As a student involved in the Pitt’s Plus3 program, I will be spending about two weeks studying supply chains and sustainability in the beautiful country of Costa Rica. As my time spent there will potentially change my perspective on a few things, I thought it might be interesting to give my initial impressions of Costa Rica’s sustainability initiatives now, and see how they might change later.
First, I think that Costa Rica’s focus on environmental sustainability is quite admiral. The country consistently ranks in the top 20 countries in this regard, which is commendable for a number of reasons. For one, it seems more and more that world leaders care little about the worsening state of the global ecosystem, so Costa Rica ranking so high implies that the people in charge care more than most countries. In addition, this is a particularly good stance for Costa Rica specifically, as it contains a massive amount of the world’s biodiversity.
When I did a google search for sustainability initiatives in Costa Rica, one of the first things that came up was information about how much renewable energy the country uses, an estimated 98%, according to the UN environment programme. I also found some reports saying that Costa Rica is moving towards its goal of zero net carbon emissions, and that one of the big steps in that direction is the country shifting to more sustainable, low emission agriculture.
On a more personal note, I am very excited to go to Costa Rica for a few reasons. For one, and this is the answer that I will give on any official academic surveys, I am expecting to learn quite a bit of valuable information on this trip, including some professional experiences. I am, however, possibly more interested in the biodiversity, landscape, and products of the country. I have quite a few friends who are very big animal nerds, and I would love to come back with pictures of animals and plants that they may be less familiar with. I’m also looking forward to sightseeing, as I have heard that the country is quite beautiful. Finally, I have heard that the coffee, bananas, and other foodstuffs in the country are of high quality, and I am looking forward to trying them.