In 2015, representatives of 196 nations signed the Paris Climate Accords, making the commitment to keep the average rise in global temperatures under 1.5ºC. Since then, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and even private enterprises have created plans to reduce carbon emissions. However, global warming remains  terrible due to additional problems faced by today’s world, including deforestation, the extinction of various species of plants and animals, and habitat loss. The Central American country of Costa Rica has taken this into account, and will remain complacent.

Costa Rica is renowned for its biodiversity, which is contingent on the conservation efforts of people as more species are added to the endangered species list. Despite being one of the smallest countries in Latin America, Costa Rica encompasses about five percent of the world’s wildlife, being home to 500,000 species. To protect its resources, Costa Rica has demonstrated its determination to cap its carbon dioxide emissions and use renewable energy. In 2017, the country set a new world record by running solely on renewable energy for 300 days, and in 2019 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recognized Costa Rica as one of the five Champions of the Earth. 

Emphasizing their champions of the earth title, Costa Rica unveiled an ambitious plan to reform its economy to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. While Costa Rica’s electricity system is already almost entirely generated from renewable energy, the public transportation sector still needs work. According to Claudia Dobles Camargo, former first lady of Costa Rica from 2018 to 2022, the nation “has done such an amazing job in nature-based solutions, not so much on urban sustainability.” The main issue with Costa Rica’s public transportation is its inefficiency: public transportation routes do not match the demand of their users, which leads to people opting to use private vehicles that run on gasoline as their main means of transportation. 

Costa Rica’s decarbonization plan aims to strengthen the Public Transport Council and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, as well as to electrify both public and private transportation. From 2019 to 2022, the nation pursued the implementation of stations that can serve trains, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Additionally, the plan proposes to construct an electric train infrastructure connecting some of the country’s major cities, such as San José and Heredia, and to carry out studies observing the new train system’s environmental impact. The first few years of the plan to decarbonize transportation are dedicated to identifying funding for the initiative and promoting zero-emission technologies. From 2023 onward, the Costa Rican government hopes to provide increased public transportation options in smaller urban areas and rural areas, expand on funding, continue evaluating innovative technology, and more. 

This national plan aims to transform not only transportation but all the sectors of the economy, including industrial processes, agriculture, and forestry. It outlines policies that will be implemented in order to ensure that short-, medium-, and long-term change can be attained. 

While Costa Rica has made progress toward decarbonization, there is still much more that can be done to help preserve the environment in this country. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Costa Rica will also need to diversify its renewable energy sources, implement green tax reform, and carry out additional reforms to become even more environmentally friendly. 

As global temperatures are rapidly approaching that 1.5 degree mark, Costa Rica is showing what must be done to secure a sustainable future for our planet. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, former President of Costa Rica from 2018 to 2022, expressed his views on the decarbonization plan, stating: “We’re not saying people have to do exactly the same, but we can say it’s possible, and it’s been done in a model that actually creates well-being and economic growth.” If Costa Rica can transform its economy to reduce its carbon footprint, then the rest of the world should also adopt this as a possibility. 

Costa Rica is not the only country putting in the effort to keep global temperature increases under 1.5ºC to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement, but it is undoubtedly one of the countries showing ambition in this respect. Costa Rica’s plan seems to work better than the strategies of countries that seek to reduce emissions in increments instead of transforming their systems entirely. Carbon neutrality requires dedication, and Costa Rica has demonstrated through its plan that such dedication is effective.