- The Costa Rican government, with the support of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and other organisations, is seeking to formulate a National Biogas Strategy
- The alliance between the private sector and the government, with the support of institutions such as IICA, allows us to start decarbonising our heavy transportation.
With the support of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and other organisations, the Costa Rican government seeks to formulate a National Biogas Strategy using pineapple and coffee residues to transform its energy matrix.
The strategy would chart how to develop, use and transport clean energy and fuels from biogas, especially from wastewater treatment, everyday solid waste treatment, and agricultural and agro-industrial waste.
The project was launched on July 2 in the presence of the Vice President of Costa Rica, Stephan Brunner; the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero; the Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program, Kifah Sasa; the Director General of Transportation of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Alberto Antillón; and the President of the Costa Rican Biogas Association, Juan Pablo Rojas.
“Costa Rica has the technological capacity for the production of biofuels. The alliance between the private sector and the government, with the support of an institution such as IICA, allows us to start on the road to decarbonising our heavy transportation and the possibility of exporting this type of green energy to other countries,” said Brunner.
Costa Rica established its first-ever National Bioeconomy strategy in 2020. At the heart of the programme lies the country’s immense biological riches. Costa Rica’s bio-economy strategy bids to decarbonise the economy by replacing fossil resources with renewable, biological ones.
By guiding investment to private projects aligning with public sustainability goals, it aims for a competitive bio-based sector driven by scientific innovation and traditional products like biofuels.
Yet Costa Rica’s strategy also stands apart. While it aims to capture value from nature, the government is also intent on protecting it. Under this vision, businesses are to serve biodiversity, not vice versa.