Costa Rica withdraws from UN climate agreement

The Costa Rican Congress on Wednesday (1) blocked the ratification of an UN-backed environmental agreement after losing government support.

The treaty, known as the Escazu Agreement, was signed in 2018 in the Escazu region west of Costa Rica’s capital when Carlos Alvarado was president.

He was replaced in May by Rodrigo Chaves, who opposed the agreement, saying Costa Rica already has sufficient environmental regulations.

The Escazu agreement provides a comprehensive framework for countries in the region to strengthen environmental policies and specifically includes requirements for the rights of environmentalists.

The Costa Rican Congress overwhelmingly rejected a request to extend the ratification deadline.

41 of the 57 parliamentarias voted against the motion, preventing the country from joining the agreement.

“This is how we go from being a country at the forefront of environmental issues to one that cannot even approve an international agreement on necessities,” complained congressman Jonathan Acuna, who spoke against the motion.

The majority of lawmakers argued that the agreement’s mechanism gave too much power to those who accused companies and others of harming the environment.

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