The President of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Environment and Energy, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, signed a decree that extends the prohibition of oil exploitation until 2050 in the Presidential House on Monday. It occurred after the launching of the National Decarbonization Plan last Sunday.
The decree quotes verbatim: “A national moratorium is declared until December 31st, 2050, for the activity that has the purpose of developing the exploration and exploitation of petroleum deposits in the continental and marine national territory”.
During the activity, Alvarado indicated that the commitment to current and future generations lies in keeping Costa Rica free of activities that could threaten our ecological balance. In this way, with this decree, not only will it be maintained, but the protection that began in the government of Abel Pacheco will be extended.
Pacheco (2002-2006) decreed the 1st moratorium at the beginning of his administration when the current minister Rodríguez Echandi occupied the Minae portfolio. Subsequently, the Government of Laura Chinchilla extended the measure in 2011 and that of Luis Guillermo Solís extended it from July 25th, 2014 to September 15th, 2021.
“The country has proposed to lay the foundations for a new green economy, promoting the use and sustainable use of natural resources in order to meet the commitments made in the 2030 Development Agenda and this measure responds to that”, stressed the minister Rodríguez.
In the National Decarbonization Plan, Costa Rica has declared its aspiration to be a modern, green, emission-free and inclusive economy, which requires a balance between the long-term vision and immediate actions to move towards an economy that promotes the use and sustainable use of natural resources”, the decree said.
