Bogotá, Colombia, January 24, 2025. The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, held from January 20 to 24 in Davos under the theme "Collaboration in the Age of Intelligence," brings together nearly 3,000 leaders from governments, businesses, and civil society. The discussions focus on climate change, energy transition, technological innovation, and the creation of inclusive and sustainable economies. To mark the fifth anniversary of UpLink—an innovation initiative—11 outstanding global innovators were invited to participate in the official program to showcase their groundbreaking solutions, share insights, and announce new strategic initiatives that benefit people and the planet.

Recognized as one of the most innovative minds in Latin America, Mariana Sarmiento, CEO of Terrasos, is part of an exclusive group of leaders sharing transformative solutions to address the 21st century’s greatest challenges. These include rising global temperatures and biodiversity loss—an escalating crisis that threatens billions of people reliant on ecosystem services. Communities face critical issues daily, such as water scarcity, food insecurity, and increasing inequality.

In Latin America, Colombia stands out with the potential to become a global leader in the bioeconomy—a sustainable economic model based on the use of renewable biological resources to generate goods and services—thanks to its rich biodiversity. This positions the country as a key player in combating climate change and preserving ecosystems. However, to fully leverage this competitive advantage, challenges in restoration and conservation must be overcome, along with attracting greater investment in projects that promote the sustainable use of natural resources. Colombia aims to restore and conserve 700,000 hectares—a goal that requires innovative, results-based mechanisms supported by cutting-edge technology, as well as a strong and collaborative commitment from governments, the private sector, and local communities.

"Today, the G20 is talking about the bioeconomy, and Colombia has all the potential to take a leading role. It is essential to recognize nature’s economic value—not just as a resource to conserve but as an asset that can generate wealth for territories and communities," said Sarmiento. The implementation of tools such as habitat banks and biodiversity credits represents critical steps toward ensuring a more sustainable and prosperous future for Colombia and the region, offering a model for adopting these innovative initiatives globally.

New Investment Opportunities in Natural Capital

Mariana Sarmiento’s participation in the World Economic Forum highlights the importance of financial innovation as a key tool for restoring and conserving natural capital. Through the promotion of new business models, cutting-edge technologies, and strategic partnerships, investment opportunities are emerging that connect private investors with conservation and restoration projects. These initiatives are supported by robust technical, legal, and financial guarantees, ensuring the development of high-integrity projects.

"Ecosystems are vital infrastructure for economies, yet they are being severely degraded. Investing in their conservation and restoration is not only an urgent necessity but also creates business and employment opportunities, particularly in biodiversity-rich regions like Colombia," Sarmiento emphasized. She posed critical questions: “How should we safeguard the planet? How can we catalyze action for climate and nature?” The answers lie in innovative partnerships, increased funding, and the deployment of cutting-edge technologies.

Biodiversity Credits: A Mechanism for Conservation

Biodiversity credits are an innovative financial mechanism that enables companies, governments, and other stakeholders to fund long-term conservation and restoration projects. Known as Tebu, "Terrasos Biodiversity Unit", this tool was created and developed by Terrasos in partnership with BID Lab and Fundación Santo Domingo, as part of Habitat Banks endorsed by Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.

This platform integrates Biodiversity Credits with blockchain technology, ensuring traceability, rigor, and transparency to guarantee high integrity. The result is tangible impacts on biodiversity, contributing to ecosystem protection and addressing issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change.

As an example of best practices, Sarmiento highlighted Colombia’s habitat bank model. These banks are not financial entities but territories where environmental gains are achieved through conservation and restoration actions. Biodiversity "credits" are traded under a results-based payment principle, ensuring high integrity, quality, rigor, and transparency. This approach ensures that conservation efforts are measurable and verifiable. Furthermore, these projects are backed by Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, providing a strong and transparent legal framework.

Today, companies such as Amarilo, ISA, Cortineros Líder, Casa Legado, ACI Proyectos, Colombia Travel Operator, Gran Fondo de Bogotá, and Fundación Santo Domingo, among others, have directly contributed to ecosystem protection by acquiring Tebu credits.

Through her participation in the World Economic Forum, Mariana Sarmiento reaffirms her commitment to biodiversity conservation and the implementation of innovative solutions to protect ecosystems and address climate and economic challenges. Through initiatives like Terrasos, Sarmiento leads a movement to revalue nature as a key economic asset, working alongside communities, governments, and private sector actors to develop projects that not only protect nature but also create positive impacts on local and global economies.

For more information, visit https://www.terrasos.co/ or contact Giovanni Fonseca Duffó at [email protected].