Category: Comunicacion Destacada – Inicio

· The planting of endemic, floral, fruit and timber trees was carried out in 8 cantons in the northern part of the country.

· This Thursday a report was presented on the achievements of “Footprint of the Future”, with the participation of government authorities, the diplomatic corps and public-private allies.

· Thanks to public-private donors, the initiative is close to achieving its goal of planting 200,000 trees.

San José, September 23, 2021. In an event held at the Jade Museum, the government of Costa Rica (Vice Presidency, MINAE, FONAFIFO), the Banco Ambiental Foundation and the BIOFIN initiative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP ), presented the achievements to date within the framework of the “Footprint of the Future” initiative.

The main progress achieved so far is summarized in the planting of 172 thousand trees in 8 cantons of the northern part of the country, thus providing a total of 186 green wages to beneficiaries, which will help boost the economy of the area, a of those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The opening of the activity was led by the Vice Minister of the Environment, Franklin Paniagua, who highlighted that Huella del Futuro is an initiative created within the framework of the celebration of the Bicentennial of Independence of Costa Rica, but that responds to a broader framework of goals. national and international, including the Decarbonization Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 15 ”.

 

Meanwhile, the incumbent president, Epsy Campbell, promoter of this initiative, expressed “deep gratitude to each embassy, ​​company and ally that collaborated for this goal. Thank you for giving women and community societies the opportunity, for contributing to a healthier environment and for contributing to the transformation of a productive matrix of nature-based solutions ”.

For José Vicente Troya, UNDP representative in Costa Rica, the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems can be a great tool in the fight against pandemics, while representing at least 30% of solutions to climate change, as well as the opportunity to promote businesses and green wages on a path of decarbonization and economic reactivation.

The European Union and the German Federal Government, in coordination with the Central American Commission for Environment and Development, through the Green Development Fund for the SICA region, were among the first partners to join the project with a contribution of more than 130 thousand trees For Katja de Sadeleer, Minister Counselor and Head of the Political Section of the Delegation of the European Union, “Huella del Futuro reflects the country’s leadership in environmental issues and innovation to create environmental mechanisms that also contribute to improving the means and quality of life of the people”.

In addition to the accountability event, the current president, Epsy Campbell and the vice minister of the Environment, Franklin Paniagua, the director of the National Forest Financing Fund and representative of the Banco Ambiental Foundation, Jorge Mario Rodríguez, the head of the Political Section of the Delegation of the European Union, Katja de Sadeleer and the resident representative of the United Nations Development Program, José Vicente Troya.

Also present were representatives of the diplomatic headquarters in Costa Rica from Germany, China, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, as well as corporate partners from the public and private sector, among which were representatives of Huawei, EPA, Emerson, Accenture, ICU – Medical, Central American Bank for Economic Integration, National Insurance Institute, Ministry of Public Education and Coopelesca.

 

About the Future Footprint initiative

Footprint of the Future is an initiative created within the framework of the celebration of the bicentennial of Costa Rica’s independence that aims to bring together partners from various fields with a view to greening the Northern Zone of Costa Rica, by planting 200,000 endemic, floral trees, fruit trees and timber.

The project aims to contribute to increasing forest cover to 60% by 2030, as well as combating the negative effects of climate change. This program, in addition to ensuring the maintenance of the species for five years, establishes a map that can be consulted online (www.huelladelfuturo.cr) where it is possible to view the place where each tree has been planted and other information.

According to data from Huella del Futuro, in addition to reforestation, this initiative will contribute to the generation of 14,000 green wages, which will boost the economy of the area, one of the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative was created within the framework of the alliance between the Government of Costa Rica, led by the Vice Presidency, with support from MINAE, FONAFIFO, the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) of the UNDP and is implemented by Fundación Banco Ambiental in alliance with municipal governments, civil society and strategic allies.

We invite all people, companies, organizations that want to be part of the project to enter the website www.huelladelfuturo.cr

If you want to see the materials on accountability enter HERE

 

Original note:PNUD Costa Rica – “Huella del Futuro” celebra bicentenario con 172.000 árboles plantados

 

National Bioeconomy Strategy is one year old since its launch.

The National Bioeconomy Portfolio was presented with 88 projects developed by MICITT with support from UNDP and IDB.

UNDP and the SBD signed an agreement with the objective of supporting the creation of new programs to support innovation and entrepreneurship specific to the bioeconomy.

San José, Monday August 30, 2021. Costa Rica’s commitment to advancing towards a sustainable development path based on the bioeconomy becomes a promising alternative to achieve the objective of cementing a Costa Rica with sustainable production of high added value in all its regions, focused on the fair and equitable use of its biodiversity, the circular use of biomass and biotechnological progress as a knowledge society.

This path proposed a year ago, within the framework of the National Bioeconomy Strategy, seeks the development of green and blue business opportunities, promotes social inclusion and the economic empowerment of women, favors resilience in the face of the climate crisis and the It also promotes decarbonization, helping the country to have clear instruments and tools to face the economic and planetary crisis, in the face of the loss of nature and the climate emergency.

“The National Bioeconomy Strategy today bears relevant results thanks to the hard inter-institutional work and alliances with strategic partners such as the United Nations Development Program and the Inter-American Development Bank. Thanks to them, today we can present a National Portfolio of Projects and the generation of alliances such as the Agreement between the Development Banking System and UNDP for the mobilization of financial resources for the Bioeconomy, among other affirmative actions that will allow us to consolidate the path towards the future. greener hand in hand with nature and based on science as one of the central axes of development “, said the Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, Paola Vega Castillo, during the inauguration of the event” Costa Rica advances towards Bioeconomy ”.

This event was organized by the Interministerial Bioeconomy Committee made up of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT), the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the Development Banking System (SBD).

The National Bioeconomy Project Portfolio was developed by MICITT with the support of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

“This portfolio is a showcase for the country to present Bioeconomy projects at a global level, for which a project file has been diagrammed that condenses the relevant information in terms of commitment to the SDGs, technological maturity of the project, specific needs of financing and others. The strengthening of these projects facilitates the advance of Costa Rica towards a productive transformation based on sustainable and inclusive development. It also seeks to generate capacities in these projects to access national and international funds. ” said the Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Federico Torres Carballo, during his presentation at the activity.

To date, it has identified a total of 88 projects with financing needs that together exceed $ 8 million. These initiatives have different degrees of maturity, 44.9% are led by women and have varied needs for access to financing, training, alliances and mentoring.

To specifically address the financing needs identified in the portfolio construction process, UNDP through its Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) and the Development Banking System (SBD) signed a cooperation agreement that will allow support the creation of new programs for the placement of non-reimbursable funds, this in phases of incubation, acceleration and access to risk capital available for entrepreneurs and companies with a business model based on the bioeconomy

The Minister of Economy, Industry and Commerce, Victoria Hernández Mora, highlighted: “the opportunity that the current context represents to reinvent business models and take advantage of the two great assets that Costa Rica has in the face of the fourth industrial revolution: its human talent and its natural capital. Hence, this alliance will make it possible to specify programs that facilitate the placement of financial resources to promote the development of micro and small companies in the bioeconomy sector, once again confirming our commitment to create favorable conditions for business activity “.

“Costa Rica is committed to changing the trajectory, adding its contribution to promote companies that contribute to flatten the curves of loss of biodiversity and global warming, while reducing social and economic inequalities. This joint effort will lay the basis for the consolidation of a portfolio of projects with a view to closing financing gaps for biodiversity, mobilizing non-reimbursable resources, venture capital funds, debt instruments, and others, which allow the Country to reactivate its economy in a sustainable and inclusive way ”, indicated José Vicente Troya Rodríguez, UNDP Resident Representative when announcing the agreement signed with the SBD.

Within the framework of this agreement, at least two specific programs will be developed for the placement of non-reimbursable funds in the field of the bioeconomy:

· Acceleration program – Bioeconomy: aimed at companies that are in the preparation phase for raising risk capital.

· Incubation program for tourism in indigenous territories: prototyping phase for sustainable tourism ventures proposed by indigenous people and organizations from the Buenos Aires Region of Puntarenas and Pérez Zeledón.

Portfolio results. The identification of projects that are part of the portfolio is part of the Financial Solution of the BIOFIN-UNDP Bio-business Platform and is the result of a collaborative process between MICITT, IDB and UNDP. The mapping of projects will continue throughout 2021 and 2022, so individuals and companies are invited to register their initiative on the web platform.

 

 

Original note:PNUD Costa Rica – Costa Rica avanza hacia un desarrollo sostenible basado en la bioeconomía

From left to right: José Vicente Troya Rodríguez, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program; Juan Luis Bermudez Madriz, Minister of Human Development and Executive President of the Mixed Institute of Social Assistance; Pamela Castillo Barahona, Vice Minister of Natural Resources, Ministry of Environment and Energy; Epsy Campbell Barr, First Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica; Marianella Feoli Peña, Director of Fundecooperación para el Desarrollo Sostenible; Patricia Mora Castellanos, Minister for the Status of Women, National Institute for Women.

 

• Initiative “+ Mujeres + Natura” will make available three financial instruments to mitigate the economic impacts generated by COVID-19.
• Biodiversity managers, agricultural producers, ecotourism entrepreneurs, scientists and researchers will be able to access credits with favorable conditions to finance their activities.
• “It is a unique program in Latin America and the Caribbean, which makes Costa Rica a world benchmark for concrete actions that guarantee the linking of nature, gender equality and the empowerment of women,” said Vice President Epsy Campbell.

 

Within the framework of the International Day for Biological Diversity and as a strategy to mitigate the socio-economic impacts generated by the global pandemic by COVID-19, the Government of Costa Rica launched this Friday the + Mujeres + Natura program, aimed at environmental managers.

The initiative, led by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Office of the First Vice President of the Republic, aims to strengthen the economic autonomy of women, face gender gaps in nature management and progress towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At a press conference in the auditorium of the Presidential House, Vice President Epsy Campbell Barr reported that + Mujeres + Natura is a unique program in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is why Costa Rica becomes a world benchmark in the search for concrete actions to guarantee the link between nature, gender equality and the empowerment of women.

“We are providing a package of opportunities for all those biodiversity managers that are going through a difficult situation. The sustainable development of our country is only possible if women participate actively and if they have a fundamental role in the management of nature ”said Campbell.

He stressed that Costa Rica “has understood that the conservation of natural resources is vital for human progress. While uncontrolled logging occurred in the world in the 70s, in our country ambitious environmental protection policies were applied, which have resulted in solutions based on nature. Today the forest cover reaches 52% of the national territory ”.

In the announcement of the + Mujeres + Natura program, the Minister of Human Development and Social Inclusion, Juan Luis Bermúdez; the Minister of the Condition of Women, Patricia Mora; the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Pamela Castillo; the UNDP resident representative, José Vicente Troya; and the director of Fundecooperación, Mariella Feoli.

Vice Minister Castillo explained that, as one of the first actions of the initiative, three financial mechanisms will be made available to inject resources into women that contribute to safeguarding Costa Rican natural capital, at a crucial moment like the one we are living in.

Castillo presented the first actions of the + Mujeres + Natura program:

1. FONAFIFO credit by your side, to promote economic development and improve the quality of life of rural women.
   It is a financing line of up to five million colones with fiduciary guarantee, a term of ten years and a fixed rate of 4% per year for productive development, working capital, infrastructure, equipment and innovative projects related to the forest.
   There are also other credit lines for higher amounts with another type of guarantee (mortgage, security or pledge).
   With simple requirements, women who want to apply for this credit should call 2545-3500 or visit the website www.fonafifo.go.cr .
2. WOMEN NATURA Credit , to integrate the gender perspective, equality and the empowerment of women in the management of biodiversity.
   This is a financing line granted by Fundecooperación, of up to ten million colones, with a maximum term of five years.
   Those who do not have a mortgage, security, pledge or trust guarantee can request the FIDEIMAS guarantee.
   Women who want to apply for this credit should call 2225-4507, write a WhatsApp at 8615-2112 or visit the website www.fundecooperacion.org
3. Payment of Environmental Services to women .. Starting this Monday, FONAFIFO will prioritize the Payment of Environmental Services (PES), to women owners of forests and forest plantations.
   The PSA consists of a financial recognition by the State for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, protecting biodiversity and water, as well as the scenic beauty service provided by forests.
   Women who want to apply for the PSA should call 2545-3500 or visit the website www.fonafifo.go.cr .

“With the + Mujeres + Natura Program, we want the biodiversity sector to be a cornerstone to strengthen the enterprises carried out by women, move many of them to formality, as well as give them more opportunities and decent working conditions,” said the vice minister Castillo.

The Minister for the Status of Women, Patricia Mora, highlighted that this initiative will facilitate the framework of the National Policy on Gender Equality in the biodiversity sector.

“Rural women use 26 more hours of time associated with unpaid domestic work, which makes it difficult for them to participate in spaces of environmental leadership. That must change and that is why we believe that the + Mujeres + Natura Program will make a substantive change, ”said Mora.

The UNDP resident representative in Costa Rica, José Vicente Troya Rodríguez, stressed that “today more than ever, it is necessary to recognize women for their contributions and their leading role to advance towards sustainable development and the economic well-being of the communities and the country. ”.

“The time has come to join all parties and generate efforts that transcend administrations and that add to reduce the impacts of COVID-19,” he added.

 

 

 

Original note: PNUD Costa Rica – Costa Rica lanza programa financiero para mujeres que protegen los recursos naturales