Costa Rica leads the way with the launch of 'Clean Your Footprint'

The Cost Rican government recently launched a campaign called "Clean your footprint" to involve the population in reducing their carbon footprint and contribute to the country's goal of becoming the first carbon neutral nation by 2021.

The campaign "is a call to recognize that the actions of the human are the main cause of climate change, we must protect the environment, not only taking care of our forests and marine and terrestrial natural resources, but also by proper management of waste" said the deputy minister of Environment, Ana Lorena Guevara.

The initiative involves public institutions, the private sector, NGO’s and schools in order to generate dramatic individual lifestyle changes.

The carbon footprint of Costa Rica has increased 177%, so this and other programs are particularly important to achieve carbon neutrality during the celebration of the Bicentennial of our Independence in 2021.

In addion, the Costa Rican President of the Republic, Laura Chinchilla, recently signed a smoking ban meaning Costa Rica has now joined 60 countries worldwide that have banned smoking in public places.

Cost Rica is the first of all the Latin American countries to join the smoking ban.