Developing and Implementing a Net Zero Development Pathway in a Middle-Income Country: Costa Rica's National Decarbonization Plan

Costa Rica’s government accelerated efforts to decarbonize in 2018. At this time, the president appointed the Climate Change Directorate within the Ministry of the Environment and Energy to lead the development of a new national decarbonization strategy. The Office of the President and First Lady became directly involved in designing, monitoring, and coordinating the plan. This commitment to climate action helped bring not only the Ministry of the Environment but also the Ministry of Finance and other line ministries—such as energy, transport, and housing—into strategic decarbonization planning. This, in turn, attracted international support, particularly from the multilateral development bank (MDB) community, for building in country analytical capacity to drive the complex planning processes to come.