Abstract
This research assesses how Costa Rica's green economy initiatives; mainly the National Plan for Decarbonization (2018), contribute to advance towards sustainable development (2015-2023). Using a mixed-methods approach (and with quantitative analysis and qualitative interviews of 25 stakeholders), the study highlights Costa Rica’s attainment of 99.9 percent renewable electricity by, and the resultant 31.5 percent per capita reduction in CO2 emissions. Employment in the green sector was more than doubled thanks to investment in renewable energy (regression coefficient = +0.45, p = 0.03). Nonetheless, spatial differences still remain: rural areas like Guanacaste and Limón also have lower access to renewable energies (92.5–93.8%) than the Central Valley (99%). Stakeholder interviews also uncover institutional fragmentation and unjust financing as obstacles to inclusive growth. Although Costa Rica’s energy transition shows economic and environmental goals are compatible, equity requires local governance and community-led efforts. These results provide important policy implications for developing countries in their effort to seek a balance between sustainability and social justice, and indicate that a green economy must be oriented toward both planet health and human well-being.