0:00:01.103,0:00:04.228
How do we build a society

0:00:04.253,0:00:05.760
without fossil fuels?

0:00:06.944,0:00:09.120
This is a very complex challenge,

0:00:09.920,0:00:14.400
and I believe developing countries[br]could take the lead in this transition.

0:00:15.120,0:00:17.680
And I'm aware that this[br]is a contentious statement,

0:00:18.440,0:00:23.736
but the reality is that so much[br]is at stake in our countries

0:00:23.760,0:00:28.640
if we let fossil fuels stay[br]at the center of our development.

0:00:29.240,0:00:31.080
We can do it differently.

0:00:32.200,0:00:35.456
And it's time, it really is time,

0:00:35.480,0:00:38.176
to debunk the myth

0:00:38.200,0:00:43.256
that a country has to choose[br]between development on the one hand

0:00:43.280,0:00:48.680
and environmental protection,[br]renewables, quality of life, on the other.

0:00:49.800,0:00:52.080
I come from Costa Rica,[br]a developing country.

0:00:52.680,0:00:54.880
We are nearly five million people,

0:00:56.200,0:00:58.776
and we live right in the middle[br]of the Americas,

0:00:58.800,0:01:01.120
so it's very easy[br]to remember where we live.

0:01:03.080,0:01:09.360
Nearly 100 percent of our electricity

0:01:10.400,0:01:12.856
comes from renewable sources,

0:01:12.880,0:01:14.096
five of them.

0:01:14.120,0:01:16.240
(Applause)

0:01:18.800,0:01:22.656
Hydropower, geothermal,

0:01:22.680,0:01:26.120
wind, solar, biomass.

0:01:27.000,0:01:29.136
Did you know that last year,

0:01:29.160,0:01:32.616
for 299 days,

0:01:32.640,0:01:35.856
we did not use any fossil fuels

0:01:35.880,0:01:39.360
in order to generate all our electricity?

0:01:40.240,0:01:43.200
It's a fantastic achievement,

0:01:44.360,0:01:48.440
and yet, it hides a paradox,

0:01:51.080,0:01:54.136
which is that nearly 70 percent

0:01:54.160,0:01:58.760
of all our energy consumption is oil.

0:01:59.880,0:02:01.080
Why?

0:02:01.800,0:02:04.536
Because of our transportation system,

0:02:04.560,0:02:07.816
which is totally dependent[br]on fossil fuels,

0:02:07.840,0:02:09.479
like it is in most countries.

0:02:10.479,0:02:14.016
So if we think of the energy[br]transition as a marathon,

0:02:14.040,0:02:17.936
the question is, how do we get[br]to the finish line,

0:02:17.960,0:02:21.080
how do we decarbonize[br]the rest of the economy?

0:02:21.880,0:02:24.776
And it's fair to say[br]that if we don't succeed,

0:02:24.800,0:02:26.576
it's difficult to see who will.

0:02:26.600,0:02:29.160
So that is why I want[br]to talk to you about Costa Rica,

0:02:30.160,0:02:32.856
because I believe we are a great candidate

0:02:32.880,0:02:37.280
in pioneering a vision[br]for development without fossil fuels.

0:02:39.200,0:02:42.456
If you know one thing about our country,

0:02:42.480,0:02:44.400
it's that we don't have an army.

0:02:45.440,0:02:48.360
So I'm going to take you back to 1948.

0:02:49.400,0:02:53.120
That year, the country[br]was coming out of civil war.

0:02:54.360,0:02:57.936
Thousands of Costa Ricans had died,

0:02:57.960,0:03:00.240
and families were bitterly split.

0:03:01.240,0:03:06.256
And yet, a surprising idea[br]won the hearts and minds:

0:03:06.280,0:03:08.176
we would reboot the country,

0:03:08.200,0:03:11.256
and that Second Republic[br]would have no army.

0:03:11.280,0:03:12.520
So we abolished it.

0:03:13.360,0:03:16.016
And the president at the time,

0:03:16.040,0:03:18.216
José Figueres,

0:03:18.240,0:03:23.560
found a powerful way[br]by smashing the walls of an army base.

0:03:25.200,0:03:28.376
The following year, 1949,

0:03:28.400,0:03:32.576
we made that decision permanent[br]in the new constitution,

0:03:32.600,0:03:36.760
and that is why I can tell you that story[br]nearly 70 years later.

0:03:37.520,0:03:39.536
And I'm grateful.

0:03:39.560,0:03:42.520
I'm grateful they made that decision[br]before I was born,

0:03:43.280,0:03:45.536
because it allowed me[br]and millions of others

0:03:45.560,0:03:47.720
to live in a very stable country.

0:03:49.200,0:03:52.136
And you might be thinking[br]that it was good luck,

0:03:52.160,0:03:53.656
but it wasn't.

0:03:53.680,0:03:56.720
There was a pattern of deliberate choices.

0:03:58.080,0:04:04.136
In the '40s, Costa Ricans were given[br]free education and free health care.

0:04:04.160,0:04:06.120
We called that social guarantees.

0:04:06.760,0:04:08.376
By abolishing the army,

0:04:08.400,0:04:13.336
we were able to turn military spending[br]into social spending,

0:04:13.360,0:04:15.280
and that was a driver of stability.

0:04:16.120,0:04:17.375
In the '50s --

0:04:17.399,0:04:19.480
(Applause)

0:04:22.600,0:04:25.976
In the '50s, we started[br]investing in hydropower,

0:04:26.000,0:04:28.656
and that kept us away from the trap

0:04:28.680,0:04:31.736
of using fossil fuels[br]for electricity generation,

0:04:31.760,0:04:34.120
which is what the world[br]is struggling with today.

0:04:35.160,0:04:38.696
In the '70s we invested in national parks,

0:04:38.720,0:04:40.680
and that kept us away

0:04:41.640,0:04:46.296
from the deeply flawed logic[br]of growth, growth, growth at any cost

0:04:46.320,0:04:50.000
that you see others embracing,[br]especially in the developing world.

0:04:50.800,0:04:54.896
In the '90s, we pioneered payments[br]for ecosystem services,

0:04:54.920,0:04:56.856
and that helped us reverse deforestation

0:04:56.880,0:05:00.040
and boosted ecotourism,[br]which today is a key engine of growth.

0:05:01.000,0:05:03.936
So investing in environmental protection

0:05:03.960,0:05:06.176
did not hurt our economy.

0:05:06.200,0:05:07.456
Quite the opposite.

0:05:07.480,0:05:09.496
And it doesn't mean we are perfect,

0:05:09.520,0:05:11.856
and it doesn't mean[br]we don't have contradictions.

0:05:11.880,0:05:13.120
That's not the point.

0:05:13.720,0:05:17.216
The point is that,[br]by making our own choices,

0:05:17.240,0:05:22.200
we were able to develop resilience[br]in dealing with development problems.

0:05:24.080,0:05:27.656
Also, if you take a country like ours,

0:05:27.680,0:05:31.576
the GDP per capita[br]is around 11,000 dollars,

0:05:31.600,0:05:33.320
depending on how you measure it.

0:05:34.080,0:05:36.136
But according to[br]the Social Progress Index,

0:05:36.160,0:05:38.056
we are an absolute outlier

0:05:38.080,0:05:41.200
when it comes to turning GDP[br]into social progress.

0:05:42.000,0:05:43.536
Abolishing the army,

0:05:43.560,0:05:45.376
investing in nature and people,

0:05:45.400,0:05:48.200
did something very powerful, too.

0:05:49.120,0:05:50.680
It shaped the narrative,

0:05:52.000,0:05:54.616
the narrative of a small country[br]with big ideas,

0:05:54.640,0:05:58.000
and it was very empowering[br]to grow up with that narrative.

0:05:59.520,0:06:01.696
So the question is,

0:06:01.720,0:06:04.800
what is the next big idea[br]for this generation?

0:06:06.320,0:06:08.696
And I believe what comes next

0:06:08.720,0:06:13.880
is for this generation[br]to let go of fossil fuels for good,

0:06:15.640,0:06:17.280
just as we did with the army.

0:06:18.400,0:06:20.696
Fossil fuels create climate change.

0:06:20.720,0:06:22.096
We know that,

0:06:22.120,0:06:26.616
and we know how vulnerable we are[br]to the impacts of climate change.

0:06:26.640,0:06:30.296
So as a developing country,[br]it is in our best interest

0:06:30.320,0:06:32.296
to build development without fossil fuels

0:06:32.320,0:06:34.960
that harm people in the first place.

0:06:36.880,0:06:38.120
Because

0:06:39.000,0:06:41.840
why would we continue importing oil

0:06:43.800,0:06:45.536
for transportation

0:06:45.560,0:06:47.720
if we can use electricity instead?

0:06:48.720,0:06:50.536
Remember,

0:06:50.560,0:06:52.456
this is the country

0:06:52.480,0:06:58.536
where electricity[br]comes from water in our rivers,

0:06:58.560,0:07:01.056
heat from volcanoes,

0:07:01.080,0:07:04.416
wind turbines, solar panels,

0:07:04.440,0:07:05.640
biowaste.

0:07:06.560,0:07:12.856
Abolishing fossil fuels means[br]disrupting our transportation system

0:07:12.880,0:07:18.216
so that we can power our cars,[br]buses and trains with electricity

0:07:18.240,0:07:19.720
instead of dirty energy.

0:07:20.400,0:07:22.816
And transportation, let me tell you,

0:07:22.840,0:07:26.896
has become an existential issue[br]for us Costa Ricans,

0:07:26.920,0:07:29.336
because the model we have[br]is not working for us.

0:07:29.360,0:07:30.600
It's hurting people,

0:07:31.480,0:07:33.216
it's hurting companies,

0:07:33.240,0:07:35.216
and it's hurting our health.

0:07:35.240,0:07:39.976
Because when policies[br]and infrastructure fail,

0:07:40.000,0:07:43.240
this is what happens on a daily basis.

0:07:44.800,0:07:46.376
Two hours in the morning,

0:07:46.400,0:07:48.216
two hours in the evening.

0:07:48.240,0:07:51.920
I don't understand why[br]we have to accept this as normal.

0:07:52.800,0:07:54.000
It's offensive

0:07:55.040,0:07:58.960
to have to waste our time like this[br]every single day.

0:07:59.920,0:08:01.816
And this highway is actually quite good

0:08:01.840,0:08:03.896
compared to what you see[br]in other countries

0:08:03.920,0:08:05.360
where traffic is exploding.

0:08:06.000,0:08:08.280
You know, Costa Ricans call this "presa."

0:08:09.280,0:08:11.200
Presa means "imprisoned."

0:08:12.360,0:08:15.336
And people are turning violent

0:08:15.360,0:08:18.560
in a country that is otherwise[br]happy in pura vida.

0:08:20.040,0:08:21.280
It's happening.

0:08:21.880,0:08:23.240
So a lot is at stake.

0:08:24.560,0:08:26.416
The good news

0:08:26.440,0:08:29.456
is that when we talk[br]about clean transportation

0:08:29.480,0:08:30.736
and different mobility,

0:08:30.760,0:08:35.775
we're not talking about[br]some distant utopia out there.

0:08:35.799,0:08:39.559
We're talking about electric mobility[br]that is happening today.

0:08:41.039,0:08:46.496
By 2022, electric cars[br]and conventional cars

0:08:46.520,0:08:48.600
are expected to cost the same,

0:08:49.520,0:08:52.880
and cities are already trying[br]electric buses.

0:08:53.800,0:08:55.840
And these really cool creatures

0:08:56.760,0:08:57.960
are saving money,

0:08:59.000,0:09:00.760
and they reduce pollution.

0:09:01.480,0:09:05.456
So if we want to get rid[br]of oil-based transportation, we can,

0:09:05.480,0:09:08.096
because we have options now[br]that we didn't have before.

0:09:08.120,0:09:09.400
It's really exciting.

0:09:10.760,0:09:11.960
But of course,

0:09:13.280,0:09:15.960
some get very uncomfortable[br]with this idea,

0:09:17.760,0:09:20.936
and they will come and they will tell you

0:09:20.960,0:09:25.776
that the world is stuck with oil,[br]and so is Costa Rica, so get real.

0:09:25.800,0:09:27.056
That's what they tell you.

0:09:27.080,0:09:29.416
And you know what the answer[br]to that argument is?

0:09:29.440,0:09:33.016
That in 1948, we didn't say[br]the world is stuck with armies,

0:09:33.040,0:09:34.976
so let's keep our army, too.

0:09:35.000,0:09:37.960
No, we made a very brave choice,

0:09:38.640,0:09:40.840
and that choice made the whole difference.

0:09:41.600,0:09:45.976
So it's time for this generation[br]to be brave again

0:09:46.000,0:09:47.776
and abolish fossil fuels for good.

0:09:47.800,0:09:50.400
And I'll give you three reasons[br]why we have to do this.

0:09:51.240,0:09:52.440
First,

0:09:53.120,0:09:56.856
our model of transportation[br]and urbanization is broken,

0:09:56.880,0:10:01.320
so this is the best moment[br]to redefine our urban and mobility future.

0:10:02.520,0:10:05.336
We don't want cities[br]that are built for cars.

0:10:05.360,0:10:07.696
We want cities for people

0:10:07.720,0:10:11.576
where we can walk and we can use bikes.

0:10:11.600,0:10:13.736
And we want public transportation,

0:10:13.760,0:10:15.256
lots of it,

0:10:15.280,0:10:18.320
public transportation[br]that is clean and dignifying.

0:10:19.200,0:10:23.120
Because if we continue[br]adding fleets of conventional cars,

0:10:24.760,0:10:26.960
our cities will become unbearable.

0:10:28.000,0:10:29.736
Second, we have to change,

0:10:29.760,0:10:33.240
but incremental change[br]is not going to be sufficient.

0:10:34.720,0:10:36.760
We need transformational change.

0:10:37.600,0:10:40.456
And there are some[br]incremental projects in my country,

0:10:40.480,0:10:42.680
and I am the first one to celebrate them.

0:10:43.800,0:10:46.176
But let's not kid ourselves.

0:10:46.200,0:10:50.096
We're not talking about ending up[br]with really beautiful electric cars here

0:10:50.120,0:10:52.736
and a few electric buses there

0:10:52.760,0:10:56.136
while we keep investing[br]in the same kind of infrastructure,

0:10:56.160,0:10:58.656
more cars, more roads, more oil.

0:10:58.680,0:11:02.976
We're talking about[br]breaking free from oil,

0:11:03.000,0:11:06.320
and you cannot get there[br]through incrementalism.

0:11:08.360,0:11:11.520
Third, and you know this one,

0:11:13.080,0:11:16.680
the world is hungry for inspiration.

0:11:18.120,0:11:21.216
It craves stories of success

0:11:21.240,0:11:23.016
in dealing with complex issues,

0:11:23.040,0:11:26.160
especially in developing countries.

0:11:27.400,0:11:30.680
So I believe Costa Rica[br]can be an inspiration to others,

0:11:31.720,0:11:34.456
as we did last year when we disclosed

0:11:34.480,0:11:38.456
that for so many days[br]we were not using any fossil fuels

0:11:38.480,0:11:43.336
in order to generate all our electricity.

0:11:43.360,0:11:46.720
The news went viral around the world.

0:11:47.640,0:11:50.736
Also, and this makes me extremely proud,

0:11:50.760,0:11:54.600
a Costa Rican woman, Christiana Figueres,

0:11:55.480,0:12:01.280
played a decisive role in the negotiations[br]of the Paris climate agreement.

0:12:02.600,0:12:06.320
So we have to protect that legacy[br]and be an example.

0:12:07.400,0:12:09.200
So what comes next?

0:12:10.240,0:12:11.520
The people.

0:12:12.280,0:12:14.840
How do we get people to own this?

0:12:15.760,0:12:17.856
How do we get people

0:12:17.880,0:12:20.296
to believe that it's possible

0:12:20.320,0:12:22.960
to build a society without fossil fuels?

0:12:24.040,0:12:27.360
A lot of work from[br]the ground up is needed.

0:12:29.120,0:12:32.640
That is why, in 2014,[br]we created Costa Rica Limpia.

0:12:33.720,0:12:36.416
"Limpia" means "clean,"

0:12:36.440,0:12:40.080
because we want to empower[br]and we want to inspire citizens.

0:12:40.760,0:12:43.680
If citizens don't get engaged,

0:12:45.080,0:12:49.736
clean transportation decisions[br]will be bogged down by endless,

0:12:49.760,0:12:52.736
and I mean endless, technical discussions,

0:12:52.760,0:12:57.040
and by avalanches of lobbying[br]by various established interests.

0:13:00.720,0:13:04.576
Wanting to be a green country[br]powered by renewables

0:13:04.600,0:13:07.176
is already part of our story.

0:13:07.200,0:13:09.880
We should not let anybody[br]take that away from us.

0:13:12.080,0:13:16.536
Last year, we brought people[br]from our seven provinces

0:13:16.560,0:13:19.800
to talk about climate change[br]in terms that matter to them,

0:13:20.720,0:13:23.616
and we also brought this year

0:13:23.640,0:13:25.696
another group of Costa Ricans

0:13:25.720,0:13:27.816
to talk about renewable energy.

0:13:27.840,0:13:29.096
And you know what?

0:13:29.120,0:13:31.376
These people disagree on almost everything

0:13:31.400,0:13:34.056
except on renewable energy

0:13:34.080,0:13:36.176
and clean transportation and clean air.

0:13:36.200,0:13:38.176
It brings people together.

0:13:38.200,0:13:41.056
And the key to real participation

0:13:41.080,0:13:43.296
is to help people not to feel small.

0:13:43.320,0:13:44.616
People feel powerless,

0:13:44.640,0:13:46.960
and they are tired of not being heard.

0:13:49.000,0:13:51.376
So what we do is concrete things,

0:13:51.400,0:13:55.896
and we translate technical issues[br]into citizen language

0:13:55.920,0:13:59.640
to show that citizens have a role to play[br]and can play it together.

0:14:00.480,0:14:03.696
For the first time, we're tracking[br]the promises that were made

0:14:03.720,0:14:05.216
on clean transportation,

0:14:05.240,0:14:07.856
and politicos know[br]that they have to deliver it,

0:14:07.880,0:14:10.880
but the tipping point will come[br]when we form coalitions --

0:14:11.960,0:14:13.816
citizens, companies,

0:14:13.840,0:14:16.016
champions of public transportation --

0:14:16.040,0:14:18.816
that will make electric mobility[br]the new normal,

0:14:18.840,0:14:21.200
especially in a developing country.

0:14:22.560,0:14:26.256
By the time the next election comes,

0:14:26.280,0:14:29.696
I believe every candidate[br]will have to disclose where they stand

0:14:29.720,0:14:31.616
on the abolition of fossil fuels.

0:14:31.640,0:14:35.440
Because this question[br]has to enter our mainstream politics.

0:14:36.520,0:14:39.976
And I'm telling you,[br]this is not a question of climate policy

0:14:40.000,0:14:41.760
or environmental agenda.

0:14:42.760,0:14:45.360
It's about the country that we want

0:14:46.160,0:14:48.256
and the cities that we have

0:14:48.280,0:14:49.936
and the cities that we want

0:14:49.960,0:14:52.136
and who makes that choice.

0:14:52.160,0:14:55.336
Because at the end of the day,[br]what we have to show

0:14:55.360,0:14:58.496
is that development with renewable energy

0:14:58.520,0:15:00.280
is good for the people,

0:15:01.440,0:15:03.856
for Costa Ricans that are alive today

0:15:03.880,0:15:06.480
and especially for those[br]who haven't been born.

0:15:09.560,0:15:12.616
This is our National Museum today.

0:15:12.640,0:15:14.336
It's bright and peaceful,

0:15:14.360,0:15:17.056
and when you stand up in front of it,

0:15:17.080,0:15:20.376
it's really hard to believe[br]these were military barracks

0:15:20.400,0:15:22.576
at the end of the '40s.

0:15:22.600,0:15:26.416
We started a new life[br]without an army in this place,

0:15:26.440,0:15:30.296
and here is where our abolition

0:15:30.320,0:15:33.216
of fossil fuels will be announced one day.

0:15:33.240,0:15:35.536
And we will make history again.

0:15:35.560,0:15:36.776
Thank you.

0:15:36.800,0:15:38.922
(Applause)