Today, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) in collaboration with the Business Association for Development (AED), released a case study on the sustainability reporting in Costa Rica. The report was compiled using data from The Reporting Exchange, the global resource for corporate sustainability reporting.
The research showed that there is a significant interest in sustainability reporting in the country, as there are currently 40 reporting requirements and resources for environmental, social and governance (ESG) – related issues in Costa Rica.
The Reporting Exchange: An overview of sustainability and corporate reporting in Costa Rica Case Study.
The major driver of the country’s sustainable development agenda is Costa Rica’s bid to become a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – an intergovernmental economic organisation with 35 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
The evaluation process that the country is going through has led to an assessment of Costa Rica’s policies against the standards set by OECD countries. The country is also integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda into national planning, becoming one of the countries to sign a multi-stakeholder National Pact on SDGs.
As Costa Rica decouples economic development and environmental degradation, further legislation and revisions in sustainability reporting are likely to impact all sectors.
On moving forward, Olga Sauma, Executive Director at Business Association for Development – WBCSD’s network partner in Costa Rica – elaborates: “The Reporting Exchange will provide a vital resource to understand and compare requirements from different countries, to help Costa Rica identify good practice, and understand what could work in our circumstances and context.”
