Costa Rica's ambitious goals
- Stefania Dall'Armi
- Apr 9, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 27, 2020
Monteverde National ParkCosta Ricans are very conscious about their environment and the resources their lands offers. The fact of growing up next to beautiful landscapes surrounded by the 6% of the world's biodiversity probably makes them more protective about the environment. However, what Costa Rica is doing is not only protecting and preserving its nature, the new government has set few ambitious goals for the country to reach by the next few years:
First Plastic-Free Nation by 2021
Two years ago on the World Environment Day, Costa Rica announced it would eliminate single-use plastics and launched a national strategy to replace plastics with recyclable and water-soluble materials by 2021. The program is partially supported by the United Nations Development Program (1).
Why are single-use plastics so bad? Costa Rica realised it sooner than other countries as it stands on the front-line experiencing the negative effects of climate change. Every week tons of garbage arrive on its coasts, destroying every form of life. The plastic spoon you use for 10 minutes to eat your lunch or the plastic bag you use for a one-way to the supermarket can take hundreds of years to decompose, and the ocean fills up with 8 million tons of plastic every year (2). "By 2050 there may be more plastic in the ocean than fish," says The Ellen Macarthur Foundation report. Moreover, plastic has been found in 60% of seabirds and 100% of sea-turtle species, which mistake plastic for food (3).
100% Renewable Energy by 2021
Costa Rica has generated 99% of its electricity from renewable sources over the past five years, using its rivers, volcanoes, wind and solar power. "Even though we want to go to 100%," adds the Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez.
“Basing [electricity] generation on renewable resources allows the country to achieve one of the lowest ratios of greenhouse gas emissions to electrical consumption on the planet,” the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) indicates in a statement. ICE is the state-owned power and telecoms provider. It stopped buying energy from the Regional Electricity Market and instead started selling electricity back to other Central American nations (4).
The 75% of the nation's renewable energy comes from water produced in rivers. However, Costa Rica recently started suffering from the extreme weather associated with the global climate crisis: it includes an increase in the frequency, severity, and duration of droughts. For this reason ICE announced that the dependence on hydropower may be dangerous. Therefore, Costa Rica is looking to diversify its renewables. Wind power has grown to 15%, up from 4% in 2011. Geothermal power accounted for nearly 13% of energy generation one year ago (5).
Playa Matapalo, West CoastCarbon Neutrality by 2025
Among all the new green policies Costa Rica has set to meet in the next few years the National De-carbonisation Plan is the most ambitious, adding the fact that it not only intend to be carbon neutral but to be carbon negative by 2050. The country has accomplished important environmental progress in the last few years, including promoting electric transportations and reforesting its forests, which now cover a 52% of the country. However, in order to completely decarbonise the nation Costa Ricans need to make significative changes to their daily lives. The plan counts ten concrete goals the county wants to reach in the next five years: (6)
1. To develop a public transportation system (buses, taxis and trains) powered by clean energy (without emissions). It will be very efficient, therefore the use of private cars will be less attractive. It also aims to a 10% rise in non-motorised mobilisation.
2. To progressively transform the country's vehicle fleet from light fossil combustion cars to zero-emission vehicles and to promote business models of autonomous shared cars. The country will also implement an extensive electric recharge network throughout the country and with complementary infrastructure for zero emission technologies, for example, hydrogen stations.
3. To reduce the environmental impact of cargo transportation in the country by promoting the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and low-carbon vehicles.
4. To consolidate a national electrical system capable of supplying and managing renewable energy at a competitive cost for the users. To improve the management of clients and territories by digitalising institutional and commercial proceedings.
5. To develop buildings for commercial, residential and institutional use under high efficiency and low emission standards.
6. To modernise the industrial sector through electrical, sustainable and more efficient proceedings.
7. To develop an integrated waste management system based on separation, reuse, revaluation and final disposal of maximum efficiency and low emissions.
8. To support the adoption of an efficient, low-carbon food technology that generates products for exportation and local consumption.
9. To consolidate livestock models based on productive efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gases.
10. To consolidate a management model for rural, urban and coastal territories that facilitates the protection of biodiversity, the increase and maintenance of forest cover and ecosystem services.
Costa Rica is showing to other nations that today protecting and conserve the environment is important, but not enough to tackle the climate crisis. Countries have to be ambitious and aim higher compared to what they have always done and looking forwards better futures.
(4) - ICE Group
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