Costa Rica as pioneer of a green social Contract

Abstract

For years the logic of turning Costa Rica into a “laboratory” on climate actions have permeated various approaches in civil society, business and the State. Things have evolved since the preparation of the national contribution to the Paris Agreement 2015. In May 2018, the Alvarado administration (2018-2022) went a step further: it made decarbonization into a central narrative for the term, turning it into a core pillar of the national development plan - the main policy instrument of Heads of States in Costa Rica. Moreover, his inauguration speech in May 2018 made international headlines as he pledged support for the prospect of a fossil-free Costa Rica, one of the first countries in the world to take such turn.