Current scientific evidence increasingly shows that the benefits of potent early action far outweigh the costs of inaction. If we do not drastically and promptly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions now, we are risking a catastrophic disruption of the complex of interlinked environmental, economical, wellness, moral, political and social systems that sustain civilization as nosotros know information technology.

Bringing the needed collective action to avert the looming ending, however, remains one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. Its mere calibration and the urgency of action volition exam the global governance organisation and stress the relationship between developing and developed countries during the adjacent decade. To avoid the worst touch on of climate change, we demand to find equitable solutions and encourage the most drastic emissions reduction possible. The world has fallen likewise far behind in the fight against global warming. Nosotros cannot beget any farther delay. Developed countries and the rapid growth economies of large developing countries have more responsibility for climate action, but there is no excuse for smaller countries not to act.

Costa Rica has decided to respond and marshal its national priorities with global climate action. The Government has prepared a far-reaching climate change strategy and is committed to becoming a carbon-neutral (C-neutral) country. Nosotros aspire to build a society whose pursuit of well-being does not reduce or risk the well-beingness of others. In the words of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, "we do this with the hope that, somewhen, we will be able to testify the earth that what ultimately needs to be done, tin can be done". As a modest country, this is Costa Rica's of import contribution to the climate alter outcome.

Climate change is at the top of the regime agenda. The new Administration, which took office in 2006, included it as a priority in its national evolution plan. Both at the national and international levels, the Government has appear its commitment to transform Republic of costa rica into a leader in the battle against climatic change. An economy-broad programme is being formulated in a participatory way that includes all economic sectors, relevant government bodies and academic institutions. Important segments of the private sector and the media have already shown enthusiastic support for this goal. The vision I have been advocating -- that "a C-neutral economy is at the same time a competitive economy" -- is starting to be shared by our order. We volition not only take a shared climate change responsibility with the world, merely will as well seek to develop the necessary capabilities to turn the challenging mitigation goals into opportunities of change in social club to transform our human sustainable evolution potential into reality.

The climate alter strategy, which has a clear orientation for action, is defined around five strategic components: metrics, mitigation, vulnerability and adaptation, capacity-edifice, and instruction, culture and public awareness.

Metrics. This component will develop a metrics system that is accurate, reliable and verifiable, with built in mechanisms for monitoring.

Mitigation. This strategic component is focused on creating a C-neutral country with a vision that integrates the circuitous environmental, economic, human, social, moral, cultural, educational and political issues, equally well equally the national competitive strategy. The promotion of C-neutral companies and communities, among other stakeholders, will provide incentives for action and additional differentiation elements in the competitive strategy.

Actions include the following principal elements: emissions reduction by source, including free energy, transportation, agriculture, land use (state- apply change and the reduction of deforestation), industry, solid waste management and tourism (and associated international air travel), among other sectors; carbon sinks enhancement through reforestation and natural woods regeneration; and carbon markets development at the local and international levels of product.

The avoided deforestation programme, including participation in the Coalition for Rainforest Nations, and a new tree-planting entrada that volition be linked to Wangari Maathai's United nations campaign are part of Costa Rica's planned actions, through which its learning feel in reforestation will be strengthened. Through a organization of various mechanisms, including payment of environmental services for the protection of forests and the enhancement of forest- cover recovery, Costa Rica managed to increase its wood cover from 21 per cent in 1986 to 51 per cent in 2006. Its afforestation and forest protection efforts will continue to focus on loftier-quality ecology services, including biodiversity conservation, h2o-resource conservation and protection, local customs development and scenic beautification, besides carbon fixing.

The relationship with competitive strategy is an important office of our design. Climatic change, forth with the deposition of the surroundings, free energy and food security, volition have a profound upshot on sustainable economic growth. The value of companies and their profitability and growth will be associated with climatic change risks and opportunities. The style companies manage those risks and opportunities are primal to making this endeavor a success. We are creating the conditions to induce responsible and competitive behaviour, even in our economy. As has been recognized by the Carbon Disclosure Project companies, major economic, financial and competitive climatic change risks are associated with exposure to the following factors:

  • Competitive risks, due to consumers' shift in the need for products and services, from high intensity carbon to low-carbon or carbon-neutral services and products. Carbon differentiation volition be an of import factor, while make clean products, services and processes will provide a significant competitive advantage in the future.
  • Reputation risks, due to consumers' perceived inaction on the office of the companies.
  • Regulatory risks, due to exposure to local and international potential regulations.
  • Economic and financial risks, due to impacts on assets and infrastructure caused by extreme climate events.

The chief climate change opportunities are associated with teaching, culture, innovation and rapid technological modify in existing sectors of the economy and the development of new sectors related to environmental bug. Climatic change volition have a deep bear upon on virtually sectors of the economy and society in general. The fashion a nation and companies respond will determine their future economical, financial and man development, likewise as their environmental and social well-being. Future human sustainable development will depend on how nosotros respond to climate modify.

Adaptation. This strategy includes a set of studies to place vulnerabilities and design mechanisms to utilize measures to reduce the effects of climate alter, research and monitoring, early on warning systems and chapters-building to meliorate in an integrated way the country'southward economical, societal, environmental and biophysical adaptive capacity. Water resource, wellness, agriculture, infrastructure, coastal areas, and state and marine biodiversity will be amongst the key components of the adaptation strategy, besides as training for disasters and disaster-chance management. The primary goal will be to reduce vulnerability of different sectors and ecosystems.

Capacity-building. For a nation to accept the capabilities to implement a comprehensive climate change strategy, it is necessary to build society-wide capacities to conscientiously respond to climate change, as well every bit to measure and mitigate its causes, and to communicate how to accommodate to its consequences at all levels of society.
Pedagogy, culture and public awareness. People must be involved and committed to combat climate change and thus build a societal system of determination-making for the implementation of the strategy. Private habits and patterns of consumption must be made compatible with the climatic change imperatives. If we are finally to make a divergence, people must be informed and re-educated, and they need to accept an active participation in climate alter issues.

Costa rica's C-neutral strategy is a combination of broad and specific voluntary commitments, which would reinforce each other and integrate climate concerns into development planning. These commitments also allow policies to be tailored according to national circumstances and at the same time increase competitiveness in attracting straight foreign investments. The strategy is consistent with our local and global responsibilities. However, a broader international climate regime will not only help u.s., but also other developing countries, which could include sector and policy approaches necessary for the deeper emissions reduction that the world requires.

For instance, programmatic crediting within the scope of the Clean Development Mechanism or by style of other mechanisms is necessary to embrace sector- and policy-based activities. This will allow meaningful national policy commitments, such every bit strengthening energy security by increasing the use of renewable sources and energy efficiency, promoting sustainable transportation, reducing urban air pollution past using cleaner fuels, reducing emissions from deforestation, supporting sustainable forestry and raising agriculture productivity, among others. To achieve emission cuts that are imperative worldwide, information technology is necessary that these climate deportment in the developing countries benefit from carbon finance.