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A closer look at just transition policies
Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Nationally Determined Contribution 3.0

Region
Americas
Country
Costa Rica
Originator/Owner
Government ministries and agencies (national level)
Coordinating/Lead actor
Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE)
Policy type
Policies
Policy areas
Active labour market policies, Enterprise policies, Industrial and sectoral policies, Macroeconomic and growth policies, Occupational safety and health, Rights, Skills development, Social dialogue and tripartism, Social protection
Environmental focus
Biodiversity loss, Climate change, Pollution
Target groups
Employers, Indigenous people, Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), Other, Women, Workers, Youth
Sectoral focus
Agriculture, Forestry and Land use, Chemical industry, Energy, Financial services, Infrastructure, construction and related sectors, Manufacturing, Marine and coastal sectors, Maritime and transport, Other, Private services sector, Public services, utilities and health, Tourism
Crosscutting themes
Circular economy, Digital economy, Employment/job creation, Finance (public/private), Gender equality, Green economy, Heat stress, Informal economy, Nature Based Solutions, Plastic
Date of Adoption
14 Nov 2025
Timeframe
2025-2035
2025
Adoption and submission of Costa Rica’s NDC
2030
Absolute maximum emissions target
Costa Rica's NDC 3.0.pdf
Spanish, PDF

Costa Rica's second NDC submitted under the Paris Agreement, setting out the country's integrated climate strategy for the decade 2025–2035.

The document covers both mitigation and adaptation under principles of environmental integrity, transparency, progressive ambition, and just transition.

Just transition is a transversal pillar of climate action, integrating green jobs, social dialogue, sustainable enterprises, skills development, territorial inclusion and climate governance mechanisms. From a socioeconomic perspective, the NDC is expected to support the creation of green and blue jobs, strengthen sustainable enterprises and facilitate labour reconversion processes in sectors affected by decarbonization.

The NDC embeds a strong human rights and equity framework. Alongside a just transition, gender equality is operationalized via a national action plan; youth participation is institutionalized through a national forum; and indigenous peoples' contributions are recognized and tied to existing territorial plans (PAFTs) and the REDD+ strategy.

Key insights
A single policy framework to integrate environmental, social, and economic goals, with stronger and more structured participation of tripartite social partners

Costa Rica’s NDC 2025–2035 represents a strong example of how climate policy can progressively evolve into a broader social and economic transformation agenda grounded in participation, territorial inclusion and just transition principles aligned with the ILO Guidelines.

Building on the 2020 NDC's just transition chapter, the updated NDC moves from commitments to concrete mechanisms, including a National Just Transition Framework, sectoral roadmaps, green finance instruments, social-climate transparency through SINAMECC, and territorial approaches prioritising vulnerable populations and MSMEs.

The development of the NDC included dedicated dialogue spaces involving the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS), employers’ organisations and workers’ organisations, with technical support from the ILO. Organisations such as UCCAEP, CTRN and Rerum Novarum contributed technical input and recommendations on labour rights, green jobs, skills development, sustainable enterprises and inclusive climate governance. This strengthened the legitimacy and social ownership of the policy process.

Key mitigation pillars are: electromobility and public transport transformation (including a 52 km electric passenger rail); blended biofuels; industrial efficiency; strengthened forest carbon sinks and blue carbon (mangroves, marine ecosystems); and improved waste management. The strategy is modeled using CLEW-CR-3.0, a multi-sector framework covering energy, industry, agriculture, FOLU (forestry and land use), waste, and oceans. The document is explicit that reaching the target requires the full portfolio of contributions – underscoring the relevance of a just transition across sectors.

The document is integrated by design as it brings mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, finance, social inclusion and economic transformation into a single policy framework aligned with the Paris Agreement, national development planning and long-term decarbonisation goals.

Expected Outcomes
Costa Rica expects important co-benefits in biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, circular economy, and pollution reduction, including the restoration of forests, mangroves, and blue carbon ecosystems
Implementation
Gender-responsive climate action, territorial inclusion and social dialogue as enabling conditions for implementation

A National Just Transition Framework will operationalize the NDC, supported by sector-specific transition pathways, participatory governance arrangements, and social dialogue mechanisms.

Institutionally, the NDC strengthens interministerial coordination, climate governance systems and monitoring mechanisms through SINAMECC and the integration of social and climate indicators. It also reinforces alignment between climate action, national development planning and public investment frameworks.

Financing will come from a mix of domestic public resources, private investment, development finance, international cooperation and, where applicable, carbon market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Costa Rica’s NDC 2025–2035 was developed through an extensive participatory and multi-stakeholder consultation process coordinated by MINAE and the Climate Change Directorate (DCC)
2024 - Nov 2025
Multi-stakeholder consultation process for Costa Rica’s NDC 2025–2035 | Actors: Government institutions (MINAE, DCC, MIDEPLAN, MTSS, IMN, SEPLASA), employers’ organisations, workers’ organisations | The process combined sectoral, territorial and thematic workshops, bilateral consultations, technical validation meetings and participatory dialogues at national and regional levels.
19 Feb 2025
Tripartite Just Transition Dialogue | Actors: MINAE, MTSS, ILO, UCCAEP, CTRN, Rerum Novarum, employers’ representatives, workers’ organizations and government institutions. | The ILO facilitated a national tripartite social dialogue process as part of the formulation of Costa Rica’s NDC 2025–2035. The dialogue brought together representatives from government, employers’ organisations, and workers’ organisations to discuss labour and social dimensions of climate action, including green jobs, labour rights, sustainable enterprises, skills development, social protection and inclusive climate governance. The event generated technical inputs and recommendations that later informed the Rapid Situation Analysis (RSA) on Just Transition and contributed to incorporating just transition principles into the updated NDC framework. The process strengthened consensus around institutionalising just transition as a transversal pillar of Costa Rica’s climate policy and reinforced tripartite dialogue mechanisms to support a fair and inclusive transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.
Other stakeholders
Consultations also included:

Public institutions; local governments; academia; civil society organisations; Indigenous peoples; youth groups; women’s organisations; private sector representatives; international organisations; and development and cooperation agencies.

The process integrated principles of social inclusion, gender equality, human rights, and just transition throughout the design of mitigation and adaptation measures.