Carlos Manuel Rodriguez

Biographical Information
"Carlos Manuel Rodriguez is the former Vice Minister (1998-2002) and Minister (2002-2006) of Environment and Energy from Costa Rica and is now the Vice President for International Policy of Conservation International.

"He is an expert on environment policy who has dedicated all his professional life to the conservation of the natural world. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez was the director of the national parks service in Costa Rica. He represented the nation in all international biodiversity meetings, including the CBD, CITES, CMS, Whaling and Desertification Conventions. As environment and energy minister for Costa Rica, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez was a pioneer in the development of payment for ecosystem services. This groundbreaking strategy has helped Costa Rica conserve ecosystems that would likely have been pillaged for resources, and was among the policies that have allowed the country to become one of Central America’s strongest economies. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez was also a key player in the establishment of a multinational marine park and international efforts to eliminate bottom trawling and other unsustainable fishing practices. In his new role as CI’s regional vice president and director of Conservation International’s Mexico and Central America program, he is expanding the reach of the conservation solutions he spearheaded in Costa Rica."

Affiliations

 * Advisory Board, Global Environmental Governance Project
 * Advisory Board, Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership