Remarks by Angel Gurría,

Secretary-General, OECD

Transcript of video message

Paris, 24 February 2021

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Dear Minister Solano, Costa Rican friends,

I would like to congratulate Costa Rica on this second anniversary of the launch of its National Decarbonisation Plan.

This is a crucial initiative in the fight against climate change. It is an example of the kind of commitment that is required in order to save our planet, in line with the Paris Agreement. Costa Rica already generates 99% of its electricity from renewable sources, which is very impressive! In addition, its goal is to be a country with zero net emissions by 2050. It is a model for OECD countries.

Of course, there are still challenges, and the main one facing Costa Rica now is the decarbonisation of the transport sector. 64% of Costa Rica’s emissions come from energy use, and more than two thirds of that is from transport. It is also important that the efforts to decarbonise help improve inclusion and reduce inequalities as well.

Dear friends, the National Decarbonisation Plan is a best practice that needs to be replicated in other nations. We need to spread this success. You can count on the OECD to make this happen.

Congratulations!