Last year, we’ve had our fair share of good news as different countries started relying on renewable energy to power up their countries. In case you missed it, Costa Rica proved that a nation can run only on renewable energy for 8 months! As for the days that didn’t, only 1.88% of the energy needed was used on non-renewable sources. This is good news for the environment!
Source: The Time Now
While the biggest energy-producing contributor was hydroelectric plants (almost 75%), the country also used geothermal, wind, solar and biomass energy. Can you imagine running one country without using fossil fuels for two thirds of the year? According to Carlos Obregon, the president of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute, more energy can be generated from the hydroelectric plants this 2017 due to “favourable meteorological conditions”.
Coming in second after hydroelectric plants would be geothermal power, providing 12.74 percent of the nation’s needs. Wind comes in third, giving 10.3 percent. Biomass provides Costa Rica with 0.72 percent while solar energy only gives 0.01 percent.
Source: Go100re.net
Monica Araya, the clean energy adviser said, “Developing countries could take the lead in this transition. It really is time to debunk the myth that a country has to choose between development on the one hand and environmental protection, renewables, quality of life, on the other.”
The country aims to have an economy that is carbon-neutral this 2021. Edgar Gutierrez, Costa Rica’s environment and energy minister, encouraged other nations to aim for 100 percent renewable energy consumption, “otherwise we will all suffer”.
Source: The Independent
Costa Rica is one of the members of the Climate Vulnerable Forum that aimed to update their country’s climate action plans that would be in line with the Paris climate agreement. This group of 48 nations would come up with strategies that would lessen the carbon production of each nation. This group also includes Nepal, Philippines, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Tuvalu, Ethiopia and Madagascar.
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