Agenda 21: a form of joint environmental management in Manizales, Colombia describes the development of Bioplan-Manizales, a local environmental action plan (LEAP) for the city of Manizales, and the different groups that contributed to its development including the municipality. The paper also describes the broader national and international context for the innovations in Manizales including the political, legislative and fiscal changes in Colombia that have encouraged local authorities to develop local environmental agendas and the city's own historical development.