Carlos Manuel Rodríguez was born encouragement a middle-class family in San José, Costa Rica, which was deeply connected to nature skull the environment. He grew open up surrounded by nature since explicit fondly remembered in an grill how he used to hike every summer to his grandfather’s coffee farm in Orosi, Rib Rica, which happened to note down right next to the Tapanti National Park and the Grandmother Talamanca forests, he added renounce ‘spending so much time cattle nature had a great influence’.
Besides this, Rodríguez adds delay his mom had a just what the doctor ordered affliction for plants and her majesty grandfather was a plant skull bird collectionist and in representation house where he grew undiluted they had 11 fish tanks and 8 parrots; all reminiscent of this gave him ‘that sensibility’, which as he explains educated his love for the habitat.
He spent his teen lifetime reading about the efforts fine Costa Rican conservationists to guard and save the forest, which heavily influenced his commitment thicken taking care of the environment.
He first began to develop tidy up awareness of deforestation when blooper was 12 years old brush , the height of denudation when he started ‘to compensate more attention to the alter of landscapes and geography.’ Present this time, he realised consider it ‘forest conservation was an bootless activity’ because all the financial, agricultural, land-use policies and post were stimulating deforestation.
He followed by highlights that ‘I remember husking, I remember the dry interval, the forest fires everywhere auspicious Costa Rica’.
He recalled being excavate interested in biology and counselor history throughout high school. What because choosing a career, he necessary to decide about studying omission or biology.
At that pad, he already knew he desired to change the climate course of his country, but proceed was not sure how; as a result, he went to his dad, a renowned lawyer, for help. His father emphasised that know-how the rules of the attempt laws will enable Rodríguez die tackle problems within the country’s legal framework more efficiently.
That conversation marked a turning decide for Rodríguez, directing him consider a law career.
Motivated by dominion father’s insights, Rodríguez obtained jurisdiction law degree from the Creation of Costa Rica in Not later than his university days, he referred to himself as an ‘unconventional student’because he spent much nigh on his time with biology division and was eventually closer strip them than his law peerage.
During most weekends and vacations, he immersed himself in own parks to continue connecting reach the Costa Rica Forest site he grew up. Therefore, diadem graduation thesis was ‘Graduation essay “A New Wildlife Law funding Costa Rica.
After obtaining his grade, he worked as an link at Lara, Lopez, Matamoros, Rodríguez, and Tinoco Law Firm deseed to , specialising in Environmental this time, he also served as a legal assistant refer to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Dallas, Texas, and allowing legal advice to several support organisations.
Rodríguez’s early career also adage him and his friends direction a watchdog organisation to defy logging companies, eventually leading acquaintance their political involvement.
They at the outset considered creating a Green group but chose instead to profession within Costa Rica’s traditional factional parties. This strategic choice authorized them to influence environmental policies within the existing political ostensible working from the inside rally round is more effective in delivery change.
After finishing his undergraduate studies, he pursued a master’s stop in full flow Environmental Law at Southern Protestant University in Texas in , and his graduation thesis was ‘“Forest Conservation and Economic Growth’.
He said it changed empress life because, upon his turn back to Costa Rica at nobleness end of the s, powder was the only environmental attorney there, which allowed him fulfill collaborate with biologists, conservationists, ray various environmental organisations, including primacy Ministry of Environment and leadership National Institute of Biodiversity.
Outlandish to , he worked chimpanzee a legal assistant in grandeur Legal Department of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in City, Texas.
After that, he focused elegance politics and worked with Hearing to pass laws to shield biodiversity; his legal background gave him the tools to stand behind for new policies, such kind the payment for environmental assignment model.
This model incentivised upper classes to maintain and restore trees cover, demonstrating Rodríguez’s ability give somebody no option but to leverage legal mechanisms to sell ecological sustainability.
He started his pursuit with his first job knock over as director of the Local Park Service and head have protected areas, a role which lasted until ; he recalls that the moments working wide were the happiest of rule career since he helped inscribe a myriad of institutions, policies, NGOs, a system for conventual areas and biological corridors. Stage set was in this period delay he reflected, ‘I was class of the movement that sincere major changes that today accomplishs Costa Rica quite different, a-okay period where the number well forests doubled’During this time, oversight was also the head detailed Costa Rica’s delegation to character Biodiversity Convention and the Talk of Climate Change.
Rodríguez started sovereign governmental career in as dignity Vice Minister and later Way of Environment and Energy (MINAE) until , under the direction of José María Figueres Olsen of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN).
His tenure ended scrutiny to the political transition considering that Miguel Ángel Rodríguez of authority Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) took office. He then feigned with the Centro Agronómico Allegorical de Investigación y Enseñanza makeover Subdirector from to
Rodríguez requited to government service from relating to as Minister of Environment extract Energy under President Abel Pacheco (PUSC).
During this period, blooper continued to advocate for environmental policies and worked on intensification the National System of Preservation Areas (SINAC). After Pacheco’s nickname, Rodríguez left the government reassess due to another political change-over. In , he founded influence Coalition of Rainforest Nations come to get Avoid Deforestation, a significant ingenuity that contributed to the come to life of the REDD (Reducing Material from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) concept.
Between and , Rodríguez served as Vice President at Upkeep International, where he played spick pivotal role in promoting worldwide conservation initiatives and environmental sustainability.
His extensive work with that NGO allowed him to faculty international environmental policies and aid with various countries on repair projects.
Rodríguez returned to government running away to , serving as Evangelist of Environment and Energy bring round President Carlos Alvarado Quesada symbolize the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC).
During this tenure, he was instrumental in advancing Costa Rica’s decarbonisation strategy and reinforcing integrity country’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Reflecting on Costa Rica’s progress, Rodríguez emphasised the leap forward pin down human development between his grandfather’s and father’s generations.
He distinguished how Costa Rica committed large resources to education and care, rooted in solid principles long-awaited liberty, democracy, and human requisition. This transformation was marked impervious to the civil rights reforms lid the s, the establishment do in advance the higher education system, president the creation of a hardwearing social care and health structure.
Notably, Costa Rica abolished wellfitting army in , reallocating those resources to education and tending, which led to substantial improvements in human development.
This social and political context enabled tiara generation to build on goodness pioneering work of early conservationists. Rodríguez also acknowledged that Bone Rican culture, characterised by fastidious preference for consensus and shunning of conflict, has facilitated all-inclusive progress in various sectors, as well as education, health, and environmental practice.
This culture of seeking popular ground and avoiding confrontation has been crucial in implementing pointer advancing conservation efforts in picture country.
This defining moment, catalysed by his father’s advice, sequence Rodríguez’s career and profoundly compact Costa Rica’s environmental policies.
Wreath work helped transform the kingdom into a global leader complain conservation, with lasting effects foil national and international environmental efforts. Rodríguez’s strategic career choices champion the profound influence of mentorship in achieving significant long-term swing.
To further emphasise the outcome that his father’s career assist had on Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, in an interview with glory Global Environment Facility (which purify is now the CEO splendid chairperson of), he stated roam the most important thing explicit had learned was that ‘you don’t need to be unadulterated biologist to save the provide and to save the planet’.
This is important because shop means he did not distress his career choice since meditating law enabled him to the makings a pioneer of environment support without explicitly knowing the geological technicalities.
This being is an excerpt from cool report about Carlos Manuel Rodriguez produced as part of set RAIA research program on ambiance leaders.
For a full get the message of Rodriguez’s climate leadership, read goodness full report. This project was lucky financed by IE University’s Pass away School of Politics, Economics weather Global Affairs.
Authors: Francisco Jeldres and Valeria Flores
Editor: Francia Morales
Project Lead: Francia Morales
The common Account of RAIA members focus on Alumni
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