect or document these sites and recovery of any artifacts is implemented.
• In areas of suspected high archaeological value, a local archaeologist will be employed to provide on-site support in identifying chance discoveries and developing an appropriate approach to avoiding or preserving them.

In addition, as a prerequisite to receiving an environmental license, Colombia authorities require developers to prepare a site-specific archaeological management plan.

“We have been fortunate to have a partner like GTE focused on biodiversity and restoration of the Amazon region for years, before others were even having those conversations. Our collaboration around the Suruma Museum has made the history and archeological artifacts of the Amazon region available to the public, and the Company continues to share their knowledge with anyone who wants to listen. Suruma offers a unique experience for farmers, children and other visitors from the area who leave with their minds filled with information.”

Alex Mejia

Director General, Corpoamazonia

The Costayaco Forestry Centre (CFC) is one of the most innovative reforestation efforts in South America that has grown to 335 hectares, located near the Company’s production facilities in Putumayo. Established in 2010 in coordination with regional environmental regulator Corpoamazonia, the facility has grown into a significant habitat for butterflies, birds, large felines and other wildlife.

The Centre is strategically located in an important environmental corridor connecting the Andean foothills and Amazonian Forest ecosystems, serving as a focal point for the Company’s compensatory requirements as well as many of its voluntary environmental activities. After ten years, the Company is very close to achieving its long-term goal of connecting the corridor to the foothills. The Centre, which was recently officially designated as a protected habitat and has been replicated around the country, also serves as a hub for nearby communities, hosting educational sessions, presentations and briefings.

“As parents, our legacy is protecting the forest so our kids can have good oxygen, diversity of flora and fauna and clean water. It’s incredible what the workers at the CFC have been able to do — now we see a huge amount of trees in what used to be empty lots. The animals have come back and the monkeys go through the trees to cross the road. The CFC helped me plant trees near my home, and people are more aware of the forest here because when they come to take trees to plant, they learn not to cut trees down. For me a place like this is incredible because I’m very concerned about climate change.”

Fabio Montenegro

Member of the El Meson Vereda Community Action Board (JAC)

A Source of Seedlings

The Forestry Centre has cultivated hundreds of thousands of seedlings providing local communities the capability to reforest their land with native trees. Residents have begun planting seedlings on their land, which over the years had been degraded by agriculture, animal husbandry, and other industries that damaged the natural habitats and sensitive ecosystems. The Centre is located in close proximity to the Sacha Wasi nursery which has the capacity to produce over one million seedlings each year as part of NaturAmazonas.

Expanding the Forestry Centre Model

Located on 11 hectares in a mountainous region eight kilometres from San Martín and near the Company’s operations in the Middle Magdalena Valley, the Acordionero Forestry Centre will adopt a similar model to the CFC. It will be a focal point for the Company’s required 1% investments and compensation, as well as its voluntary efforts to address regional environmental challenges. The Centre is located between two interconnected, biodiverse forested areas, through which more than 100 bird species have been recorded travelling. While the geography and ecosystems are different from Costayaco, the location will allow the Centre, which is scheduled to open in 2024, to restore and protect a river-based water source for nearby towns.

A Space for Learning

The Forestry Centre functions as a community learning space with programming for both youth and adults. Visitors can learn about GTE’s operations and environmental stewardship activities. The Centre has welcomed government officials, scientists, community members, companies, academic institutions, students and is open to all.

Monitoring the Restoration of Animal Life

The motion sensor camera and monitoring stations at the Costayaco Forestry Centre have successfully identified 121 species of birds, 15 species of amphibians and 11 mammal species. This is a significant increase from the last wildlife monitoring program in 2016, which shows that the Company’s conservation and reforestation efforts are restoring these natural habitats and attracting wildlife back to these regions.

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GTE expects contractors and suppliers to maintain business practices consistent with its own standards for its employees and operations including respect for Human Rights. While these expectations are embedded into GTE’s corporate policies and practices, the supply chain is an important Human Rights risk factor, especially with the large number of local vendors without policies in place.

Since 2021, the Company has implemented a program focused on its contracting companies to strengthen their understanding and implementation of good Human Rights practices. This work has been done in collaboration with two key partners, Hemisferio Consultores and ICESI University.

More than 20 local companies adjacent to Gran Tierra’s operations in southern and northern Colombia have participated in the program, receiving training and education on Human Rights and business. In addition, participants have been provided with continuous support to create and formalize Human Rights policies of their own. This has translated into an increased commitment among Gran Tierra’s suppliers to respect and promote Human Rights in their businesses.

The program will elevate Human Rights awareness, principles and protections to help partners and suppliers prepare for and respond to any scenario throughout GTE’s value chain. This program also improves and standardizes local business practices by incorporating Human Rights policies into operations across the value chain and will ripple through the industry, down into the communities.

One of the main pillars of GTE’s Human Rights work involves integrating its policies and concepts into its business. This effort requires extensive training with internal stakeholders to ensure they understand and adhere to the Company’s policies which are designed to protect rights.

This includes:

• Environmental management and licensing, including rights to land, water, and other natural resources.
• Health and Safety, including the right to life, physical integrity and security.
• Social freedom, including rights to protest and exercise legal rights.

Training sessions for a variety of external stakeholders focus on fundamental Human Rights concepts as well as GTE’s policies and scope of responsibility to the community. These sessions look at GTE’s Human Rights best practices and showcase the overall strategy for addressing and managing any Human Rights issues.

“Effective Human Rights work takes time and effort, and must filter throughout the entire organization from senior management to the workers on the ground.”

Laura Castillo

Human Rights Leader, GTE

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GTE regularly hosts a variety of community-based activities to strengthen ties with communities, leaders, and institutions in the areas where Gran Tierra operates. The events cover a wide variety of topics, including operational, educational and cultural.

In 2023, more than 11,000 men, women and children participated in games, arts and crafts, theatre, dance, movie productions, and community lunches—all at events organized and hosted by GTE in collaboration with local artists. Designed to strengthen bonds with local communities, leaders, and institutions in Putumayo, Cauca, Santander, and Cesar departments, GTE In My Community (GTE En Mi Comunidad) hosted recreational and educational activities with themes that reinforced shared values, healthy coexistence, and the value of living in community.

These events are also part of Colombia’s national “Brujula” program which instills principles of personal, family, and social coexistence. Out of more than three hundred participating municipalities, the program in Rio Negro which is focused on victims of violence and has been supported by GTE, was recognized as one of the top 20 in Colombia by Colombian NGO Corporacion Juego y Ninez (Game and Childhood Corporation).

“GTE has always been a good neighbour, treating our requests seriously and never closing its doors to us. They have gone far beyond what was expected, and if it wasn’t for their support, we wouldn’t be able to carry out these projects. As a result, the quality of life here has improved a lot.”

Carolina Aguas

Former President, JAC La Banca

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Gran Tierra is committed to ensure that economic benefits flow from our operations to local businesses and communities. GTE’s Fair Bidding Process and other procurement procedures are designed to maximize opportunities for local and regional communities.

GTE’s commitment to local businesses:

• Execute all contracting processes based on both national laws and international standards.
• Share the same information with all potential bidders, including strong tender documents and clear and fair rules about the proposal process.
• Inform each vendor about the results of the bidding process, and bidders can request additional information to help them understand what they need to do to improve their chances in the future.

To learn more about our partnerships with local suppliers and vendors click here.

“Since my family started our business in 1995 as a simple transportation company, we’ve grown into other sectors, including oil transportation. Gran Tierra’s clear communications, guidance and training has helped us easily integrate with the Company, and their support has helped us improve our own processes.”

WENDY LOZADO

Legal Representative, Contranskilili

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Emprender+, GTE’s signature entrepreneurship-based social investment project, is a critical component of GTE’s efforts to address local economic challenges. For the last several years, the program has created opportunities for people to strengthen their businesses and launch new companies while bolstering local economies in Colombia’s Middle Magdalena Valley and Putumayo regions.

Emprender+ provides technical training, business management guidance, and seed capital along with recognition for innovative business ideas and execution. The program, carried out in partnership with the World Corporation for Women in Colombia (CMMC), also helps entrepreneurs navigate the technical, administrative and management challenges of operating a small business. The popularity of the program has grown steadily and rapidly from 30 to over 200 participating entrepreneurs since its inception, and over 2,000 people registered to participate since the program started in 2021. Free online training sessions were created for the additional participants who were unable to join the full program.

In 2023, all program participants received seed capital for their businesses and 79% of Emprender+ participants are women.

For more information on Emprender+ visit the program’s website here.

“The program helped me immensely with all the aspects of a small business and the support helped me grow my ice cream business. Since then, I’ve been able to expand and buy better equipment, and I hope to build my own shop someday.”

JOHANN ALVAREZ

Founder of Win Win Helados Artesanales

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