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How do we build a society
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without fossil fuels?
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This is a very complex challenge,
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and I believe developing countries
could take the lead in this transition.
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And I'm aware that this
is a contentious statement,
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but the reality is that so much
is at stake in our countries
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if we let fossil fuels stay
at the center of our development.
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We can do it differently,
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and it's time, it really is time,
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to debunk the myth
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that a country has to choose
between development on the one hand
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and environmental protection,
renewables, quality of life, on the other.
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I come from Costa Rica,
a developing country.
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We are nearly five million people,
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and we live right in the middle
of the Americas,
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so it's very easy
to remember where we live.
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Nearly 100 percent of our electricity
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comes from renewable sources,
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five of them.
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(Applause)
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Hydropower, geothermal,
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wind, solar, biomass.
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Did you know that last year,
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for 299 days,
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we did not use any fossil fuels
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in order to generate all our electricity?
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It's a fantastic achievement,
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and yet, it hides a paradox,
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which is that nearly 70 percent
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of all our energy consumption is oil.
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Why?
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Because of our transportation system,
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which is totally dependent
on fossil fuels,
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like it is in most countries.
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So if we think of the energy
transition as a marathon,
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the question is, how do we get
to the finishing line,
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how do we decarbonize
the rest of the economy?
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And it's fair to say
that if we don't succeed,
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it's difficult to see who will.
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So that is why I want
to talk to you about Costa Rica,
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because I believe we are a great candidate
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in pioneering a vision
for development without fossil fuels.
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If you know one thing about our country,
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it is that we don't have an army.
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So I'm going to take you back to 1948.
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That year, the country
was coming out of civil war.
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Thousands of Costa Ricans had died,
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and families were bitterly split,
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and yet, a surprising idea
won the hearts and minds:
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we would reboot the country,
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and that Second Republic
would have no army.
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So we abolished it.
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And the president at the time,
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José Figueres,
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found a powerful way
by smashing the walls of an army base.
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The following year, 1949,
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we made that decision permanent
in the new constitution,
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and that is why I can tell you that story
nearly 70 years later.
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And I'm grateful.
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I'm grateful they made that decision
before I was born,
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because it allowed me
and millions of others
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to live in a very stable country.
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And you might be thinking
that it was good luck,
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but it wasn't.
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There was a pattern of deliberate choices.
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In the '40s, Costa Ricans were given
free education and free health care.
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We called that social guarantees.
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By abolishing the army,
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we were able to turn military spending
into social spending,
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and that was a driver of stability.
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In the '50s --
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(Applause)
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In the '50s, we started
investing in hydropower,
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and that kept us away from the trap
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of using fossil fuels
for electricity generation,
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which is what the world
is struggling with today.
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In the '70s we invested in national parks,
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and that kept us away
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from the deeply flawed logic
of growth, growth, growth at any cost
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that you see others embracing,
especially in the developing world.
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In the '90s, we pioneered payments
for ecosystem services,
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and that helped us reverse deforestation
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and boosted ecotourism,
which today is a key engine of growth.
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So investing in environmental protection
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did not hurt our economy.
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Quite the opposite.
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And it doesn't mean we are perfect,
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and it doesn't mean
we don't have contradictions.
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That's not the point.
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The point is that,
by making our own choices,
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we were able to develop resilience
in dealing with development problems.
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Also, if you take a country like ours,
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the GDP per capita
is around 11,000 dollars,
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depending on how you measure it.
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But according to
the Social Progress Index,
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we are an absolute outlier
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when it comes to turning GDP
into social progress.
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Abolishing the army,
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investing in nature and people,
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did something very powerful too.
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It shaped the narrative,
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the narrative of a small country
with big ideas,
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and it was very empowering
to grow up with that narrative.
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So the question is,
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what is the next big idea
for this generation?
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And I believe what comes next
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is for this generation
to let go of fossil fuels for good,
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just as we did with the army.
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Fossil fuels create climate change.
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We know that,
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and we know how vulnerable we are
to the impacts of climate change.
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So as a developing country,
it is in our best interest
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to build development without fossil fuels
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that harm people in the first place.
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Because
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why would we continue importing oil
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for transportation
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if we can use electricity instead?
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Remember,
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this is the country
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where electricity
comes from water in our rivers,
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heat from volcanoes,
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wind turbines, solar panels,
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biowaste.
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Abolishing fossil fuels means
disrupting our transportation system
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so that we can power our cars,
buses, and trains with electricity
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instead of dirty energy.
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And transportation, let me tell you,
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has become an existential issue
for us Costa Ricans,
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because the model we have
is not working for us.
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It's hurting people,
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it's hurting companies,
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and it's hurting our health.
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Because when policies
and infrastructure fail,
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this is what happens on a daily basis.
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Two hours in the morning,
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two hours in the evening.
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I don't understand why
we have to accept this as normal.
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It's offensive
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to have to waste our time like this
every single day.
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And this highway is actually quite good
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compared to what you see
in other countries
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where traffic is exploding.
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You know, Costa Ricans call this "presa."
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Presa means "imprisoned."
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And people are turning violent
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in a country that is otherwise
happy in pura vida.
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It's happening.
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So a lot is at stake.
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The good news
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is that when we talk
about clean transportation
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and different mobility,
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we're not talking about
some distant utopia out there.
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We're talking about electric mobility
that is happening today.
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By 2022, electric cars
and conventional cars
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are expected to cost the same,
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and cities are already trying
electric buses,
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and these really cool creatures
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are saving money,
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and they reduce pollution.
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So if we want to get rid
of oil-based transportation, we can,
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because we have options now
that we didn't have before.
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It's really exciting.
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But of course,
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some get very uncomfortable
with this idea,
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and they will come and they will tell you
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that the world is stuck with oil,
and so is Costa Rica, so get real.
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That's what they tell you.
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And you know what the answer
to that argument is?
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That in 1948, we didn't say
the world is stuck with armies,
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so let's keep our army too.
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No, we made a very brave choice,
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and that choice made the whole difference.
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So it's time for this generation
to be brave again
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and abolish fossil fuels for good.
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And I'll give you three reasons
why we have to do this.
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First,
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our model of transportation
and urbanization is broken,
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so this is the best moment
to redefine our urban and mobility future.
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We don't want cities
that are built for cars.
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We want cities for people
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where we can walk and we can use bikes.
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And we want public transportation,
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lots of it,
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public transportation
that is clean and dignifying.
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Because if we continue
adding fleets of conventional cars,
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our cities will become unbearable.
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Second, we have to change,
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but incremental change
is not going to be sufficient.
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We need transformational change.
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And there are some
incremental projects in my country,
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and I am the first one to celebrate them.
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But let's not kid ourselves.
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We're not talking about ending up
with really beautiful electric cars here
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and a few electric buses there
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while we keep investing
in the same kind of infrastructure,
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more cars, more roads, more oil.
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We're talking about
breaking free from oil,
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and you cannot get there
through incrementalism.
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Third, and you know this one,
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the world is hungry for inspiration.
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It craves stories of success
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in dealing with complex issues,
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especially in developing countries.
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So I believe Costa Rica
can be an inspiration to others,
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as we did last year when we disclosed
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that for so many days
we were not using any fossil fuels
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in order to generate all our electricity.
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The news went viral around the world.
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Also, and this makes me extremely proud,
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a Costa Rican woman, Christiana Figueres,
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played a decisive role in the negotiations
of the Paris climate agreement.
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So we have to protect that legacy
and be an example.
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So what comes next?
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The people.
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How do we get people to own this?
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How do we get people
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to believe that it's possible
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to build a society without fossil fuels?
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A lot of work from
the ground up is needed.
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That is why, in 2014,
we created Costa Rica Limpia.
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"Limpia" means "clean,"
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because we want to empower
and we want to inspire citizens.
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If citizens don't get engaged,
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clean transportation decisions
will be bogged down by endless,
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and I mean endless, technical discussions,
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and by avalanches of lobbying
by various established interests.
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Wanting to be a green country
powered by renewables
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is already part of our story.
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We should not let anybody
take that away from us.
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Last year, we brought people
from our seven provinces
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to talk about climate change
in terms that matter to them,
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and we also brought this year
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another group of Costa Ricans
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to talk about renewable energy.
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And you know what?
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These people disagree on almost everything
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except on renewable energy
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and clean transportation and clean air.
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It brings people together,
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and the key to real participation
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is to help people not to feel small.
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People feel powerless,
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and they are tired of not being heard.
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So what we do is concrete things,
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and we translate technical issues
into citizen language
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to show that citizens have a role to play
and can play it together.
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For the first time, we're tracking
the promises that were made
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on clean transportation,
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and politicos know
that they have to deliver it,
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but the tipping point will come
when we form coalitions --
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citizens, companies,
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champions of public transportation --
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that will make electric mobility
the new normal,
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especially in a developing country.
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By the time the next election comes,
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I believe every candidate
will have to disclose where they stand
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on the abolition of fossil fuels.
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Because this question
has to enter our mainstream politics.
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And I'm telling you,
this is not a question of climate policy
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or environmental agenda.
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It's about the country that we want
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and the cities that we have
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and the cities that we want
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and who makes that choice.
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Because at the end of the day,
what we have to show
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is that development with renewable energy
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is good for the people,
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for Costa Ricans that are alive today
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and especially for those
who haven't been born.
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This is our National Museum today.
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It's bright and peaceful,
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and when you stand up in front of it,
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it's really hard to believe
these were military barracks
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at the end of the '40s.
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We started a new life
without an army in this place,
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and here is where our abolition
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of fossil fuels will be announced one day,
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and we will make history again.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)