Financial Mechanism for Electric Buses in Costa Rica

About this project

Costa Rica¿s National Decarbonisation Plan 2018-2050 sets an ambitious objective for the public transport system to operate in an integrated manner, replacing the private car as the first mobility option for the population. By 2050, the Plan foresees that 100% of the buses will be zero emission.Currently, the old fleet of diesel buses circulating in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) significantly contributes to air pollution and public health burdens, with the public transport sector responsible for 54% of national carbon emissions, and diesel buses alone emitting around 400 000¿tonnes of CO¿ annually. Despite the essential role of public transport in ensuring equitable access to education, employment, and healthcare, the sector faces persistent challenges related to coverage, accessibility, safety, and service quality and a significant portion of the population¿especially in the GAM where over 60% of Costa Ricans reside¿continues to experience limited or inefficient public transport services. While Costa Rica is committed to transforming its public transport system into one that is more inclusive, efficient, modern, and low-emission, the transition¿particularly the shift to clean technologies in the urban bus fleet¿is constrained by several deep-rooted structural and financial barriers. At the EU-CELAC Summit in 2023, the European Union and Costa Rica identified the conversion of the urban bus fleet to electric as an investment opportunity to be explored under the EU-LAC…

Goals

Sustainable Development Goals this project works towards

• 5Gender Equality
• 11Sustainable Cities and Communities

Published by

European Commission - Directorate-General for International Partnerships · Other public sector

Countries

Costa Rica

Sectors

Energy policy and administrative management

Focus

Environment · Main focusClimate mitigation · Main focusDisability inclusion · Also contributes

Published by European Commission - Directorate-General for International Partnerships to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), last updated 29 Sept 2026 and imported automatically. IATI identifier: XI-IATI-EC_INTPA-2021-ACT-63337.

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