The alternative way: Costa Rica towards the construction of a sustainable development model. light and shade

Abstract

During the twentieth century, the world faced a process of industrialization, coupled with population growth, that produced an unprecedented and exorbitant worldwide energy omnivorism. This led to the need, over the past few decades, to find an alternative development model that would overturn capitalism’s economistic discourse and present a new model based on long-term economic growth combined with future well-being and prosperity. This is how the theory of post-development and the Sustainable Development model laid-out by the United Nations emerged. This article describes the case of Costa Rica based on the perspective of sustainable development, analyzing 6 indicators that shed light on sustainable development in that country: Happiness and Wellbeing, Social Progress, Environmental Performance, Competitiveness, Human Development and Democracy. It concludes that Costa Rica has laid the foundations for sustainable development, but although it has built-up its institutional dimension, there is still a long way to ensure the fundamental rights of all Costa Ricans.