Most developing and threshold countries largely reject the conditions of the Kyoto Protocol and are eagerly awaiting the upcoming negotiations on climate protection in December 2009 in Copenhagen. The American continent plays a crucial role in this, not least because many experts believe that the United States has done too little to address the impending climate change. However, there is also a notable counterexample that, despite a challenging market environment, follows a political course under the mandate of sustainability and seeks harmony between economic, social, and ecological goals. Costa Rica, known to many from the opening match of the last World Cup, plays a key role in the promotion of renewable energies in Central America. In addition to decades of promoting ecotourism, it has also...