We recently wrote about Denmark’s plan to become 100% organic. They’re not the only ones leading the way for clean living though, with Costa Rica moving closer towards clean energy for the whole nation.
Costa Rica leading the way
Over the last decade Costa Rica has been at the forefront of environmental endeavours, acting as a pioneer for the use of green energy. They are the only nation to meet all five of the required criteria for measuring environmental sustainability. This comes amid a myriad of other environmental policies and achievements, including their ban on recreational hunting in 2012, and their recognition by NEF in 2009 as the greenest country in the world. Their latest feat? 113 days in a row using 100% renewable energy. But they’re not stopping there. Their aim is for an entire year without the use of fossil fuels.
How can they achieve it?
Costa Rica’s unique tropical climate and landscape allows it to take advantage of a variety of renewable sources to draw clean energy. Most of this clean energy comes from hydropower stations that make use of the countries extensive river systems and heavy tropical rainfall. Yet geothermal, biomass, wind, and solar power all play an important part in allowing the nation to rely so little on fossil fuels.
Is it too ambitious?
Costa Rica’s target seems ambitious – they aim to be carbon neutral by 2021. This would include adopting electric and hybrid transportation among their already considerable reliance on heavy rainfall for their hydropower stations. With substantial investment in geothermal energy projects though, not to mention heavy tropical rain in the forecast, the nation could actually end up reaching their target even earlier than expected.
