Costa Rica, March 16, 2023. The Municipal Environmental Management Congress “Climate Action” brought together representatives from municipal governments and academia in Costa Rica on March 10, 2023, to discuss local climate action and activities under the National Strategy of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM). This dynamic initiative is unique in Latin America and allows for structured progress with a long-term vision for the country.
Rebecca Borges, an expert from the GCoM, explained that in addition to fostering an important collaborative process of development and validation among various national and sub-national actors, Costa Rica’s work strategy structures its activities to achieve powerful local outcomes. “It is dedicated to scaling up progress in local climate action and thus expanding climate diplomacy supported by the European Union through GCoM Americas. In this Congress, we celebrate this vision of the Costa Rican Strategy and the start of its activities,” she stated.

The GCoM initiative in Costa Rica has been promoted to enhance expected impacts in the current National Strategy.
Nazareth Porras, Cooperation Officer at the Delegation of the European Union in Costa Rica, emphasized the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy as the EU’s primary instrument for cities confronting the effects of climate change. She also highlighted that the European Union is convinced that climate action is increasingly urgent, and events like this Congress are essential for bringing together key actors in developing territories and communities.
“In continuation of the first phase of support for the implementation of the GCoM in the country, which generated very interesting outcomes, we trust that the current National Strategy and the following GCoM activities in the country will continue to be useful for municipalities and the involved institutions,” Porras emphasized.
The Congress was an initiative of the National Union of Local Governments (UNGL) in conjunction with the National University of Costa Rica (UNA). It covered topics such as sustainable mobility, comprehensive waste management, and joint environmental sustainability with indigenous communities.
José Rojas Méndez, Mayor of Buenos Aires and President of UNGL, recalled, “Costa Rica has surpassed 98% renewable electricity generation for the eighth consecutive year. This is undoubtedly an achievement of which we must be proud, but above all, we are committed to continuing to fight from our territories to have communities sensitized and proactive in environmental issues,” Rojas stated.
Glenda Fernandez, UNGL’s environmental manager, highlighted the importance of fostering inter-institutional alliances among local governments, academia, non-governmental organizations, and the public institutional framework to address climate change issues. “This event allowed us to observe how collaborative work is one of the best mechanisms to address climate and energy issues. That is why the work carried out by the European Union through the Global Covenant of Mayors has allowed us to organize communities together with their local governments in creating feedback and analysis spaces,” she concluded.
Recognition of Climate Action

Ceremony recognizing climate action by governments committed to the GCoM in the country.
During the event, a ceremony was also held to recognize the climate action of governments committed to the GCoM in the country. Among them were the Municipalities of Belén, Cañas, and San José. Additionally, municipalities with advances in mitigation, such as Desamparados; municipalities with advances in adaptation, such as Alajuela, Guarco, and Oreamuno; and municipalities fully compliant with GCoM, such as La Unión, Montes de Oca, Monteverde, Quepos, San Rafael de Heredia, and Zarcero, were mentioned.

Rebecca Borges, a GCoM expert, presents the certificate recognizing the climate action of committed governments in Costa Rica.
Viviana Carpio, Vice Mayor of Oreamuno and Costa Rican representative in the GCoM Mayors’ Forum emphasized that citizens are accustomed to municipalities collecting taxes, building streets, and such, but it is possible to do more and go further. She also stressed the importance of women’s participation in the climate fight: “It’s not just about congratulating ourselves, but about continuing to involve ourselves, continuing to open spaces, and raising our voices equally with equity. This is also a cross-cutting axis in climate governance,” she pointed out.
From the municipality of Belén, Environmental Manager Dulcehe Gimenéz Espinosa highlighted that the canton is small but with great contrasts, from having abundant water to being 100% urbanized, which poses a major challenge for implementing different actions. However, the municipality has made progress and already has concrete results.
Representing Cañas, Municipal Environmental Manager Katherine Gobando emphasized that through the GCoM, they have sought actions and plans related to climate adaptation and mitigation. “Since 2020, when we joined the Global Covenant of Mayors, we understood that it’s not just about signing the letter but also about defining all our ambitions as a local government within our canton,” she explained.
Costa Rica has been a climate action leader for decades, especially with genuine commitments from local governments. National Coordinators coordinate with municipalities for various projects, actions, and mechanisms under an integrated strategy favoring the environment and a more sustainable future.
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