Costa Rica leads the Americas and ranked fifth in the world in a comprehensive environmental performance study by Yale and Columbia Universities that evaluates sanitation, greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural policies and air pollution, among other criteria.

Out of a possible 100 points, Switzerland ranked first with 95.5 points, followed by Sweden (93.1), Norway (93.1), Finland (91.1) and Costa Rica (90.5).

 “We are putting more weight on climate change,” said Daniel Esty, the report’s lead author, who is the director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. “Costa Rica is probably the country that has made the environment it’s most important priority and has committed itself to becoming neutral in greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

Costa Rica has cut its imports of ozone depleting gases by 71% since 2004 and reduced its use of harmful agricultural chemicals like methyl bromide, which dropped from 1,070 tons in 1999 to 400 last year, according to the local weekly Tico Times.

In addition to evaluating original research, the study considered data provided by the World Health Organization, and the United Nations.

Starting March 20th, 2008, the Costa Rican telephone company (ICE) is implementing a new 8 digits numeric code for all residential, commercial and cellular phones in the country. From this date on you will have to dial 2 before any residential or commercial lines and 8 before any cellular line. If you need further information or assistance on this matter please contact us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Our Planet is suffering and we, at Horizontes Nature Tours want to mitigate its pain.  The easy way to do this is to first identify the main CO2 emissions contributor according to the activities that we are performing, then take actions immediately. In the travelling industry is obvious that most of the problem come from combustion based vehicles, including in this category: the plane, the coach, the motor boat and others.

That is why, Horizontes is proud to offer our partners two ways to provide increasingly eco-conscious travelers the chance to help combat Global Warming while on vacation through Costa Rica-based programs that offset CO2 emissions.

Through the Climate Change Friendly (CCF) program, travelers will receive a certificate showing the estimated amount of carbon dioxide produced by their trip, as well as the number of trees that will be planted to counteract that carbon footprint.

The program is a joint initiative between Costa Rica's Tropical Science Center (CCT) and the International Control Union, which oversees tree planting and maintenance procedures.

The CCT's Washington office is registered to offer tax deductible status to donors, and has managed million dollar grants from the Inter-American Development Bank, The Nature Conservancy, and the Dutch government, among others. It holds five reserves that constitute 9000 acres of land in Monteverde, as well as along Costa Rica's northern plains and southern Pacific zone.

The CCT program equates a $5 donation to one ton of carbon dioxide emissions. That amount is distributed among the costs of buying and planting endangered tree seedlings in protected forest reserves, as well as the maintenance and care for a three year period to ensure young trees prosper over time.

In addition to this program, the government affiliated "Clean Trip" ("Viaje Limpio") initiative offers the chance for travelers to access a carbon calculator and compensate their emissions through the reforestation of private lands. The program, managed the National Forestry Fund (FONAFIFO) with the involvement of Costa Rica's Environment Ministry, last year helped Horizontes apply funds for reforestation projects near Corcovado National Park.

This U.S. tax-deductible program calculates a specific amount of dollars for each ton of carbon emissions and has gained the support of Nature Air, Costa Rica's National Soccer Federation and the National Center for Clean Production.

At Horizontes, we believe is in our hands to make a difference and protect the world, our principal product, in order to make possible for other generations to enjoy the natural beauty in it. That is why we encourage our commercial partners to work with us on this small step towards mitigating the carbon emission produce by our line of work.

For more information on how to get onboard and add value to your programs in Costa Rica with options for offsetting Carbon, please contact us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit the web of this two programs directly: www.sellocambioclimatico.com , www.fonafifo.com .