A megadiverse county, Costa Rica is known globally for its success in reversing deforestation and pursuing a growth model based on the sustainable use of its environmental resources. However, energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions increased in the last decade.
This is the first OECD Environmental Performance Review of Costa Rica. It evaluates the country’s progress towards sustainable development, with a special chapter focusing on biodiversity, and provides 52 recommendations.
OECD Environmental Performance Reviews provide independent assessments of countries’ progress towards their environmental policy objectives. Reviews promote peer learning, enhance government accountability, and provide targeted recommendations aimed at improving environmental performance, individually and collectively.
Related Case Studies
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This case study discusses the history, contributions, and hurdles faced by Costa Rica’s payment for ecosystem services (PES) programme, which was one of the first nationalized programmes of its kind. It also provides clear and concise recommendations of how the programme could...
Costa Rica developed a payment for ecosystem services system to support its policies for sustainable forestry and reforestation.