0:00:00.844,0:00:04.113
How do we build a society

0:00:04.113,0:00:07.179
without fossil fuels?

0:00:07.179,0:00:09.634
This is a very complex challenge,

0:00:09.634,0:00:12.477
and I believe developing countries

0:00:12.477,0:00:15.160
could take the lead in this transition.

0:00:15.160,0:00:19.193
And I'm aware that this[br]is a contentious statement,

0:00:19.193,0:00:23.829
but the reality is that so much[br]is at stake in our countries

0:00:23.829,0:00:26.016
if we let fossil fuels stay

0:00:26.016,0:00:29.419
at the center of our development.

0:00:29.419,0:00:32.461
We can do it differently,

0:00:32.461,0:00:35.488
and it's time, it really is time,

0:00:35.488,0:00:38.283
to debunk the myth

0:00:38.283,0:00:43.431
that a country has to choose[br]between development on the one hand

0:00:43.431,0:00:50.067
and environmental protection,[br]renewables, quality of life, on the other.

0:00:50.067,0:00:52.983
I come from Costa Rica,[br]a developing country.

0:00:52.983,0:00:55.282
We are nearly 5 million people,

0:00:55.282,0:00:58.791
and we live right in the middle[br]of the Americas,

0:00:58.791,0:01:02.437
so it's very easy to remember[br]where we live.

0:01:03.029,0:01:09.966
Nearly 100 percent of our electricity

0:01:09.966,0:01:12.894
comes from renewable sources,

0:01:12.894,0:01:14.077
five of them.

0:01:14.077,0:01:18.114
(Applause)

0:01:19.029,0:01:22.547
Hydropower, geothermal,

0:01:22.547,0:01:27.232
wind, solar, biomass.

0:01:27.232,0:01:29.387
Did you know that last year,

0:01:29.387,0:01:32.598
for 299 days,

0:01:32.598,0:01:36.047
we did not use any fossil fuels

0:01:36.047,0:01:40.469
in order to generate all our electricity?

0:01:40.469,0:01:43.890
It's a fantastic achievement,

0:01:43.890,0:01:46.668
and yet, it hides a paradox,

0:01:46.668,0:01:54.199
which is that nearly 70 percent

0:01:54.199,0:01:59.787
of all our energy consumption is oil.

0:02:00.209,0:02:02.091
Why?

0:02:02.091,0:02:04.804
Because of our transportation system,

0:02:04.804,0:02:08.112
which is totally dependent[br]on fossil fuels,

0:02:08.112,0:02:10.904
like it is in most countries.

0:02:10.904,0:02:14.110
So if we think of the energy transition[br]as a marathon,

0:02:14.110,0:02:18.270
the question is, how do we get[br]to the finishing line,

0:02:18.270,0:02:22.192
how do we decarbonize[br]the rest of the economy?

0:02:22.192,0:02:25.193
And it's fair to say[br]that if we don't succeed,

0:02:25.193,0:02:26.953
it's difficult to see who will.

0:02:26.953,0:02:30.451
So that is why I want to talk to you[br]about Costa Rica,

0:02:30.451,0:02:33.257
because I believe we are a great candidate

0:02:33.257,0:02:36.275
in pioneering a vision for development[br]without fossil fuels.

0:02:36.275,0:02:42.572
If you know one thing about our country,

0:02:42.572,0:02:45.697
it is that we don't have an army.

0:02:45.697,0:02:49.577
So I'm going to take you back to 1948.

0:02:49.577,0:02:54.444
That year, the country[br]was coming out of civil war.

0:02:54.444,0:02:58.193
Thousands of Costa Ricans had died,

0:02:58.193,0:03:01.268
and families were bitterly split,

0:03:01.268,0:03:06.594
and yet, a surprising idea[br]won the hearts and minds:

0:03:06.594,0:03:09.983
we would reboot the country,[br]and that Second Republic

0:03:09.983,0:03:11.578
would have no army.

0:03:11.578,0:03:13.562
So we abolished it.

0:03:13.562,0:03:16.198
And the president at the time,

0:03:16.198,0:03:25.455
José Figueres, found a powerful way[br]by smashing the walls of an army base.

0:03:25.455,0:03:28.662
The following year, 1949,

0:03:28.662,0:03:32.773
we made that decision permanent[br]in the new constitution,

0:03:32.773,0:03:37.837
and that is why I can tell you that story[br]nearly 70 years later.

0:03:37.837,0:03:39.743
And I'm grateful.

0:03:39.743,0:03:43.526
I'm grateful they made that decision[br]before I was born,

0:03:43.526,0:03:45.827
because it allowed me[br]and millions of others

0:03:45.827,0:03:49.510
to live in a very stable country.

0:03:49.510,0:03:52.390
And you might be thinking[br]that it was good luck,

0:03:52.390,0:03:53.869
but it wasn't.

0:03:53.869,0:03:58.341
There was a pattern of deliberate choices.

0:03:58.341,0:04:04.409
In the '40s, Costa Ricans were given[br]free education and free health care.

0:04:04.409,0:04:06.972
We called that social guarantees.

0:04:06.972,0:04:08.684
By abolishing the army,

0:04:08.684,0:04:13.632
we were able to turn military spending[br]into social spending,

0:04:13.632,0:04:16.296
and that was a driver of stability.

0:04:16.296,0:04:17.889
In the '50s --

0:04:17.889,0:04:20.999
(Applause) --

0:04:22.791,0:04:26.177
In the '50s, we started[br]investing in hydropower,

0:04:26.177,0:04:28.299
and that kept us away from the trap

0:04:28.299,0:04:32.115
of using fossil fuels[br]for electricity generation,

0:04:32.115,0:04:35.473
which is what the world[br]is struggling with today.

0:04:35.473,0:04:38.790
In the '70s we invested in national parks,

0:04:38.790,0:04:41.075
and that kept us away

0:04:41.075,0:04:46.583
from the deeply flawed logic[br]of growth, growth, growth at any cost

0:04:46.583,0:04:51.006
that you see others embracing,[br]especially in the developing world.

0:04:51.006,0:04:55.083
In the '90s, we pioneered payments[br]for ecosystem services,

0:04:55.083,0:04:57.095
and that helped us reverse deforestation

0:04:57.095,0:05:00.947
and boosted ecotourism,[br]which today is a key engine of growth.

0:05:00.947,0:05:04.079
So investing in environmental protection

0:05:04.079,0:05:06.463
did not hurt our economy.

0:05:06.463,0:05:07.465
Quite the opposite.

0:05:07.465,0:05:09.816
And it doesn't mean we are perfect,

0:05:09.816,0:05:11.610
and it doesn't mean[br]we don't have contradictions.

0:05:11.610,0:05:13.713
That's not the point.

0:05:13.713,0:05:17.320
The point is that,[br]by making our own choices,

0:05:17.320,0:05:24.286
we were able to develop resilience[br]in dealing with development problems.

0:05:24.286,0:05:28.052
Also, if you take a country like ours,

0:05:28.052,0:05:31.439
the GDP per capita[br]is around 11,000 dollars,

0:05:31.439,0:05:34.298
depending on how you measure it.

0:05:34.298,0:05:36.421
But according[br]to the Social Progress Index,

0:05:36.421,0:05:39.887
we are an absolute outlier[br]when it comes to turning GDP

0:05:39.887,0:05:42.274
into social progress.

0:05:42.274,0:05:43.802
Abolishing the army,

0:05:43.802,0:05:45.760
investing in nature and people,

0:05:45.760,0:05:49.147
did something very powerful too.

0:05:49.147,0:05:51.878
It shaped the narrative,

0:05:51.878,0:05:54.969
the narrative of a small country[br]with big ideas,

0:05:54.969,0:05:59.803
and it was very empowering[br]to grow up with that narrative.

0:05:59.803,0:06:01.973
So the question is,

0:06:01.973,0:06:06.084
what is the next big idea[br]for this generation?

0:06:06.084,0:06:10.988
And I believe what comes next[br]is for this generation

0:06:10.988,0:06:16.100
to let go of fossil fuels for good,

0:06:16.100,0:06:18.235
just as we did with the army.

0:06:18.235,0:06:21.063
Fossil fuels create climate change.

0:06:21.063,0:06:23.332
We know that, and we know

0:06:23.332,0:06:27.048
how vulnerable we are[br]to the impacts of climate change.

0:06:27.048,0:06:30.177
So as a developing country,[br]it is in our best interest

0:06:30.177,0:06:32.708
to build development[br]without fossil fuels

0:06:32.708,0:06:37.246
that harm people in the first place.

0:06:37.246,0:06:38.941
Because

0:06:38.941,0:06:42.086
why would we continue importing oil

0:06:42.086,0:06:45.829
for transportation

0:06:45.829,0:06:48.870
if we can use electricity instead?

0:06:48.870,0:06:50.500
Remember,

0:06:50.500,0:06:52.736
this is the country

0:06:52.736,0:06:55.806
where electricity comes from

0:06:55.806,0:06:58.573
water in our rivers,

0:06:58.573,0:07:01.270
heat from volcanoes,

0:07:01.270,0:07:04.082
wind turbines, solar panels,

0:07:04.082,0:07:06.762
biowaste.

0:07:06.762,0:07:12.878
Abolishing fossil fuels means[br]disrupting our transportation system

0:07:12.878,0:07:16.052
so that we can power our cars,

0:07:16.052,0:07:18.485
buses, and trains, with electricity

0:07:18.485,0:07:19.012
instead of dirty energy.

0:07:19.012,0:07:23.221
And transportation, let me tell you,

0:07:23.221,0:07:27.035
has become an existential issue[br]for us Costa Ricans,

0:07:27.035,0:07:29.584
because the model we have[br]is not working for us.

0:07:29.584,0:07:31.212
It's hurting people,

0:07:31.212,0:07:33.462
it's hurting companies,

0:07:33.462,0:07:35.339
and it's hurting our health.

0:07:35.339,0:07:37.283
Because when policies[br]and infrastructure fails,

0:07:37.283,0:07:44.591
this is what happens on a daily basis.

0:07:44.591,0:07:46.652
Two hours in the morning,

0:07:46.652,0:07:48.098
two hours in the evening.

0:07:48.098,0:07:53.048
I don't understand why[br]we have to accept this as normal.

0:07:53.048,0:07:55.284
It's offensive

0:07:55.284,0:08:00.235
to have to waste our time like this[br]every single day.

0:08:00.235,0:08:02.946
And this highway is actually quite good[br]compared to what you see

0:08:02.946,0:08:06.251
in other countries[br]where traffic is exploding.

0:08:06.251,0:08:08.915
You know, Costa Ricans[br]call this "presa."

0:08:08.915,0:08:12.665
Presa means "imprisoned."

0:08:12.665,0:08:15.656
And people are turning violent

0:08:15.656,0:08:20.293
in a country that is otherwise[br]happy in [???].

0:08:20.293,0:08:22.201
It's happening.

0:08:22.201,0:08:24.075
So a lot is at stake.

0:08:24.075,0:08:26.379
The good news

0:08:26.379,0:08:29.817
is that when we talk about[br]clean transportation

0:08:29.817,0:08:32.787
and different mobility,[br]we're not talking about some

0:08:32.787,0:08:35.959
distant utopia out there.

0:08:35.959,0:08:41.255
We're talking about electric mobility[br]that is happening today.

0:08:41.255,0:08:46.763
By 2022, electric cars[br]and conventional cars

0:08:46.763,0:08:49.358
are expected to cost the same,

0:08:49.358,0:08:54.064
and cities are already trying[br]electric buses,

0:08:54.064,0:08:54.655
and these really cool creatures

0:08:54.655,0:08:59.291
are saving money,

0:08:59.291,0:09:01.743
and they reduce pollution.

0:09:01.743,0:09:05.919
So if we want to get rid[br]of oil-based transportation, we can,

0:09:05.919,0:09:08.221
because we have options now[br]that we didn't have before.

0:09:08.221,0:09:10.951
It's really exciting.

0:09:10.951,0:09:12.874
But of course,

0:09:12.874,0:09:15.516
some get very uncomfortable

0:09:15.516,0:09:17.691
with this idea,

0:09:17.691,0:09:21.161
and they will come and they will tell you

0:09:21.161,0:09:26.325
that the world is stuck with oil,[br]and so is Costa Rica, so get real.

0:09:26.325,0:09:27.492
That's what they tell you.

0:09:27.492,0:09:29.448
And you know what the answer[br]to that argument is?

0:09:29.448,0:09:33.428
That in 1948, we didn't say[br]the world is stuck with armies,

0:09:33.428,0:09:35.268
so let's keep our army too.

0:09:35.268,0:09:38.885
No, we made a very brave choice,

0:09:38.885,0:09:41.617
and that choice made the whole difference.

0:09:41.617,0:09:44.362
So it's time for this generation

0:09:44.362,0:09:46.317
to be brave again

0:09:46.317,0:09:48.147
and abolish fossil fuels for good.

0:09:48.147,0:09:51.482
And I'll give you three reasons[br]why we have to do this.

0:09:51.482,0:09:53.372
First,

0:09:53.372,0:09:57.104
our model of transportation[br]and urbanization is broken,

0:09:57.104,0:09:58.634
so this is the best moment

0:09:58.634,0:10:02.843
to really find our urban[br]and mobility future.

0:10:02.843,0:10:05.639
We don't want cities[br]that are built for cars.

0:10:05.639,0:10:08.012
We want cities for people

0:10:08.012,0:10:09.799
where we can walk and we can use bikes.

0:10:09.799,0:10:13.926
And we want public transportation,

0:10:13.926,0:10:15.388
lots of it,

0:10:15.388,0:10:18.693
public transportation[br]that is clean and dignifying.

0:10:18.693,0:10:23.825
Because if we continue adding[br]fleets of conventional cars,

0:10:23.825,0:10:28.280
our cities will become unbearable.

0:10:28.280,0:10:30.253
Second, we have to change,

0:10:30.253,0:10:30.503
but incremental change is not[br]going to be sufficient.

0:10:35.038,0:10:37.801
We need transformational change.

0:10:37.801,0:10:40.727
And there are some incremental projects[br]in my country,

0:10:40.727,0:10:43.407
and I am the first one to celebrate them.

0:10:43.407,0:10:46.231
But let's not kid ourselves.

0:10:46.231,0:10:50.461
We're not talking about ending up[br]with really beautiful electric cars here

0:10:50.461,0:10:52.927
and a few electric buses there

0:10:52.927,0:10:57.613
while we keep investing in the same kind[br]of infrastructure, more cars, more roads,

0:10:57.613,0:10:58.933
more oil.

0:10:58.933,0:11:03.106
We're talking about[br]breaking free from oil,

0:11:03.106,0:11:07.842
and you cannot get there[br]through incrementalism.

0:11:08.626,0:11:13.334
Third, and you know this one,

0:11:13.334,0:11:18.427
the world is hungry for inspiration.

0:11:18.427,0:11:20.054
It craves stories of success

0:11:20.054,0:11:23.067
in dealing with complex issues,

0:11:23.067,0:11:27.655
especially in developing countries.

0:11:27.655,0:11:31.634
So I believe Costa Rica[br]can be an inspiration to others,

0:11:31.634,0:11:34.526
as we did last year when we disclosed

0:11:34.526,0:11:38.580
that for so many days,[br]we were not using any fossil fuels

0:11:38.580,0:11:43.736
in order to generate[br]all our electricity.

0:11:43.736,0:11:47.928
The news went viral around the world.

0:11:47.928,0:11:50.905
Also, and this makes me extremely proud,

0:11:50.905,0:11:55.262
a Costa Rican woman,[br]Christiana Figueres,

0:11:55.262,0:12:02.875
played a decisive role in the negotiations[br]of the Paris climate agreement.

0:12:02.875,0:12:07.725
So we have to protect that legacy[br]and be an example.

0:12:07.725,0:12:10.241
So what comes next?

0:12:10.241,0:12:12.228
The people.

0:12:12.228,0:12:15.732
How do we get people to own this?

0:12:15.732,0:12:17.903
How do we get people

0:12:17.903,0:12:20.419
to believe that it's possible

0:12:20.419,0:12:24.333
to build a society without fossil fuels?

0:12:24.333,0:12:28.673
A lot of work from[br]the ground up is needed.

0:12:28.673,0:12:33.013
That is why, in 2014,[br]we created Costa Rica Limpia

0:12:33.013,0:12:36.335
Limpia means "clean,"

0:12:36.335,0:12:40.462
because we want to empower[br]and we want to inspire citizens.

0:12:40.462,0:12:44.770
If citizens don't get engaged,

0:12:44.770,0:12:49.969
clean transportation decisions[br]will be bogged down by endless,

0:12:49.969,0:12:52.968
and I mean endless,[br]technical discussions,

0:12:52.968,0:12:59.627
and by avalanches of lobbying[br]by various established interests.

0:12:59.627,0:13:04.692
One thing to be a green country[br]powered by renewables

0:13:04.692,0:13:07.678
is already part of our story.

0:13:07.678,0:13:11.806
We should not let anybody[br]take that away from us.

0:13:11.806,0:13:16.871
Last year, we brought people[br]from our seven provinces

0:13:16.871,0:13:20.988
to talk about climate change[br]in terms that matter to them,

0:13:20.988,0:13:23.560
and we also brought this year

0:13:23.560,0:13:25.945
another group of Costa Ricans

0:13:25.945,0:13:28.660
to talk about renewable energy.

0:13:28.660,0:13:29.409
And you know what?

0:13:29.409,0:13:31.658
These people disagree on almost everything

0:13:31.658,0:13:34.333
except on renewable energy

0:13:34.333,0:13:36.553
and clean transportation and clean air.

0:13:36.553,0:13:38.279
It brings people together,

0:13:38.279,0:13:41.239
and their key to real participation

0:13:41.239,0:13:43.704
is to help people not to feel small.

0:13:43.704,0:13:45.037
People feel powerless,

0:13:45.037,0:13:49.162
and they are tired of not being heard.

0:13:49.162,0:13:51.678
So what we do is concrete things,

0:13:51.678,0:13:55.939
and we translate technical issues[br]into citizen language

0:13:55.939,0:14:00.822
to show that citizens have a role to play[br]and can play it together.

0:14:00.822,0:14:03.962
For the first time, we're tracking[br]the promises that were made

0:14:03.962,0:14:06.265
on clean transportation,

0:14:06.265,0:14:08.154
and politicos know that they have[br]to deliver it,

0:14:08.154,0:14:11.910
but the tipping point will come[br]when we form coalitions --

0:14:11.910,0:14:14.023
citizens, companies,

0:14:14.023,0:14:16.309
champions of public transportation --

0:14:16.309,0:14:18.955
that will make electric mobility[br]the new normal,

0:14:18.955,0:14:22.902
especially in a developing country.

0:14:22.902,0:14:26.060
By the time the next election comes,

0:14:26.060,0:14:29.899
I believe every candidate[br]will have to disclose where they stand

0:14:29.899,0:14:31.819
on the abolition of fossil fuels.

0:14:31.819,0:14:36.557
Because this question[br]has to enter our mainstream politics.

0:14:36.557,0:14:41.135
And I'm telling you, this is not[br]a question of climate policy

0:14:41.135,0:14:43.059
or environmental agenda.

0:14:43.059,0:14:46.408
It's about the country that we want

0:14:46.408,0:14:48.529
and the cities that we have

0:14:48.529,0:14:50.342
and the cities that we want

0:14:50.342,0:14:52.431
and who makes that choice.

0:14:52.431,0:14:53.883
Because at the end of the day,

0:14:53.883,0:14:55.304
what we have to show

0:14:55.304,0:14:58.641
is that development[br]with renewable energy

0:14:58.641,0:15:01.157
is good for the people,

0:15:01.157,0:15:04.004
for Costa Ricans that are alive today

0:15:04.004,0:15:08.294
and especially for those[br]who haven't been born.

0:15:08.294,0:15:12.765
This is our National Museum today.

0:15:12.765,0:15:14.524
It's bright and peaceful,

0:15:14.524,0:15:17.254
and when you stand up in front of it,

0:15:17.254,0:15:20.625
it's really hard to believe[br]these were military barracks

0:15:20.625,0:15:23.190
at the end of the '40s.

0:15:23.190,0:15:26.560
We started a new life[br]without an army in this place,

0:15:26.560,0:15:30.656
and here is where our abolition

0:15:30.656,0:15:33.796
of fossil fuels will be announced one day,

0:15:33.796,0:15:35.753
and we will make history again.

0:15:35.753,0:15:37.314
Thank you.

0:15:37.314,0:15:38.922
(Applause)