In 2015, the transport sector represented 36% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (excl. LULUCF), the vast majority of which come from road transport.
Costa Rica has set ambitious goals for its public transport services in order to reduce emissions and promote sustainable mobility. By 2035, the country aims for 30% of its public transport fleet to be zero-emission and the Passenger Electric Train to be 100% electric. By 2050, the public transport system will replace private cars as the primary mobility option in the Greater Metropolitan Area, with 85% of the fleet being zero-emission. The country also plans to have a 10% increase in non-motorised modes of transportation.17,18
Costa Rica is moving forward with promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs). The country has installed a network of charging stations to support its growing fleet of EVs. Additionally, Costa Rica has introduced financial and non-financial incentives for private EV users, such as tax benefits of up to $5,000 per vehicle, which has led to a significant increase in the number of electric cars and motorcycles in the country, reaching a share of 7.3% of imported passenger cars sales in 2022.9,19
To ensure that Costa Rica’s transport sector is aligned with 1.5°C compatible pathways, CO₂ emissions would need to be halved by 2040. The share of electricity would need to increase from close to 0% in 2019 up to 27-44% by 2050 in order to reach a fully decarbonised sector by the late 2050s.
1 Climate Action Tracker. Climate Target Update Tracker: Costa Rica. (2020).
2 Climate Action Tracker. Costa Rica: Current Policy Projections. (2020).
3 Government of Costa Rica. National Decarbonization Plan. (2019).
4 Gobierno de Costa Rica. Contribución Nacionalmente Determinada. (2020).
5 International Energy Agency. IEA Country Profiles: Costa Rica. (2021).
6 Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía. Second Biennial Update Report. (Costa Rica, 2019).
7 Ministerio de Salud Costa Rica. Plan Nacional para la Gestión Integral de Residuos 2016-2021. (2016).
8 Ministerio de Ambient y Energia Costa Rica. Reforma Declara Moratoria Nacional para explotación petrolera. Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica (2019).
9 Climate Analytics & New Climate Institute. Costa Rica Climate Action Tracker. Climate Action Tracker. (2023).
10 Salgado, L., Dumas, M., Feoli, M. & Cedeño, M. Mercado doméstico voluntario de carbono de Costa Rica: Un instrumento haciala C-Neutralidad. (2013).
11 Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía – Gobierno de Costa Rica. Plan Nacional de Energía 2015-2030. Plan Nacional De Plan Nacional De Observación (2015).
12 Gobierno de Costa Rica. Segundo Informe Biennial De Actualización: Costa Rica. (2016) doi:10.1787/eco_outlook-v2016-2-graph80-fr.
13 Gobierno de Costa Rica, MINAE & MOPT. Plan Nacional de Transporte Eléctrico 2018-2030. (2019).
14 “Gobierno de Costa Rica. Ley 9518: Incentivos y promoción para el transport eléctrico. Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica. (2017).”: http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=85810&nValor3=111104&strTipM=TC
15 Ministerio de Ambiente y Energia Costa Rica. Estrategia para la ganadería baja en carbono en Costa Rica. 110 (2015).
16 Government of Costa Rica. Inventario Nacional de emisiones por fuentes y absorción por sumideros de Gases de Efecto Invernadero de Costa Rica, 1990-2017. (2021).
17 Government of Costa Rica. Plan Nacional de Descarbonización 2018-2050. Preprint at cambioclimatico.go.cr/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PLAN.pdf (2019).
18 Artavia, S. Costa Rica aspira a contar con 37.000 carros eléctricos en cinco años. La Nación – Medio Ambiente (2017).
19 Durán, M. Costa Rica alcanzó en 2022 la cuota de mercado más alta de América para el segmento de autos 100% eléctricos. Alemontero Tech. (2023).
Costa Ricaʼs energy mix in the transport sector
petajoule per year
- Natural gas
- Coal
- Oil and e-fuels
- Biofuel
- Biogas
- Biomass
- Hydrogen
- Electricity
- Heat
Costa Ricaʼs transport sector direct CO₂ emissions (of energy demand)
MtCO₂/yr
- Historical emissions
- SSP1 High CDR reliance
- SSP1 Low CDR reliance
- High energy demand - Low CDR reliance
- Low energy demand
1.5°C compatible transport sector benchmarks
Direct CO₂ emissions and shares of electricity, biofuels and hydrogen in the transport final energy demand from illustrative 1.5°C pathways for Costa Rica
Indicator | 2019 | 2030 | 2040 | 2050 | Decarbonised transport sector by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Direct CO₂ emissions MtCO₂/yr | 6 | 4 to 5 | 3 | 1 | 2058 |
Relative to reference year in % | −31 to −19% | −52 to −50% | −83 to −79% |
Indicator | 2019 | 2030 | 2040 | 2050 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Share of electricity Percent | 0 | 2 to 6 | 9 to 21 | 27 to 44 |
Share of biofuels Percent | 0 | 0 to 5 | 4 to 5 | 1 to 12 |
Share of hydrogen Percent | 0 | 1 to 18 | 5 to 54 | 27 to 59 |