Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) will open an office in Costa Rica, as part of an agreement reached Monday. 

The agreement was signed following a meeting between Costa Rican delegation led by President Carlos Alvarado Quesada and GGGI President Chair Ban Ki-moon and GGGI Director-General Frank Rijsberman.

“With the host country agreement and a new country office in San Jose, I hope GGGI can help Costa Rica to do more in-country and share Costa Rica’s experience with other members of GGGI,” Ban said.

The Costa Rican president emphasized that Costa Rica promised to the world in 2015 to become a laboratory for decarbonization by 2050.

“We recognize GGGI as a strategic partner toward the transformation of the economy in accordance with the National Decarbonization Plan and the green economic recovery,” the Costa Rican president said.

Alvarado also expressed hope to strengthen partnership with GGGI to boost Costa Rica’s green growth plan, acknowledging GGGI’s link with Green Climate Fund and Korea.

According to Rijsberman, Costa Rica is one of the greenest countries in the world and environmental leader globally.

He said that, with Nicaragua recently becoming member of the GGGI, and Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala expressing interest to join GGGI, he looked forward partnering with Costa Rica to explore numerous opportunities and share its experience with other Central American countries.

“I am confident that the host country agreement we signed today will serve as a basis for starting a partnership and through opening an office in Costa Rica, we plan to develop a strong pipeline of projects to help mobilize green and climate finance to support the country’s green agenda,” Rijsberman added.

Costa Rica has been a Member of GGGI since 2014 and served on the GGGI Council from 2014 to 2018. The host country agreement will provide a legal basis for GGGI to operate in Costa Rica.