Costa Rica and Vietnam

This chapter compares the strategies and motives of green transformations for energy-related industries in Vietnam and Costa Rica, analyses what role their different political systems have played on climate governance, what progress has been made and what the barriers are. It adopts a wide definition of the energy sector by including energy generation, use, and supply and demand in the power sector, transport sector, industry and through other economic activities. The chapter discusses what other countries can learn from these pioneers in green transformations. Costa Rica and Vietnam are two middle-income countries with similar regional importance that are both ambitious pioneers in green transformations. In Costa Rica the green transformation is being driven by the government’s Sustainable Development Strategy and in Vietnam it is embedded within the Green Growth Strategy. In Costa Rica the main barrier to decarbonisation is the transport sector which accounts for almost 70% of national carbon dioxide emissions.