Costa Rica has a commitment to a greener and more sustainable future. In 2016, nearly 99% was produced by renewable energy sources. In addition, Costa Rica boasts a vast supply of geothermal power and wind assets. Costa Rica has made significant progress in producing renewable energy over the last few years, without the need to rely heavily on its manufacturing infrastructure. The government is working to achieve carbon neutrality.
The National Development Plan of Costa Rica promotes technological innovation and encourages knowledge, research, and competition. It encourages climate change action and promotes technological change. 66% is consumed by the transportation industry. The transport sector will be carbon-neutralized completely by 2050. By producing renewable biofuels or green hydrogen, this will be possible.
Despite the country's commitment to a green future, it is not always at the forefront of environmental protection. Costa Rica implemented a Payments for Environmental Services in 1990 to aid farmers who were struggling financially. The Institute of Energy (ICE), a country-wide institute of energy, implemented a net metering program in order to encourage renewable energy. This program was created to improve the country's energy independence. ICE also has a generator park and continues to gradually lower its fees.
The second workshop took places from 3-4 Oktober and featured a modeling exercise and capacity-building training for Costa Rican civic society organizations. This allowed the identification and implementation of policies to improve rural economic development and reduce inequalities. Also, several areas of policy priority were identified. A workshop was also held to discuss 100% RE scenarios.
The project was a collaboration between the World Future Council and Costa Rican civil society organization La Ruta del Clima. This initiative was developed to support Costa Rica in its quest to achieve decarbonization objectives. This project was inclusive of the needs and interests of government, industry, and civil society. It created a comprehensive policy map.
Costa Rica has a lot of rain and geothermal energy. The country's electric grid gets 17% from wind energy, and 13.5% of its electricity from geothermal resources. The energy matrix, which produces 80% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, is the main obstacle to decarbonization. Costa Rica's system can adapt to changing circumstances, however.
Costa Rica has committed itself to a 100% Renewable Energy Project in its decarbonization campaign. The Institute for Sustainable Futures of the Technological University of Sydney is leading the technical research for this project. The Institute has helped Costa Rica to develop a roadmap to achieve decarbonization. The roadmap provides a guideline for Costa Rica's journey towards decarbonization as well as a vision for an environmentally and socially sustainable future. This roadmap will assist Costa Rica in generating the well-being and economic growth necessary to sustain its population.
Costa Rica also has implemented many policy reforms in recent years. The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica passed Law 7200, or "Ley Authorizing Electricity Autonomous or Paralela," in 1990. It governs the private-scale utility projects of Costa Rica.