The “seal” known as Carbon-Neutral, established in Costa Rica by the Ministry of the Environment a couple of years ago, certifies that the company or organization that obtains it has stopped emitting greenhouse gases or compensates its emissions with “credits” (emission credits) purchased on the carbon market (for the moment, Fonafifo directly exercises this function). Right now, the number of those companies is barely close to two dozen. Each "credit" purchased by a company or organization that emits greenhouse gases gives it the right to emit one ton of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent in other gases. And if you back all the tons issued with credits, you keep your C-Neutral stamp.

The "credits", per finger, are generated by projects or activities -for example reforestation- that reduce or remove greenhouse gases, and, in turn, these projects or undertakings must be certified by legally designated competent authorities. There are almost unanimously that this mechanism for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions is a step forward on the road to achieving carbon-neutrality in 2021, which is a goal that the Government and most environmentalists have set for themselves In addition, such a mechanism enhances the country's prestige because it underlines its green image. But this does not necessarily mean, as some think, that the C-Neutral seal is a “country brand” in the sense that this concept has: of a means to improve the national image in search of more foreign investment, more exports and more tourism, the C-Neutral seal works for the environment and, in addition -and this is key-, it is redit It is valuable for companies that acquire it, because it gives them a halo, positioning them better in the market, and also because it allows them to reduce production costs. So, more than as a country brand, the seal could be conceived as a “company brand”.

We want to believe that, truly, Costa Rica's search for carbon neutrality is due to the conviction - and the accompanying emotion - that we must combat global warming and protect the biosphere, and not because we try to make up the country to attract tourism and money. For our nation, the goal of carbon neutrality in 2021 is an end, not a means to other goals. And the C-Neutral seal is a means to achieve that goal, but not a means to attract investment or tourism. For a year now, the Costa Rican country brand has been "Essential Costa Rica". And this could be judged honest - and, therefore, effective in the long term - if the carbon-neutrality that we pursue is, honestly, an end that we have proposed, valid in itself, and not a country brand for our economic promotion. "Costa Rica pura vida", "Costa Rica verde" and "Costa Rica without artificial ingredients" are old slogans with which the country was promoted.