Costa Rica Takes Part in Global Climate Change Conference

Costa Rica Takes Part in Global Climate Change Conference

Hotels are filling up in Paris  as delegations arrive from the 195 nations that will participate in the climate talks that start in France on Monday. The 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP21, as it’s officially called, is scheduled to last through Dec. 11. By that date, climate leaders hope, the participating countries will sign off on a solid international plan to meaningfully reduce the risk of massive climate disaster in the future.

Costa Rica will have a delegation of some 40 people at the talks, including chief climate negotiator for the Costa Rican government, Giovanna Valverde, various ministers, and a handful of representatives from indigenous groups and civil society.

Costa Rica is part of the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC) negotiating bloc, which includes Guatemala, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Panama and Perú. According to MINAE climate change adviser Pascal Girot, AILAC’s main characteristic is that its member countries are willing to take responsibility for their contributions to climate change and make commitments towards reducing global warming.