Costa Rica pushes back “carbon neutral” goal by nearly 80 years, from 2021 to 2100

September 25^th, 2015 (ICR News) Costa Rica is pushing back its goal to becoming “carbon neutral” by 79 years, according to a document that will be presented by the country by the end of the month to the UN ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The conference will be held in Paris from November 30^th to December 11^th.  The objective is to achieve legally binding and universal agreements from all countries in the world to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The document, presented by Costa Rican officials to the public on Wednesday, is part of Costa Rica’s agreement to outline actions it intends to take to lower its emissions as part of the global agreement with other countries.  These commitments are known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs.

If ratified, the global agreement would come into force in 2020.

“Costa Rica aspires to be a carbon neutral country, with an annual volume of zero net emissions in the National Emissions Inventory, between 2050 and 2100,” Costa Rica’s INDC states, pushing back its previously highly publicized 2007 pledge to become the world’s first carbon neutral country by 2021 by 79 years.

Costa Rica’s INDC defines goals to gradually reduce emissions and set annual targets.

Costa Rica says it hopes to initially limit its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 12.44 million tons annually, reducing that amount to 10.9 tons by 2021.

By 2030, net emissions would be reduced to 9.37 million tons, a 25 percent reduction from 2012 levels.

By 2050, net emissions would be reduced to 5.96 million tons, or half the country’s net emissions in 2012.

The following 50 years net emissions would continue to be cut annually, with the ultimate goal of being carbon neutral by 2100.