Costa Rica

Rating

Assessment

Costa Rica is rated Sufficient because it aims to become carbon-neutral by 2021 but made this target conditional to external support. It intends to reduce its fossil fuel emissions and increase its carbon sinks, so that net emissions are zero. Use of offsets in other countries is not planned. Costa Rica could be rated Role Model if its plan were unconditional.

Description

"Costa Rica will implement a long-term economy-wide transformational effort to enable carbon neutrality that will help the country to significantly deviate from business as usual GHG emissions projected scenarios from now on up to 2021 and beyond." It will implement measures to reduce emissions and to increase absorption by sinks. The details of most measures are currently defined. The actions are subject to international financing.

Status

Government climate strategy, submitted under the Copenhagen Accord and acknowledged under the Cancun Agreements

Date of pledge
February 2008