Costa Rica Outlines Decarbonization Plans Through 2050

Costa Rica, already on its way to going carbon neutral by 2021, recently introduced its long-term decarbonization plans. Announced a few weeks ago, the National Decarbonization Plan organizes itself into three periods: beginning (2018-2022), inflection (2023-2030) and massive deployment (2031-2050).

The National Decarbonization Plan outlines a variety of steps it hopes to accomplish over the next 31 years. Divided by when the government hopes to achieve them, these goals include:

By 2022

• Release public data on its cargo fleet’s carbon emissions and release a preliminary plan to increase its efficiency.
• Outline a plan to lower organic waste methane

By 2030

• Finish transitioning the power grid to 100 percent renewable energy
• All new buildings will be designed to use green technologies
• Culture will move towards lower waste generation with businesses shifting to a circular economy
• Increase the country’s forest cover by 60 percent and reverse damage to natural ecosystems

By 2035

• Seventy percent of buses and taxis will release zero emissions and shift the passenger train system to using 100 percent electric power.
• Twenty-five percent of private and institutional vehicles will be electric

By 2050

• The public transport system (buses, taxis, passenger train) will replace the private car as the public’s main mode of transportation
• One hundred percent of buses and taxis will be zero emissions
• Increase non-motorized transport by at least 10 percent within main urban areas
• Sixty percent of private and institutional vehicles will be zero emissions
• All sold private and institutional vehicles will be zero emissions
• Half of cargo transport will be highly efficient, with a 20 percent reduction in emissions compared to 2018
• Electric energy will become the main power source for transport, residential, commercial and industrial sectors
• All commercial, residential and institutional buildings will hold to low emission standards
• Industries will have switched their energy sources so that their growth does not rely on emissions
• Have a solution for the collection, separation, reuse and disposal of waste
• The agriculture and livestock industry will use the latest technologies to become as sustainable, competitive, low-carbon and resilient as possible
• Grow available green areas within urban areas and improve transportation to protected areas

For more details, the plan is available online here.

by Chuck Dobrosielski, Travel Agent Central