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USAID Trains Indigenous Youth for Colombia’s Clean Energy Economy: An Interview with Rosalía Florez Palmar

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06 Jun, 2024

This post was originally published on Climate Links

USAID Trains Indigenous Youth for Colombia’s Clean Energy Economy: An Interview with Rosalía Florez Palmar
jschoshinski
Tue, 06/04/2024 – 15:32

USAID is committed to supporting Colombia’s inclusive transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy in which Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women, and youth can participate in, benefit from, and lead the country’s clean energy future.

Through the Scaling Up Renewable Energy (SURE) program, USAID partnered with the Government of Colombia and the national vocational training agency Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) to create a workforce training program tailored to meet the needs of Indigenous communities and renewable energy companies in northeast Colombia’s La Guajira region, which will be the site of new wind farms. The two-year solar photovoltaic (PV) installation and maintenance certification program consists of an academic portion and practical training through an internship at a solar system installation company. In June 2024, trainees will complete the program and enter the job market as certified technicians or become entrepreneurs.

SURE interviewed trainees on November 11, 2022, and recently caught up with Rosalía Florez Palmar as she prepares to graduate from the program. Rosalía, age 25, is from Clan Pushaina, an Indigenous Wayuu family, in the Guajira region’s Nuevo Amanecer community.

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Profile photos of Rosalia Florez Palmer in pink gown and head wrap

Rosalia Florez Palmer at the USAID graduation ceremony on May 10, 2024.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. 

What can you tell us about your community?

The Indigenous Wayuu families have been characterized since our origins for being nomadic until we found a territory with all the conditions for our existence and survival. Hence, they settled in the peninsula of the Colombian and Venezuelan Guajira. This was the case of the family belonging to the Clan Pushaina, which in 1984 settled in a geographical space located in the center of the region. This family exodus came mostly from the high Guajira, in search of safeguarding their animals, such as sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys.

This ethnic group lived in the desert and lacked vegetation to obtain the grass necessary to feed their animals. The ancestral name of the territory is Apana pui because there is a stream in this community that bears this name. This territory was wide at that time. It was like paradise, there was a great diversity of fauna and flora of native species; there was a great diversity of timber trees, medicinal plants, and wild fruits. Today the sun and the wind can be one of our allies to revive the paradise that disappears every day.
 

How do you envision applying the skills and expertise you’ve acquired through the USAID training program to contribute to renewable energy projects in La Guajira and beyond?

I imagine myself being an empowered woman in renewable energies and being able to share all my knowledge so that it can be multiplied, applying projects for the benefit of our communities and focused on their sustainability. On the other hand, I also imagine having a company that is focused on energy solutions throughout Colombia and that provides more employment opportunities for all Indigenous women.
 

What was your experience with the USAID training program?

This was one of the most important experiences of my life because it was a great opportunity that came to my community. I was able to interact and share with 37 young people of my Wayuu culture from 12 communities, young people with different purposes but with the same goal.

What motivated me to enroll was that my community is a direct area of influence of the transmission lines of a wind farm, where I was totally unaware of this, but which was related to renewable energy.
 

How has this program prepared you for the challenges and opportunities in Colombia’s clean energy economy, especially in the context of La Guajira?

This program has prepared me completely because it orients us to the participation and intervention of projects focused on renewable energies, and their transition within our territories [and] being participants of these processes.
 

What were some of the most valuable skills and knowledge you gained during the academic portion of the program?

Within this program, I managed to develop different skills, taking into account the knowledge that has allowed me to advance and face my fears. Today I have critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, in front of situations or problems. On the other hand, the most valuable knowledge that I acquired was all that was transmitted during the first phase which was focused on territorial relations and practices in renewable energy. I focus on this phase because it was the one that allowed me to have a broader perception of my territory and its energy wealth, which was totally unknown to me and was what motivated me even more to fall in love with renewable energy.
 

Could you tell us about your internship experience at the solar systems installation company? What were your responsibilities and achievements during this practical training?

When I started my internship, I had clear expectations and I wanted to continue learning. At times I was afraid because I had never been to a city as big as Barranquilla, taking with me my essence as a Wayuu woman, but today I thank God and the people from human resources from Esco Energy for giving me their support at all times.

On the other hand, when we were assigned the responsibilities, which was to make wiring boards: I can say this assignment was easy, because I related it to my work as a Wayuu woman. It was like weaving the Wayuu bags, everything had its sequence and logic to reach the culminating goal. I was very happy because I knew it was a great benefit for my Wayuu brothers and sisters.

Afterwards, we supported professionals of the electrical services company Aire by installing internal networks in different houses. I felt very happy to see the happiness and gratitude of all those people where we implemented this project.

The greatest achievement is to be able to have successfully completed and knowing that I gave the best of me. Today there are many people happy to have light in their homes for the first time and that these wiring and installations have been made by a group of Wayuu women.
 

As an Indigenous youth, how do you see yourself playing a role in addressing the climate crisis and promoting sustainable development in your community?

As a young Indigenous person, I see myself with the responsibility to guide all members of my community in the proper use of waste through lectures, training, and preparation from childhood to grow up with a sense of belonging to our environment. [Also, looking] for ways to implement mini projects for the use of waste generated by the community, and that is a benefit to the whole community.

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What are some of the key challenges you’ve encountered during your training, and how did you overcome them?

It was a challenge to make electrical wiring blueprints. I managed to overcome them with perseverance and help from the instructor and some colleagues.
 

In what ways do you think the partnership between USAID, the Government of Colombia, and SENA has helped to empower Indigenous communities and promote inclusivity in the energy transition?

In a positive way, because within our communities, we do not see these types of associations that are focused on the empowerment of Indigenous communities in the energy transition. A clear example are all those projects that have not been able to be developed in our department because the general perception is that they are only coming to fill their pockets. Today I can say that many authorities and leaders have that mentality because of lack of these opportunities, like lack of knowledge.
 

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations and goals as a certified technician or potential entrepreneur in the renewable energy sector?

My aspirations and goals are to continue preparing myself professionally in renewable energy. To be able to complete the program in order to formulate projects, to become an entrepreneur, to set up businesses and that my fellow students become my partners.
 

Lastly, how do you see your participation in this program contributing to the broader goals of Colombia’s clean energy transition, economic empowerment for Indigenous youth, and promoting the well-being of Wayuu communities? 

The participation we have had in this energy promotion program is for our country. It offers endless opportunities. It contributes to the young world of today that fundamentally has the function of being the pillars to talk about energy transition in our communities and our country.

This also includes the activation of an economy that has been improving. Perhaps the economic production of the country, and of course also that of the Indigenous communities, through each of the students who today have the knowledge and competence in the areas where we can contribute what we have acquired in our training as technicians.

For more information on USAID’s clean energy work in Colombia, visit Colombia’s Clean Energy Future. To watch a video about the USAID

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SURE interviewed trainees on November 11, 2022, and recently caught up with Rosalía Florez Palmar as she prepares to graduate from the program.

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Taking the electronic pulse of the circular economy

Taking the electronic pulse of the circular economy

In June, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 E-Waste World, Battery Recycling, Metal Recycling, and ITAD & Circular Electronics Conference & Expo events in Frankfurt, Germany.

Speaking in the ITAD & Circular Electronics track on a panel with global Circular Economy leaders from Foxway Group, ERI and HP, we explored the evolving role of IT asset disposition (ITAD) and opportunities in the circular electronics economy.

The event’s focus on advancing circular economy goals and reducing environmental impact delivered a series of insights and learnings. From this assembly of international expertise across 75+ countries, here are some points from the presentations that stood out for me:

1. Environmental impact of the digital economy

Digitalisation has a heavy material footprint in the production phase, and lifecycle thinking needs to guide every product decision. Consider that 81% of the energy a laptop uses in its lifetime is consumed during manufacture (1 tonne in manufacture is equal to 10,000 tonnes of CO2) and laptops are typically refreshed or replaced by companies every 3–4 years.

From 2018 to 2023, the average number of devices and connections per capita in the world increased by 50% (2.4 to 3.6). In North America (8.2 to 13.4) and Western Europe (5.6 to 9.4), this almost doubled. In 1960, only 10 periodic table elements were used to make phones. In 1990, 27 elements were used and now over 60 elements are used to build the smartphones that we have become so reliant on.

A key challenge is that low-carbon and digital technologies largely compete for the same minerals. Material resource extraction could increase 60% between 2020 and 2060, while demand for lithium, cobalt and graphite is expected to rise by 500% until 2050.

High growth in ICT demand and Internet requires more attention to the environmental footprint of the digital economy. Energy consumption of data centres is expected to more than double by 2026. The electronics industry accounts for over 4% of global GHG — and digitalisation-related waste is growing, with skewed impacts on developing countries.

E-waste is rising five times faster than recycling — 1 tonne of e-waste has a carbon footprint of 2 tonnes. Today’s solution? ‘Bury it or burn it.’ In terms of spent emissions, waste and the costs associated with end-of-life liabilities, PCBAs (printed circuit board assembly) cost us enormously — they generally achieve 3–5% recyclability (75% of CO2 in PCBAs is from components).

2. Regulating circularity in electronics

There is good momentum across jurisdictions in right-to-repair, design and labelling regulations; recycling targets; and voluntary frameworks on circularity and eco-design.

The EU is at the forefront. EU legislation is lifting the ICT aftermarket, providing new opportunities for IT asset disposition (ITAD) businesses. To get a sense, the global market for electronics recycling is estimated to grow from $37 billion to $108 billion (2022–2030). The value of refurbished electronics is estimated to increase from $85.9 billion to $262.2 billion (2022–2032). Strikingly, 40% of companies do not have a formal ITAD strategy in place.

Significantly, the EU is rethinking its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management targets, aligned with upcoming circularity and WEEE legislation, as part of efforts to foster the circular economy. A more robust and realistic circularity-driven approach to setting collection targets would better reflect various factors including long lifespans of electronic products and market fluctuations.

Australia and New Zealand lag the EU’s comprehensive e-waste mandated frameworks. The lack of a systematic approach results in environmental degradation and missed positioning opportunities for businesses in the circular economy. While Australia’s Senate inquiry into waste reduction and recycling recommended legislating a full circular economy framework — including for imported and local product design, financial incentives and regulatory enforcement, New Zealand remains the only OECD country without a national scheme to manage e-waste.

3. Extending product lifecycles

Along with data security and digital tools, reuse was a key theme in the ITAD & Circular Electronics track of the conference. The sustainable tech company that I lead, Greenbox, recognises that reuse is the simplest circular strategy. Devices that are still functional undergo refurbishment and are reintroduced into the market, reducing new production need and conserving valuable resources.

Conference presenters highlighted how repair over replacement is being legislated as a right in jurisdictions around the world. Resources are saved, costs are lowered, product life is extended, and people and organisations are empowered to support a greener future. It was pointed out that just 43% of countries have recycling policies, 17% of global waste is formally recycled, and less than 1% of global e-waste is formally repaired and reused.

Right to repair is a rising wave in the circular economy, and legislation is one way that civil society is pushing back on programmed obsolescence. Its global momentum continues at different speeds for different product categories — from the recent EU mandates to multiple US state bills (and some laws) through to repair and reuse steps in India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Commission has done a scoping study to identify product groups under the Ecodesign framework that would be most relevant for implementing an EU-wide product reparability scoring system.

Attending this event with the entire electronic waste recycling supply chain — from peers and partners to suppliers and customers — underscored the importance of sharing best practices to address the environmental challenges that increased hardware proliferation and complex related issues are having on the world.

Ross Thompson is Group CEO of sustainability, data management and technology asset lifecycle management market leader Greenbox. With facilities in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Greenbox Group provides customers all over the world a carbon-neutral supply chain for IT equipment to reduce their carbon footprint by actively managing their environmental, social and governance obligations.

Image credit: iStock.com/Mustafa Ovec

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