In late July, Costa Rica’s legislature was scheduled to vote on a bill to permanently ban any extraction or exploration of fossil fuels in the Central American nation, noted for its international green leadership and reliance on clean hydropower.
The same day, the Costa Rican Chamber of Industries sent an eight-page letter to all 57 lawmakers, defending possible future exploration for natural gas and asking them to reject the ban.
"Countries like Norway or Finland have financed their fiscal deficit and their pension systems with oil and gas exploitation. Why would a country like Costa Rica not take advantage of those resources?" it asked.