THE MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC Forum at Davos is time.
No one has enough of it, so everyone makes compromises to make the most of it. President Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica is no exception. As we near the 10-minute point of our interview at his hotel in the Swiss ski resort, his press officer begins to wrap things up. The Costa Rican leader is expected at the conference center, a mile and a half away, in 15 minutes, she says. So the interview continues in the presidential SUV through the icy, snow-packed streets. Even TIME has to make the most of time.
If Alvarado Quesada gets his way, such vehicles will become a rare sight in his own country. In February, his government will pledge to abolish entirely the use of fossil fuels in Costa Rica, making it the world’s first “carbon zero” country. Already, much of its energy supply comes from hydro and geothermal power; he wants to reform transportation so electric vehicles are the norm on Costa Rica’s roads. He’s at the annual gathering of the world’s political and economic elite to make the case that developing countries can lead the world in tackling climate change. “Our ambition is not only to do this on our own,” he says. “We want others to follow.”
With so many of the worlds’s top-tier leaders skipping Davos this year, developing countries had a rare opportunity. President Donald Trump was dealing with a government shutdown, while British Prime Minister Theresa May tried to seal parliamentary approval for her Brexit deal. And still reeling from the Gilets Jaunes protests in France, President Emmanuel Macron was in no mood to be seen rubbing shoulders with the 1%.
This story is from the February 18 - 25, 2019 edition of Time.
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This story is from the February 18 - 25, 2019 edition of Time.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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