WEBVTT 00:00:01.103 --> 00:00:04.228 How do we build a society 00:00:04.253 --> 00:00:05.760 without fossil fuels? NOTE Paragraph 00:00:06.944 --> 00:00:09.120 This is a very complex challenge, 00:00:09.920 --> 00:00:14.400 and I believe developing countries could take the lead in this transition. 00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:17.680 And I'm aware that this is a contentious statement, 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:23.736 but the reality is that so much is at stake in our countries 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:28.640 if we let fossil fuels stay at the center of our development. 00:00:29.240 --> 00:00:31.080 We can do it differently. 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:35.456 And it's time, it really is time, 00:00:35.480 --> 00:00:38.176 to debunk the myth 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:43.256 that a country has to choose between development on the one hand 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:48.680 and environmental protection, renewables, quality of life, on the other. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:49.800 --> 00:00:52.080 I come from Costa Rica, a developing country. 00:00:52.680 --> 00:00:54.880 We are nearly five million people, 00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:58.776 and we live right in the middle of the Americas, 00:00:58.800 --> 00:01:01.120 so it's very easy to remember where we live. 00:01:03.080 --> 00:01:09.360 Nearly 100 percent of our electricity 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.856 comes from renewable sources, 00:01:12.880 --> 00:01:14.096 five of them. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:16.240 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:01:18.800 --> 00:01:22.656 Hydropower, geothermal, 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:26.120 wind, solar, biomass. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:29.136 Did you know that last year, 00:01:29.160 --> 00:01:32.616 for 299 days, 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:35.856 we did not use any fossil fuels 00:01:35.880 --> 00:01:39.360 in order to generate all our electricity? 00:01:40.240 --> 00:01:43.200 It's a fantastic achievement, 00:01:44.360 --> 00:01:48.440 and yet, it hides a paradox, 00:01:51.080 --> 00:01:54.136 which is that nearly 70 percent 00:01:54.160 --> 00:01:58.760 of all our energy consumption is oil. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:59.880 --> 00:02:01.080 Why? 00:02:01.800 --> 00:02:04.536 Because of our transportation system, 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:07.816 which is totally dependent on fossil fuels, 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:09.479 like it is in most countries. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:14.016 So if we think of the energy transition as a marathon, 00:02:14.040 --> 00:02:17.936 the question is, how do we get to the finish line, 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:21.080 how do we decarbonize the rest of the economy? 00:02:21.880 --> 00:02:24.776 And it's fair to say that if we don't succeed, 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:26.576 it's difficult to see who will. 00:02:26.600 --> 00:02:29.160 So that is why I want to talk to you about Costa Rica, 00:02:30.160 --> 00:02:32.856 because I believe we are a great candidate 00:02:32.880 --> 00:02:37.280 in pioneering a vision for development without fossil fuels. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:39.200 --> 00:02:42.456 If you know one thing about our country, 00:02:42.480 --> 00:02:44.400 it's that we don't have an army. 00:02:45.440 --> 00:02:48.360 So I'm going to take you back to 1948. 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:53.120 That year, the country was coming out of civil war. 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:57.936 Thousands of Costa Ricans had died, 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:00.240 and families were bitterly split. 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:06.256 And yet, a surprising idea won the hearts and minds: 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:08.176 we would reboot the country, 00:03:08.200 --> 00:03:11.256 and that Second Republic would have no army. 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:12.520 So we abolished it. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:16.016 And the president at the time, 00:03:16.040 --> 00:03:18.216 José Figueres, 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:23.560 found a powerful way by smashing the walls of an army base. 00:03:25.200 --> 00:03:28.376 The following year, 1949, 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:32.576 we made that decision permanent in the new constitution, 00:03:32.600 --> 00:03:36.760 and that is why I can tell you that story nearly 70 years later. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:39.536 And I'm grateful. 00:03:39.560 --> 00:03:42.520 I'm grateful they made that decision before I was born, 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.536 because it allowed me and millions of others 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:47.720 to live in a very stable country. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:49.200 --> 00:03:52.136 And you might be thinking that it was good luck, 00:03:52.160 --> 00:03:53.656 but it wasn't. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:56.720 There was a pattern of deliberate choices. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:04.136 In the '40s, Costa Ricans were given free education and free health care. 00:04:04.160 --> 00:04:06.120 We called that social guarantees. 00:04:06.760 --> 00:04:08.376 By abolishing the army, 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:13.336 we were able to turn military spending into social spending, 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:15.280 and that was a driver of stability. 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:17.375 In the '50s -- NOTE Paragraph 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:19.480 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:25.976 In the '50s, we started investing in hydropower, 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.656 and that kept us away from the trap 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:31.736 of using fossil fuels for electricity generation, 00:04:31.760 --> 00:04:34.120 which is what the world is struggling with today. 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:38.696 In the '70s we invested in national parks, 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:40.680 and that kept us away 00:04:41.640 --> 00:04:46.296 from the deeply flawed logic of growth, growth, growth at any cost 00:04:46.320 --> 00:04:50.000 that you see others embracing, especially in the developing world. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:54.896 In the '90s, we pioneered payments for ecosystem services, 00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:56.856 and that helped us reverse deforestation 00:04:56.880 --> 00:05:00.040 and boosted ecotourism, which today is a key engine of growth. 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:03.936 So investing in environmental protection 00:05:03.960 --> 00:05:06.176 did not hurt our economy. 00:05:06.200 --> 00:05:07.456 Quite the opposite. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:09.496 And it doesn't mean we are perfect, 00:05:09.520 --> 00:05:11.856 and it doesn't mean we don't have contradictions. 00:05:11.880 --> 00:05:13.120 That's not the point. 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:17.216 The point is that, by making our own choices, 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:22.200 we were able to develop resilience in dealing with development problems. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:24.080 --> 00:05:27.656 Also, if you take a country like ours, 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:31.576 the GDP per capita is around 11,000 dollars, 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:33.320 depending on how you measure it. 00:05:34.080 --> 00:05:36.136 But according to the Social Progress Index, 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:38.056 we are an absolute outlier 00:05:38.080 --> 00:05:41.200 when it comes to turning GDP into social progress. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:43.536 Abolishing the army, 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:45.376 investing in nature and people, 00:05:45.400 --> 00:05:48.200 did something very powerful, too. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:50.680 It shaped the narrative, 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.616 the narrative of a small country with big ideas, 00:05:54.640 --> 00:05:58.000 and it was very empowering to grow up with that narrative. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:59.520 --> 00:06:01.696 So the question is, 00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:04.800 what is the next big idea for this generation? 00:06:06.320 --> 00:06:08.696 And I believe what comes next 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:13.880 is for this generation to let go of fossil fuels for good, 00:06:15.640 --> 00:06:17.280 just as we did with the army. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:18.400 --> 00:06:20.696 Fossil fuels create climate change. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:22.096 We know that, 00:06:22.120 --> 00:06:26.616 and we know how vulnerable we are to the impacts of climate change. 00:06:26.640 --> 00:06:30.296 So as a developing country, it is in our best interest 00:06:30.320 --> 00:06:32.296 to build development without fossil fuels 00:06:32.320 --> 00:06:34.960 that harm people in the first place. 00:06:36.880 --> 00:06:38.120 Because 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:41.840 why would we continue importing oil 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:45.536 for transportation 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:47.720 if we can use electricity instead? NOTE Paragraph 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:50.536 Remember, 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:52.456 this is the country 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:58.536 where electricity comes from water in our rivers, 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.056 heat from volcanoes, 00:07:01.080 --> 00:07:04.416 wind turbines, solar panels, 00:07:04.440 --> 00:07:05.640 biowaste. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:12.856 Abolishing fossil fuels means disrupting our transportation system 00:07:12.880 --> 00:07:18.216 so that we can power our cars, buses and trains with electricity 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:19.720 instead of dirty energy. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:20.400 --> 00:07:22.816 And transportation, let me tell you, 00:07:22.840 --> 00:07:26.896 has become an existential issue for us Costa Ricans, 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:29.336 because the model we have is not working for us. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:30.600 It's hurting people, 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:33.216 it's hurting companies, 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:35.216 and it's hurting our health. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:39.976 Because when policies and infrastructure fail, 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:43.240 this is what happens on a daily basis. 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:46.376 Two hours in the morning, 00:07:46.400 --> 00:07:48.216 two hours in the evening. 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:51.920 I don't understand why we have to accept this as normal. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.000 It's offensive 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:58.960 to have to waste our time like this every single day. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:01.816 And this highway is actually quite good 00:08:01.840 --> 00:08:03.896 compared to what you see in other countries 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:05.360 where traffic is exploding. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:08.280 You know, Costa Ricans call this "presa." 00:08:09.280 --> 00:08:11.200 Presa means "imprisoned." 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:15.336 And people are turning violent 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.560 in a country that is otherwise happy in pura vida. 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:21.280 It's happening. 00:08:21.880 --> 00:08:23.240 So a lot is at stake. NOTE Paragraph 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.416 The good news 00:08:26.440 --> 00:08:29.456 is that when we talk about clean transportation 00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:30.736 and different mobility, 00:08:30.760 --> 00:08:35.775 we're not talking about some distant utopia out there. 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:39.559 We're talking about electric mobility that is happening today. 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:46.496 By 2022, electric cars and conventional cars 00:08:46.520 --> 00:08:48.600 are expected to cost the same, 00:08:49.520 --> 00:08:52.880 and cities are already trying electric buses. 00:08:53.800 --> 00:08:55.840 And these really cool creatures 00:08:56.760 --> 00:08:57.960 are saving money, 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:00.760 and they reduce pollution. 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:05.456 So if we want to get rid of oil-based transportation, we can, 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.096 because we have options now that we didn't have before. 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:09.400 It's really exciting. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:10.760 --> 00:09:11.960 But of course, 00:09:13.280 --> 00:09:15.960 some get very uncomfortable with this idea, 00:09:17.760 --> 00:09:20.936 and they will come and they will tell you 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:25.776 that the world is stuck with oil, and so is Costa Rica, so get real. 00:09:25.800 --> 00:09:27.056 That's what they tell you. 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:29.416 And you know what the answer to that argument is? 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:33.016 That in 1948, we didn't say the world is stuck with armies, 00:09:33.040 --> 00:09:34.976 so let's keep our army, too. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:37.960 No, we made a very brave choice, 00:09:38.640 --> 00:09:40.840 and that choice made the whole difference. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:45.976 So it's time for this generation to be brave again 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:47.776 and abolish fossil fuels for good. 00:09:47.800 --> 00:09:50.400 And I'll give you three reasons why we have to do this. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:52.440 First, 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:56.856 our model of transportation and urbanization is broken, 00:09:56.880 --> 00:10:01.320 so this is the best moment to redefine our urban and mobility future. 00:10:02.520 --> 00:10:05.336 We don't want cities that are built for cars. 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:07.696 We want cities for people 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:11.576 where we can walk and we can use bikes. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:13.736 And we want public transportation, 00:10:13.760 --> 00:10:15.256 lots of it, 00:10:15.280 --> 00:10:18.320 public transportation that is clean and dignifying. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:23.120 Because if we continue adding fleets of conventional cars, 00:10:24.760 --> 00:10:26.960 our cities will become unbearable. NOTE Paragraph 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:29.736 Second, we have to change, 00:10:29.760 --> 00:10:33.240 but incremental change is not going to be sufficient. 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:36.760 We need transformational change. 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:40.456 And there are some incremental projects in my country, 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:42.680 and I am the first one to celebrate them. 00:10:43.800 --> 00:10:46.176 But let's not kid ourselves. 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:50.096 We're not talking about ending up with really beautiful electric cars here 00:10:50.120 --> 00:10:52.736 and a few electric buses there 00:10:52.760 --> 00:10:56.136 while we keep investing in the same kind of infrastructure, 00:10:56.160 --> 00:10:58.656 more cars, more roads, more oil. 00:10:58.680 --> 00:11:02.976 We're talking about breaking free from oil, 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:06.320 and you cannot get there through incrementalism. NOTE Paragraph 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:11.520 Third, and you know this one, 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:16.680 the world is hungry for inspiration. 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:21.216 It craves stories of success 00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:23.016 in dealing with complex issues, 00:11:23.040 --> 00:11:26.160 especially in developing countries. 00:11:27.400 --> 00:11:30.680 So I believe Costa Rica can be an inspiration to others, 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:34.456 as we did last year when we disclosed 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:38.456 that for so many days we were not using any fossil fuels 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:43.336 in order to generate all our electricity. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.720 The news went viral around the world. 00:11:47.640 --> 00:11:50.736 Also, and this makes me extremely proud, 00:11:50.760 --> 00:11:54.600 a Costa Rican woman, Christiana Figueres, 00:11:55.480 --> 00:12:01.280 played a decisive role in the negotiations of the Paris climate agreement. 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:06.320 So we have to protect that legacy and be an example. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:07.400 --> 00:12:09.200 So what comes next? 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:11.520 The people. 00:12:12.280 --> 00:12:14.840 How do we get people to own this? 00:12:15.760 --> 00:12:17.856 How do we get people 00:12:17.880 --> 00:12:20.296 to believe that it's possible 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:22.960 to build a society without fossil fuels? 00:12:24.040 --> 00:12:27.360 A lot of work from the ground up is needed. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:32.640 That is why, in 2014, we created Costa Rica Limpia. 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:36.416 "Limpia" means "clean," 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:40.080 because we want to empower and we want to inspire citizens. 00:12:40.760 --> 00:12:43.680 If citizens don't get engaged, 00:12:45.080 --> 00:12:49.736 clean transportation decisions will be bogged down by endless, 00:12:49.760 --> 00:12:52.736 and I mean endless, technical discussions, 00:12:52.760 --> 00:12:57.040 and by avalanches of lobbying by various established interests. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:04.576 Wanting to be a green country powered by renewables 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:07.176 is already part of our story. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:09.880 We should not let anybody take that away from us. NOTE Paragraph 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:16.536 Last year, we brought people from our seven provinces 00:13:16.560 --> 00:13:19.800 to talk about climate change in terms that matter to them, 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.616 and we also brought this year 00:13:23.640 --> 00:13:25.696 another group of Costa Ricans 00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:27.816 to talk about renewable energy. 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:29.096 And you know what? 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:31.376 These people disagree on almost everything 00:13:31.400 --> 00:13:34.056 except on renewable energy 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:36.176 and clean transportation and clean air. 00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:38.176 It brings people together. NOTE Paragraph 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:41.056 And the key to real participation 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:43.296 is to help people not to feel small. 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:44.616 People feel powerless, 00:13:44.640 --> 00:13:46.960 and they are tired of not being heard. 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:51.376 So what we do is concrete things, 00:13:51.400 --> 00:13:55.896 and we translate technical issues into citizen language 00:13:55.920 --> 00:13:59.640 to show that citizens have a role to play and can play it together. 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:03.696 For the first time, we're tracking the promises that were made 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:05.216 on clean transportation, 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:07.856 and politicos know that they have to deliver it, 00:14:07.880 --> 00:14:10.880 but the tipping point will come when we form coalitions -- 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:13.816 citizens, companies, 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:16.016 champions of public transportation -- 00:14:16.040 --> 00:14:18.816 that will make electric mobility the new normal, 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:21.200 especially in a developing country. NOTE Paragraph 00:14:22.560 --> 00:14:26.256 By the time the next election comes, 00:14:26.280 --> 00:14:29.696 I believe every candidate will have to disclose where they stand 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:31.616 on the abolition of fossil fuels. 00:14:31.640 --> 00:14:35.440 Because this question has to enter our mainstream politics. 00:14:36.520 --> 00:14:39.976 And I'm telling you, this is not a question of climate policy 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:41.760 or environmental agenda. 00:14:42.760 --> 00:14:45.360 It's about the country that we want 00:14:46.160 --> 00:14:48.256 and the cities that we have 00:14:48.280 --> 00:14:49.936 and the cities that we want 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:52.136 and who makes that choice. 00:14:52.160 --> 00:14:55.336 Because at the end of the day, what we have to show 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.496 is that development with renewable energy 00:14:58.520 --> 00:15:00.280 is good for the people, 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:03.856 for Costa Ricans that are alive today 00:15:03.880 --> 00:15:06.480 and especially for those who haven't been born. NOTE Paragraph 00:15:09.560 --> 00:15:12.616 This is our National Museum today. 00:15:12.640 --> 00:15:14.336 It's bright and peaceful, 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:17.056 and when you stand up in front of it, 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:20.376 it's really hard to believe these were military barracks 00:15:20.400 --> 00:15:22.576 at the end of the '40s. 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:26.416 We started a new life without an army in this place, 00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:30.296 and here is where our abolition 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:33.216 of fossil fuels will be announced one day. 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:35.536 And we will make history again. NOTE Paragraph 00:15:35.560 --> 00:15:36.776 Thank you. NOTE Paragraph 00:15:36.800 --> 00:15:38.922 (Applause)