During a visit to Costa Rica, Minister Barbara Hendricks of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Construction and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) of the Federal Republic of Germany, announced support in the amount of 15 million Euros to aid Costa Rica work on mitigation and adaptation to climate change, reported the Costa Rican government.
During a visit that began on Friday 16 and ended today, June 19, Minister Hendricks met with the President of the Republic, Luis Guillermo Solis, and her counterpart, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Edgar Gutierrez, as well as with representatives of the Ministries of Health, Planning, Housing, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Livestock. She also visited several climate mitigation field projects.
“Costa Rica and Germany are countries committed to efforts to preserve the environment, and are both aware that it is necessary to act with responsibility in this matter,” said President Solís.
The BMUB, and the Ministry of Environment and Energy signed a memorandum of understanding which recognizes “the fruitful cooperation between Germany and Costa Rica in environmental protection, climate change and sustainable development, and further promotes cooperation between the two countries in these areas with activities and joint projects.”
The priority areas are: mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and de-carbonization of the economy, including the development of electric transport; adaptation to the impacts of climate change and green development for Costa Rica; implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030; the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources; as well as the protection of the ozone layer, including the elimination of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol; and other areas in which the two parties decide to undertake work.
Both sides also stressed the importance of the Paris Agreement and the Agenda 2030 as a benchmarks for global transformation towards sustainable economies and lifestyles. These agreements are also viewed as key to keeping world average temperatures from rising the projected two degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels.
To this end, Minister Hendricks and Minister Gutierrez also signed, in the presence of President Solís, a joint press statement on climate action and sustainable development, reported the government press office.