Costa Rica approves climate change bill

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly unilaterally approved a Framework Law on Climate Change during the first round of debates last week and the ruling could revolutionise the country's approach to environmental concerns.

The new Framework will see the establishment of a National Commission on Climate Change (Conclima) that will be financed by the transfer of 15 per cent of an annual budget surplus from the Ministry of the Environment.

The plan also calls for climate change and sustainability to be included on school curriculums and grants the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) more power to create policies and act on climate change.

According to the World Resouce Institute (WRI) Global Forest Watch, tree loss in Costa Rica during a 13 year period occurred primarily in the country’s northern border region and southern Pacific. While forest vegetation recovered somewhat along the Pacific, the level of forest recovery is still below forest loss levels. This loss of vegetation does not necessarily reflect deforestation since the digital maps reflect natural disasters, fires and other factors.

Alfonso Pérez, member of the National Liberation Party (PLN) who chairs the Committee on Environment, said that the project will train communities in the country to avoid activities that increase greenhouse gas emissions and will improve climate change adaptation and mitigation meaures in the country.

Other state entities that will be responsible for designing and financing the actions against climate change are the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), the Ministry of Public Education (MEP), the National Meteorological Institute and the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).