Costa Rica appoints climate change director as new Environment Minister

Andrea Meza, who has been director of climate change for the Costa Rican government since 2015, was appointed Tuesday as Environment Minister, replacing the outgoing Carlos Manuel Rodríguez.

President Carlos Alvarado appointed Meza, a lawyer specializing in sustainable development, to take charge of the Environment Ministry at a time when the country is promoting a plan to decarbonize the local economy.

“Costa Rica must bet on a development agenda that creates jobs and promotes growth in the different areas of the country to target the economy of the future. This is an economy that lowers emissions, increases resilience and regenerates key ecosystems” Meza said after her appointment.

She spoke in favor of articulating technological innovation and traditional knowledge — as well as the public and private sectors — to face the economic, biodiversity and climate crises while at the same time generating jobs.

The new minister replaces Rodríguez, an environmentalist who is leaving office to become president of the private Global Environment Facility in September.

“As president and as a Costa Rican, I am very proud of Carlos Manuel and I know that he will lead the Global Environment Facility under the Costa Rican vision, an example for the entire world,” said President Alvarado.

As director of climate change, Meza directed the formulation and implementation of the National Decarbonization Plan, launched in 2018 with a view to eliminate Costa Rica’s reliance on fossil fuels by 2050.

He nombrado como ministra de Ambiente y Energía a la abogada Andrea Meza Murillo, quien ha fungido en años recientes como jefa de la Dirección de Cambio Climático del MINAE. Con su amplia experiencia en el área, sé que realizará una excelente labor a la cabeza de este ministerio. pic.twitter.com/pNO1CmsjcO— Carlos Alvarado Quesada (@CarlosAlvQ) August 25, 2020