Do developing countries deserve a negative reputation regarding climate change?
In my work, I frequently encounter articles where developing countries are portrayed negatively for the role they play in the current environmental challenges and their perceived lack of commitment to targets, such as achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. I'd like to provide counterarguments and data to show significant progress in some of these nations.
This summer, I had the pleasure of exploring Costa Rica, a breathtaking country in Central America.
In addition to being one of the safest places to visit in the region, its biodiversity primarily draws tourists from all over the world. This is thanks to a concerted effort by the country to reverse historical environmental damage. Between 1950-1990, Costa Rica experienced rapid deforestation, losing more than half of its rainforests. Only 21% of the country remained forested. This led to drastic climate changes, increased fires, loss of wildlife, and land erosion. In response, the government aimed not just to halt but to reverse this trend. Today, over 75% of the country boasts lush rainforests. This transformation shows the profound impact of well-implemented policies and investments.
Costa Rica transitioned from an economy largely reliant on agricultural exports to a leading destination for ecotourism, raising its standard of living and life expectancy. Concurrently, they became a model for sustainable energy, with 95- 98% of their electricity sourced from water, sun, geothermal, and wind.
South America’s largest country and economic powerhouse Brazil is also progressing, with nearly 84% of its power derived from clean energy sources in the first half of 2023. The country's Energy Agency (ANEEL) set a goal to install 10.3 GW of power generation capacity in 2023. With 5.1 GW installed in the first six months, this goal seems attainable. Wind and solar constitute a significant portion of the new installations, while hydropower continues to dominate the energy mix. Brazil is the worlds second largest hydroelectricity producer, only behind China.
While Brazil experienced years of rising deforestation in the Amazon under the leadership of former President Bolsonaro, satellite data released this summer showed a 34% decrease in deforestation during the first six months of new President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva’s leadership. With continued domestic efforts to prioritize environmental law enforcement, along with international support, Brazil should be able to continue to reduce deforestation dramatically.
