The Environmental Dimension in Sustainable Development Planning in Costa Rica: The Application of an Integrated Approach for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This document outlines Costa Rica’s approach to embedding the environmental dimension in national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs through a formal governance setup—anchored by a National Pact signed on 9 September 2016 and a High Level Council established by executive decree in 2017—to align policy, finance, and monitoring across sectors. It reports a mapping of 118 initiatives involving 44 public institutions within the Environment, Energy, Seas, and Land Management Sector, highlighting progress and interlinkages while stressing the need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. The document identifies three gaps—integration into operational plans and budgets, a long-term multisectoral vision, and robust indicators—and proposes six thematic action areas spanning climate adaptation, energy optimization, sustainable consumption and production, biodiversity conservation, integrated water management, and sustainable agro-food systems, with broad stakeholder participation.