COLOMBIA: Center works climate neutral
Don Bosco Center is first Salesian facility to reduce CO2 footprint to zero
COLOMBIA
(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Center (Don Bosco City) in Medellín, Colombia, has been CO2 neutral since 2022. It is the first Don Bosco facility in the world that has reduced its CO2 footprint to zero and works climate neutral. The first step in the process toward this achievement was to work with partners to understand and record CO2 emissions.
Following that, Salesians introduced an environmental management system to improve climate balance with concrete measures, such as solar panels for green power, a solar thermal plant for hot water and a green area.
A Salesian noted, “This is how Don Bosco inspires the local people in Medellín. We aim to be an important pioneer in our Don Bosco family. The clear goal is to make all Don Bosco facilities worldwide CO2 neutral by 2030. We want to contribute to the future task of all mankind and to envision sustainability, both big and small, for a human-friendly climate and an environment worth living.”
Don Bosco City is one of the oldest and largest programs for street children in Latin America. Since its start in 1965, the program has rescued more than 83,000 boys and girls. Through the program, Salesian missionaries offer a multi-pronged approach designed to address the broad social issues that contribute to the poverty and exploitation these youth face while training them in the skills necessary to break the cycle of violence and poverty. The work of Salesian missionaries in Colombia is internationally recognized.
Just over 34% of Colombians are living below the poverty line. Though Colombia is among the world’s emerging economies, more than three out of 10 Colombians still live in poor conditions. Colombia is also the world’s seventh most inequitable country.
One in five children in the country has no access to education. Many orphaned youth live in poverty and have lost their parents to natural disasters, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other diseases, war or domestic issues. Some children remain living with a single parent, struggling to survive, and are often pulled out of school to earn income for the remaining family. Other youth live in shelters or on the streets.
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Sources:
Photo courtesy of Don Bosco City
Salesian Missions – Colombia
World Bank – Colombia
