Costa Rica's new President is throwing down an enormously ambitious challenge: banning fossil fuels starting with the transport sector, to accelerate the energy transition to renewables and become carbon free.
Costa Rica is bidding to become the first fully decarbonised country in the world. The new President, Carlos Alvarado, 38, a former journalist, announced a plan to ban fossil fuels during his inauguration. The programme is structured in stages and will begin with the transport sector.
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Costa Rica is a country that pays close attention to clean energy and environmental issues. More than 99 per cent of the country's electricity is generated using renewable energy sources. Last year, in 2017, from 1 May and for a full 300 days, energy production took place without using a single drop of fuel, drawing instead primarily on hydropower, wind and geothermal energy. This is a starting point not to be underestimated. The first step on this journey towards decarbonisation is to reach the celebration of 200 years of independence from Spain, in 2021, by removing fossil-derived petrol and diesel from transport. A significant challenge and one that, according to some experts, may be unachievable in the short term.
Jose Daniel Lara, a Costa Rican energy researcher at Berkeley in California, argues that completely eliminating fossil fuels within a few years is probably unrealistic, even though the plan will lay the groundwork for faster action towards a complete energy transition. According to Lara, a proposal like this must be considered for its programmatic value and its vision rather than for its "technical precision", given the various concrete challenges that need to be addressed. It is precisely in the spirit of driving change that President Alvarado's words should be interpreted; he reminded the citizens of his country — and beyond — that "We have the titanic and beautiful task of abolishing the use of fossil fuels in our economy to make way for the use of clean and renewable energies."
The transport sector is the first stage of President Alvarado's energy transition programme. Indeed, he himself arrived at the inauguration ceremony in San José on 8 May aboard a hydrogen bus. A change that will need to be achieved step by step, without rushing ahead too quickly. According to Oscar Echeverría, President of the Association of Vehicle and Machinery Importers, the transition away from fossil fuels in transport cannot be hurried, since the clean transport market is still underdeveloped. Subjecting it to excessive pressure could mean stalling it, especially in light of growing demand for cars across the country. "If there is no infrastructure, no prior expertise, no affordable prices and no waste management, we would lead this process to failure. We need to be careful," Echeverría stressed.
President Alvarado's message is a powerful one not only for Costa Rica but for the entire world. "Eliminating fossil fuels is a great idea coming from a small country. This is an idea that is beginning to gain international support with the advent of new technologies," commented Monica Araya, economist and sustainability expert, as well as director of Costa Rica Limpia, a Costa Rican association that promotes renewable energies and electric transport.
