Aiming for Net Zero: Costa Rica’s Green Elite and the Struggle to Mitigate Climate Change

— —

Julia A. Flagg

Aiming for Net Zero

Name: Aiming for Net Zero
Price: 79.99 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9780262549769

Costa Rica’s Green Elite and the Struggle to Mitigate Climate Change

Julia A. Flagg

$79.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

MIT Press
29 October 2024

Geography

How Costa Rican leaders adopted policies to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, and what other countries can learn from their actions.

How Costa Rican leaders adopted policies to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, and what other countries can learn from their actions.

As atmospheric greenhouse gases continue their steep ascent, the world has never been more in need of policies designed to reduce emissions. Among those few nations that have committed to ambitious emission reduction plans is the small Central American country of Costa Rica, whose pioneering policies include a Payments for Environmental Services program, a carbon neutrality pledge, and a goal of decarbonizing the economy. In this book, Aiming for Net Zero, Julia Flagg explores why Costa Rican leaders have adopted more climate mitigation policies than leaders of other nations and how these leaders have introduced and developed these policies.

Drawing on archival evidence and interviews conducted between 2013 and 2021 with three dozen people who have contributed to climate policy in Costa Rica, Flagg tells the story of Costa Rica's climate mitigation policy development. Costa Rica's historically egalitarian class structure and interconnected, green-minded urban elite, she writes, prioritized investment in public welfare as the means to enhance the national level of development, leading to the advancement of climate mitigation policies during four historical moments- the late 1980s, the mid-1990s, the mid-2000s, and the late 2010s.

Offering many lessons for other nations aiming to curtail planet-warming emissions, Aiming for Net Zero shows how investments in the public good enhance social development-which, ultimately, allows state planners to pursue ambitious climate mitigation policies.

By: Julia A. Flagg
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9780262549769
ISBN 10: 026254976X
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 29 October 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Contents Acknowledgments List of Acronyms 1 Introduction: Costa Rica as a Bright Spot amid a Climate Emergency? 2 Historical Class Dynamics as a Driver of Climate Policies 3 The Green Elite: Evolving Historical Dynamics 4 Foundations (1986–1990): Institutional Environmental Restructuring 5 Expansion (1994–1998): The Shift toward Sustainable Development and Climate Change 6 A Golden Opportunity (2006–2010): “Peace with Nature”? 7 Ratcheting Up (2015–2019): Costa Rica in the Global Spotlight and the Pledge to Decarbonize 8 Conclusion: An Uncertain Future for Costa Rica and for the World Methodological Appendix Notes References Index

Julia A. Flagg is Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies at Connecticut College.

Reviews for Aiming for Net Zero: Costa Rica’s Green Elite and the Struggle to Mitigate Climate Change

“A rare and necessary sociological insight into the political elites behind Costa Rica’s ambitious climate mitigation policy. Aiming for Net Zero offers lessons to advance climate policy in Latin America and beyond.” —Amalia Leguizamón, Associate Professor of Sociology, Tulane University “An engaging account of an ambitious national strategy to decarbonize. Flagg’s carefully constructed analysis connects egalitarian class structures, high social development, and environmental protection while shining a light on the critical role of leadership.” —Tammy L. Lewis, Professor of Sociology, Brooklyn College; author of Ecuador’s Environmental Revolutions and coauthor of Green Gentrification “With detailed analysis and crisp writing, Flagg pulls out lessons from Costa Rica’s bold pledges on climate change to explore the broader questions of what drives environmental ambition and success.” —J. Timmons Roberts, Ittleson Professor of Environmental Studies and Professor of Environment and Society and Sociology, Brown University