A special guest graced audiences at the centre stage of the Colombia Pavilion

DUBAI: The Colombia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai observed the International Jaguar Day recently with a programme of talks and exhibitions to raise awareness about the increasing threats facing the big cat and the critical conservation efforts ensuring its survival, from Mexico to Argentina.

Observed annually on November 29, International Jaguar Day celebrates the Americas’ largest wild cat as an umbrella species for biodiversity conservation and an icon for sustainable development and the centuries-old cultural heritage of Central America and South America.

Using immersive exhibitions, the pavilion showcased the work of Conexión Jaguar. Created in 2016 by Colombia-based energy giant ISA Group and conservation organisations Panthera and South Pole, Conexión Jaguar uses carbon credits to fund the restoration and conservation of jaguar habitat in South America, while supporting the landowners and communities who live there.

Juliana Suso Jaramillo, Chief of Corporate Affairs, ISA Group, said, “Conexión Jaguar protects biodiversity, water and forests, ensures the survival of coexisting species and their associated habitats. Out of an estimated 150,000 jaguars in Central and South America, about 6,000 die every year due to deforestation. We need to protect them because when the jaguar is present, there is water, a healthy eco-system, and other umbrella species.”

ISA Group, Panthera, and South Pole have worked to establish a Jaguar Corridor that runs from Mexico to Chile, covering about six million square kilometres. The corridor has been established in partnership with governments, corporations, and local communities.

Giuliana Suso Jaramillo said, “For us, a company that is fully committed to sustainability, that has placed sustainability in the heart of our strategy towards 2030, an event like Expo gives us an opportunity to understand what other countries are doing in terms of approaching climate change, what are the new technologies, new conversations and allies that are really concerned like we [are] in protecting the environment.

“In all our operations as a company, in all the countries we operate in, we’re going to achieve carbon neutrality. But we cannot stop there. As a company, we have this mission and purpose to contribute positively to the environment. Our goal is to achieve 11 million tonnes of reduction of carbon dioxide until 2030.”

Source: Expo 2020 Website