Ibague speaks to the world: Mayor Johana Aranda leads the Glocal Manifesto that will shape the climate agenda at COP30 in Brazil

The mayor led a collective manifesto on circular economy that will be taken to the global climate change summit organized by the United Nations. An unprecedented event in Colombia.

Bogotá, November 4, 2025.

The history of climate action in Latin America has just written a new chapter. From Bogotá, the mayor of Ibagué, Johana Aranda, became the first woman mayor in Colombia and of an intermediate city in Latin America to rally thousands of territories around a single purpose: to act on climate change.

The stage was the Glocal Pre-Summit on Circular Economy, a preparatory meeting for the Glocal Nova Next Summit 2026, to be held in Ibagué from April 21 to 23, 2026. There, before more than 400 national and international leaders, the Glocal Manifesto on Circular Economy was presented—a historic document that brings together the commitment of more than 4,000 cities represented by networks and multilateral organizations from around the world.

“Every word of this manifesto is an invitation to act with purpose and with faith, because the circular economy is not just a productive model; it is a way of thinking, living, and caring. From Ibagué, Colombia’s musical capital, we launch this global movement in local action with global impact,” said the mayor, recognized by the latest 2025 Opinion Panel by Cifras & Conceptos as one of the country’s top ten mayors.

The Glocal Manifesto: a call to action from the territories

The Glocal Manifesto on Circular Economy sets out five core principles to guide sustainable urban transformation:

Responsible water management as a public good and source of life.

Waste reduction and sustainable consumption across all productive sectors.

Green innovation and clean technology in the service of competitiveness.

Environmental education for a conscious circular citizenry.

The economy as a tool for equity, well-being, and territorial development.

This document will be officially presented to the world at COP30 in Brazil, with the support of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), Mercociudades, Asocapitales, ICLEI, and the Finnova Foundation of the European Union.

“From our office in Colombia, it’s a pleasure to be here; it is very important that we are going to take this manifesto to COP30 in Brazil in just a week. From OEI, we offer full institutional support to this manifesto,” said Donatella Montaldo, OEI representative.

For Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, “Ibagué is responding to a need across Latin America. We will be ready in 2026, under the leadership of the mayor and the manager of Ibagué Limpia, Dr. Restrepo, to offer all of Latin America a place where investments from Europe can come.”

The Glocal Pre-Summit on Circular Economy brought together more than 200 entities, 60 panelists, and 200 attendees, establishing itself as one of the most diverse and influential meetings on the Latin American environmental agenda.

Participants included representatives from multilateral organizations such as the World Bank, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America, Bancóldex, Asobancaria, Swiss Cooperation (SECO), GIZ (German Cooperation), as well as leaders from ANDESCO, CECODES, CEMEX, ANDI, AZFA, CEMPRE, Smart Investment Fund, Interaseo, UAESP, the Ministry of Environment, OEI, and multiple embassies accredited in Colombia, including the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Chile.

Networks of local governments also joined, such as Mercociudades, the Argentine Network of Municipalities Facing Climate Change, Asocapitales, and the Arhuaco Community of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, along with universities, binational chambers, environmental corporations, business associations, and national and territorial entities.

Among the more than 150 institutions present were: ANDI – Circular Vision, ANATO, Fedegán, Fenalco Solidario, UN Global Compact Network Colombia, Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, Cotelco Tolima, University of Tolima, University of Ibagué, Bogotá Water Utility, Infibagué, Findeter, Cemex, Pepsico, VEOLIA, Urbaser, Bogotá Free Trade Zone, Santander Free Trade Zone, Metropolitan Free Trade Zone, Bioagrícola del Llano, Corpoboyacá, CRQ, Carvajal S.A., Pavco Wavin, and FEMCOL.

The event addressed a comprehensive agenda on the circular economy and international cooperation, structured into three major thematic blocks:

• Glocal Free Trade Zones and Circular Economy, moderated by Angélica Peña Preciado, with business leaders from Colombia, Spain, Argentina, and Uruguay.

• Multilateral Financing for the Circular Economy, led by Juan Manuel Revuelta (Finnova), with participation from CAF, SECO, Bancóldex, Asobancaria, Smart Investment Fund, and the World Bank.

• Open Innovation and the Glocal Circular Economy, led by Massimiliano Dragoni, former director of Startup Europe, with contributions from CECODES, CEMEX, CEMPRE, GIZ, and the Bogotá Water Utility.

Additionally, the closing micro-lectures brought together inspiring voices such as Doha Zamel (UN Environment – Plan Bleu), Keidy Palacios (circular and sustainable designer), Amílcar Pacheco (Arhuaco leader), Michelle Holguín (Talisman Beachwear), and Diego Cobaleda (DANE), who reflected on ancestral sustainability, conscious fashion, and environmental accounting.

“May this afternoon find us united in the same conviction: to leave the planet a legacy—a legacy of balance, innovation, and hope. Today we begin the road to April 2026, when the world will turn its eyes to Ibagué to recognize its green leadership. Let us continue to demonstrate that from the heart of the Andes, we can also write the brightest pages of the future,” emphasized Mayor Johana Aranda.

The Glocal Nova Next Summit 2026, to be held in Ibagué from April 21 to 23, 2026, will cement the city as the Latin American epicenter of the circular transition. It will bring together more than 30 countries, international networks, and hundreds of cities committed to a green and collaborative economy.

“We want the city of Ibagué to have the first free trade zone; this is our main goal. We want this event to give something back to our city and our country. Not only for Ibagué to speak to the world, but for us to have that laboratory,” Aranda concluded.

The Glocal Manifesto on Circular Economy is more than a document: it is the beginning of a global alliance to transform development from the territories.

Because change does not start in the big capitals—it starts in the cities that decide to act.

And from Ibagué, the message is clear:

the future is circular, glocal, and begins today.

For more information visit: www.cumbreeconomiacircular.com

Press contact: comunicaciones@cumbreeconomiacircular.com