This research project undertook an assessment of the transformation towards a green economy in Costa Rica and identify gaps and opportunities for Costa Rica’s new administration to further enhance the sustainability of Costa Rica’s economic policy and development. This assessment forms part of ODI and CDKN’s wider programme on green growth, aimed at identifying policy considerations to enable long-term and transformative change. It includes research on environmental fiscal policy reform, greening urban economic growth and transformation, energy access in a carbon-constrained world, public mobilisation of private capital towards sustainable innovation, and forests and land. This project aimed to achieve the following objectives:

• Assessment of a transformation towards a green economy: Through a methodology focusing on measurable economic and environmental performance, ODI will provide a prioritisation of opportunities for GIZ support to the new Government of Costa Rica to enhance the sustainability of Costa Rica’s economic policy and development
• Replicable methodology. The developed methodology provides a basic framework for rapid green growth assessment in other countries.
• Focus on Economic Policy Tools. Instruments for policy change will focus on economic, financial and fiscal domains, with the objective of aligning drivers of the economy with sustainability.

The project delivered the following outputs:

• A 30 page study (excluding annexes) on green growth opportunities in Costa Rica, including a 2-3 page executive summary. This report can be read here. 
• A brief assessment of a replicable methodology that would provide a basic framework for green growth assessments in other countries. This methodology would quickly narrow analysis to the economic, fiscal and financial policy opportunities most likely to have demonstrable economic and environmental impacts.
• A workshop between CDKN/ODI, the Costa Rican Ministry of Finance and GIZ to discuss findings.

Suppliers: Philipp Ulbrich, Consultant Research Assistant and Sam Pickard, Consultant Research Assistant

Partners: Philipp Ulbrich, Sam Pickard, Ilmi Granoff

CDKN funding: £10,975

Picture: Sam Beebe