Foreword
The principal aim of the OECD Environmental Performance Review programme is to help member and selected partner countries improve their individual and collective performance in environmental management by:
helping countries assess progress in achieving their environmental goals
stimulating greater accountability from governments towards each other and public opinion.
This report reviews the environmental performance of Costa Rica for the first time since its accession to the OECD in 2021. Progress in achieving domestic objectives and international commitments provides the basis for assessing Costa Rica’s environmental performance. Such objectives and commitments may be broad aims, qualitative goals or quantitative targets. A distinction is made between intentions, actions and results. Assessment of environmental performance is also placed within the context of Costa Rica’s historical environmental record, present state of the environment, physical endowment in natural resources, economic conditions and demographic trends.
The OECD is grateful to Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and Energy for providing information and comments, organising the review mission (27 November – 2 December 2022), as well as for facilitating contacts inside and outside government institutions. Thanks are also due to all government ministries and agencies, as well as non-governmental stakeholders, that participated in the missions and provided information or comments.
The participation in the review of the representatives of two examining countries, Ana Celia Salinas Martin (Colombia) and Cassandra Moll (New Zealand), is also gratefully acknowledged.
The authors of this report are Ivana Capozza (co-ordinator and main author), Olivia Cuq, Kathleen Dominique, Eugene Mazur and Maria Adelaida Rojas Lleras of the OECD Secretariat. Nathalie Girouard and Ivana Capozza provided oversight and guidance. Maria Adelaida Rojas Lleras provided statistical support, while Lydia Servant provided administrative support. Mark Foss copy-edited the report. Natasha Cline-Thomas provided communications support. Preparation of this report also benefited from inputs and comments from several members of the OECD Secretariat.
The OECD Working Party on Environmental Performance discussed the Environmental Performance Review of Costa Rica at its meeting on 14 April 2023 and approved the Assessment and Recommendations on 12 May 2023.