Germany grants Costa Rica €15 million to mitigate climate change impact

The German government will support Costa Rica’s projects to mitigate the effects of climate change and, as a first step, has granted the country €15 million ($16.7 million) in aid.

Barbara Hendricks, Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, confirmed the donation on Monday during a meeting with President Luis Guillermo Solís at Casa Presidencial.

At a press conference following their meeting, they said that the cooperation agreement reaffirms both countries’ commitment to the Paris climate agreement against global warming.

The initial donation is part of the first phase of a long-term cooperation agreement that will support various programs, including electric transportation and sustainable farming, Casa Presidencial said in a public statement. Costa Rica will allocate the funds primarily to initiatives focused on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, reducing carbon use, adaptating to the impact of climate change, and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

President Solís said that Costa Rica and Germany are committed to efforts to preserve the environment, and that both countries are aware that it is necessary to act responsibly on these issues.

“This visit of the distinguished Minister Hendricks will deepen that commitment through concrete actions,” he said.

Environmental commitment

Officials from both governments also discussed the importance of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda as benchmarks for global transformation towards sustainable economies. Minister Hendricks and Costa Rica’s Environment Minister Édgar Gutiérrez signed a joint Press Statement on Climate Action and Sustainable Development.

The countries pledged to pursue joint efforts to achieve carbon neutrality and long-term climate resilience. The statement also emphasized the need to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

“Following the U.S. decision to leave the Paris Accord, all other countries took on an even stronger commitment to keep cooperating on all these issues,” Hendricks said.