Partnership for Climate Action

Goal:

Integrating incentives to the Country Program for Carbon Neutrality to increase its ambitions, participation, and impacts within the public and private business sectors to enhance climate action in Costa Rica.

Partners:

ALIARSE, BAC Credomatic, Banco Nacional, Chamber of Industry (Cámara de Industrias de Costa Rica), Coope Ande, Direction for Climate Change (Dirección de Cambio Climático), DIGECA, Ebi, INTEL, and Pozuelo.

Lines of work:

• Development of technical skills
• Political impact in the creation of incentives for the Country Program for Carbon Neutrality.
• Approaching private sector

Results achieved:

• Creating a graphic identity for the Partnership
• More than 50 companies have participated in Partnership activities.
• Approval of a grant for the project: “Strengthening public-private actions for Costa Rica’s climate partnership”, by building capacity of stakeholder groups for the National Plan for Decarbonization, funded by AECID.
• Approval of grant for the project: “Support for the transition towards clean growth in Costa Rica” by building capacity of the business sector, funded by the United Kingdom.

Alsalus

Goal: 

Performing 5500 mammograms every year on 45- to 69-year-old-women, as well as minors who meet the clinical criteria for the exam, and reside in areas with geographical limitations, to achieve early detection of breast cancer, and thus contribute to empowering women about health self-care.

Partners:

Social Security Fund (CCSS - Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social), Clínica Bíblica Hospital, Automercado, and ALIARSE.

Lines of work:

• Providing mammograms to vulnerable communities throughout the country.
• Educating and promoting self-care concerning breast cancer.

Results achieved:

• Since 2012, more than 43,500 free mammograms have been performed for women who live in hard-to-access areas.
• More than 450 women with altered results have received an early diagnosis and medical attention.
• Communities from the Chorotega, North Huetar, Central Pacific. and Atlantic Huetar Regions have benefitted from this program.
• ALSALUS has helped strengthen public capacity through shared responsibility actions.

Trans-formate

Goal: 

To improve SMEs’ competitivity by strengthening their capacity for digital transformation to respond to new market opportunities.

Partners:

Coocique, Mucap, Cargill, CoopeServidores, Coca-Cola, UCR, MEIC, MICITT, HP and ALIARSE

Lines of work:

• Socio-emotional skills
• Intensive training
• Support and follow-up

Results achieved:

• Over 1000 beneficiary companies have a website or online store, and knowledge of several tools to digitize their operations.
• 98% of participants point out that they use the tools provided every day.
• 73% report that the use of knowledge and tools provided resulted in financial improvement of their businesses.
• Programs adapted to specific productive sector or characteristics of beneficiaries.

Skills 4 life

Goal: 

To improve the employability of unemployed adults, as well as young people, by strengthening and adapting their occupational profile (socio-emotional skills, mastery of the English language, technical skills), to generate increased employment opportunities for trained individuals.

Partners:

Ministry of Work and Social Security (MTSS - Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social), Ministry of Education (MEP – Ministerio de Educación), Cinde, and ALIARSE.

Lines of work:

• English training.
• Socio-emotional skills for work.
• Other technical skills
• Work relationships

Results achieved:

• We have catered to over 4500 people throughout the country since 2018.
• 1100 people in 2021: 570 unemployed adults and 530 young people from public education centers.
• 98% student retention throughout 2021.
• Placement of people who completed training and wished to find employment: 59.5% in the Great Metropolitan Area (GAM), 39.5% outside the GAM (Guanacaste, Central Pacific, and Limón)

Costa Rican partnership for recycling

Goal:

To increase the volume and quality of recoverable waste collected in the country.

Partners:

ALIARSE, Coca Cola FEMSA, Empaques Santa Ana, VICAL Group, Kimberly Clark, Health Ministry, and the Instituto de Fomento y Asesoría Municipal (IFAM - Institute for Municipal Advancement and Counseling).

Lines of work:

• Work in collaboration with the municipalities to support actions geared towards an integrated management of solid waste.
• Strengthen the capacities of the waste collecting centers for recoverable private and municipal waste.
• Publicize and create awareness among the different social and economic actors about the legal framework and good practices relating to recycling and integrated waste management.

Results achieved:

• Creation of a guide of good municipal practices for recycling.
• Supporting more than 300 people through capacity building for the management of 45 collection centers.
• Participation in the first feasibility study for the creation of a Transfer Center for Recoverable Waste in the country.
• Creation of the EcoPunto (EcoPoint) model: Fostering the creation of small collection centers and citizen participation in cooperation with the Municipality of San José.
• Creation of the Liberia Recyclers Association (ARELI).
• 5 Models for Municipal Management of solid waste, standardized as case studies of good practices for local governments.

Impact indicators:

• 5% increase of recycling in Costa Rica.
• 200,722 tons of recoverable waste collected by 2015.
• + 60 municipal environmental managers involved in various activities with the Partnership.
• $ 300,000 invested in innovative recycling projects. 
• 150 people with higher awareness of recycling-related topics every year.

Water stewards

Goal:

Reduce water consumption in Educational Centers by providing technical training to detect and repair leaks and promote a cultural change among children and/or teenagers towards an optimal and rational use of drinking water.

Partners:

Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA – National Institute for Water and Sanitation), ALIARSE, Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and Sistema Coca Cola.

Lines of work:

• Educational program to foster a new water culture among students in educational centers.
• Changes in infrastructure for educational centers with the highest water consumption rate per student.

Results Achieved:

• 33.375 water stewards graduated from 1335 educational centers.
• 113 Educational Centers benefiting from changes in their water infrastructure.
• Savings of over 582 million liters of water.

Impacto indicators:

• Average saving of 63% in water consumption in benefitted educational centers.
• Savings of up to $ 20.000 in the yearly water fee of benefitted educational centers.
• Drafting of proposal for the creation of a social impact bond and for scaling and making the Program sustainable.