Legal Planning and Compliance

Results obtained per each strategic line:

Managing and obtaining environmental authorizations

• Three (3) Environmental License for: “Rubi Marine Exploratory Drilling Area”, “Flamencos Development Project” and “Recetor Norte Exploratory Drilling Area”.

• One (1) Amendment of the Environmental License: Cusiana T Development Well Area.

• One (1) Amendment of Comprehensive Environmental Management Plan - PMAI “Occidente Norte”.

• Fifteen (15) environmental authorizations obtained from ANLA, throughthe legal channel called minor change.

• Ninety-three (93) environmental authorizations were obtained from the CARs, for the use and exploitation of natural resources at Ecopetrol S.A.'s fields.

Legal compliance of operations and projects

Ecopetrol S. A. ensures the environmental legal compliance in its operations and projects; in that way, it has 430 environmental authorizations in force issued by national or regional environmental authorities, distributed as follows:

In 2023:

• ECOPETROL S.A. was notified of 3.820 administrative acts enacted by the Environmental Authorities, of which 1.635 contained requirements that are systematically monitored at the strategic, tactical and operational levels to ensure compliance with the established obligations in terms of time, mode and place.

• ECOPETROL S.A. answered 23.738 requirements issued by environmental authorities as part of administrative acts issued in recent years, compliance date of which was year 2023.

Environmental planning and zoning of the territory

• The operations and projectsof Ecopetrol S.A. overlap with 182 municipalities in Colombia, 111 hydrographic subzones susceptible to River Basin Management Plans (POMCAs) and 13 Regional District of Integrated Management (DRMI), of the 122 adopted at the national level. As defined in Colombian law, the company seeks to ensure participation in the formulation and be part of the watershed councils.

• The company's aspiration is to harmonizethe activities of Ecopetrol S.A. with the environmental rules of the territory and this ensures the inclusion of this subject in the planning of projects and operations.

Prior consultation

Within the due process framework, for the execution of the projects and the operation, Ecopetrol S.A. verifies with the National Prior Consultation Authority Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior, the possible impacts for communities belonging to ethnic groups (Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, Rom, Raizales or Palenqueros). If a direct impact on any community is identified, the corporate protocol for the launching of prior consultations is activated.

During 2023, the following actions were carried out regarding the prior consultation related processes:

• Fifteen (15) prior consultation decisions obtained for new projects, of which five (5) proceed prior consultation.
• One (1) protocol consultation.
• Seventy-two (72) prior consultations in progress.
• Ten (10) prior follow-up consultations.
• Seven (7) closed prior consultations.

Archaeological cultural heritage

Ecopetrol is a company committed to the protection of the Nation’s archaeological heritage and implements in all its projects preventive archaeology programs in which the necessary activities are formulated to prevent and control the probable impact that exists on the heritage, always having as a goal "zero affectations to the patrimony".

During 2023, thirty-six (36) preventive archeology programs were in effect, located mainly in the regions of Orinoquía, Andina Oriente, Piedemonte and Central, which concentrate the largest number of interventions in archaeology at the national level.

The following activities are highlighted:

• Opening of two (2) new preventive archaeology programs for the Casablanca and Dionicio projects.

• Approval of archaeological management plans for 140 specific polygons in the preventive archeology programs of Campo Rubiales, Campo Mago, Campo Cumanday, Mares, Casabe, Cubarral, Field 50K, Field Apiay and Project Orca.

• Approval of closure for thirty-three (33) specific polygons in the preventive archaeology programs of the CPO9 Fields, Mares, Cumanday, Cubarral, San Francisco and Apiay.

• Approval of the closure of five (5) preventive archeology programs, such as: Centro de maniobras Vaqueros, Termo Ocoa Project, Termosuria Project, Disposal Dina Norte Tempranillo, Tello Cebú Gas Line and Brisa Solar Farm.

• The archaeological materials recovered during the field phases of the Llanito DLP project were delivered to the secretariat of culture of the municipality of Barrancabermeja, within the framework of the management of tenure of archaeological property.

• Sixty-six (66) archaeological excavations (rescues) were carried out in fifteen (15) specific polygons, particularly in the programs of Campo 50K, Bloque Cubarral and Pozo Machín, obtaining relevant information about the material culture of the pre-Hispanic communities that inhabited the Llanos Orientales and the Magdalena. The analysis of these materials and archaeological contexts will allow researchers to delve into the reconstruction of the cultural practices of these communities.

Main environmental impact studies managed and obtained before the National Environmental Licensing Authority in recent years

The Colombian state, through the National Environmental Licensing Authority - ANLA, an entity that is part of the National Environmental System, is in charge of evaluating and authorizing projects, works or activities in the Oil & Gas sector. For a project to comply in legal and environmental terms, the applicant files with the authority the request for an Environmental License, which "is a process used for the planning and management of projects that ensures that the human and economic activities are adjusted to the ecological and resource constraints and thus it is a key mechanism to promote sustainable development in the nation”. (ANLA, 2020).

The environmental licensing process begins with the filing of an Environmental Impact Study carried out by the interested party, which includes, among other aspects, the identification of environmental impacts with the project and without it, which can be classified as indirect, synergistic and cumulative. Likewise, the evaluation and assessment must be carried out with methodologies consistent with the nature of the project, justifying the assessment of each impact, whether negative or positive. Additionally, the Environmental Impact Study proposes environmental management programs that constitute a detailed description of the set of actions, measures, and activities that, as a result of the environmental assessment, are aimed at preventing, mitigating, correcting, and compensating for the environmental impacts that have been identified as generated by the development of a project, work or activity.

According to the business goals that Ecopetrol S. A. has established, its main objectives are aimed at discovering and delimiting commercially viable hydrocarbon accumulations for onshore and offshore projects; in addition, the company seeks to manage the best strategy for the production of crude oil and gas that is performed directly or in association with other companies. Said activities are executed once the projects are technically defined, from there the environmental planning phase begins, which allows identifying, according to the location and scope thereof, the overlapping and simultaneity with other projects, environmental zoning, restrictions and areas environmentally and socially sensitive that affect the design and development of the project, as well as the definition of the action plan, applicable legal requirements and schedules.

On the last five (5) years, Ecopetrol S. A. has filed with the National Environmental Licensing Authority - ANLA, the applications for new environmental licenses, license amendments and/or the amendment of Comprehensive Environmental Management Plans.

The following links present the executive summary of each one of the Environmental Impact Studies - EIA - filed with the Authority for the evaluation and subsequent authorization, through an administrative act. In these documents you will be able to know the summary content of the Environmental Impact Study, which includes a description of the project, physico-biotics and social characterization, environmental evaluation, stages of citizen participation where the impacts of the project and environmental management measures were made known to the community.