Inside Costa Rica’s Climate Fight: Can the nation hold on to its green ideas?

How does a nation transform its forest coverage from 21% to 60% in half a century? What are the policies that can place nature at the very heart of political thinking? And why does Christiana Figueres see a picture of her dad when she visits an ATM?

Christiana is joined in her home country by co-hosts Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson as they explore Costa Rica’s remarkable history and constitutionally guaranteed environmental safeguards. Our resident expert explains her very deep personal bond to her country’s politics as her father, former President José Figueres Ferrer, was also the father of the Second Republic, most famous for abolishing the country’s army.

It is perhaps Costa Rica’s policies towards nature that truly elevates this nation above its peers, from its drive on rewilding to carbon taxes. But this incredible progress is now under threat: Christiana and former President Luis Guillermo Solís reflect on the populist Trump-like measures implemented by the current administration, including plans for a regressive return to fossil fuels. Will the government go through with it?

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Learn more:

Check out Article 50 of the constitution of Costa Rica:

All persons have the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. For that, they are legitimated to denounce the acts that infringe this right and to claim reparation for the damage caused.

Read about the human right to a healthy environment 

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Producer: Jarek Zaba

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas 

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