Bogotá, July 7 of 2026
The most recent analysis by the Territorial Development Monitor, an independent platform that tracks and analyzes the evolution of territorial dynamics associated with development across regions, concluded that there is no relationship between coal mining and deforestation in Colombia.
The study, titled “Coal and Deforestation in the Territories,” determined that municipalities where this activity takes place maintain, on average, greater forest cover than other territories with similar characteristics.
The analysis, developed by Jaime Arteaga & Asociados in partnership with academic institutions from different regions of the country, indicates that coal from northern Colombia — located primarily in the departments of Cesar and La Guajira — concentrates the majority of national production, but is developed on dry Caribbean lands with limited forest cover. As a result, these municipalities accounted for only 0.9% of the deforestation recorded in the country during 2025.
Among the key findings, the report highlights that there is no relationship between higher levels of coal production and greater loss of forest. It also indicates that, when some coalproducing municipalities experience deforestation processes, these are concentrated in areas such as the Serranía del Perijá, where the causes are primarily associated with colonization and the expansion of the agricultural frontier, not with mining operations located in the valley
“This independent analysis confirms, with verifiable information and a technical approach, that the coal mining we carry out in Cesar is not a driver of deforestation. At Drummond Ltd. we will continue working responsibly, promoting an operation that integrates environmental management, regulatory compliance, and the protection of natural resources, while contributing to the sustainable development of the territories where we operate,” said José Miguel Linares, president of Drummond Ltd
The report also concludes that there is no evidence of an association between open-pit coal mining in the north of the country and underground mining in the Andean region with higher levels of deforestation. In both cases, the municipalities where this activity takes place show less forest loss compared to equivalent territories, reinforcing the importance of analyzing environmental dynamics from a territorial context and based on technical evidence.