Mexico

In 2007 the Government adopted a first National Climate Change Strategy with the objective of defining a consensual public policy agenda to tackle climate change. The President also called on representatives from the legislative, executive and judiciary, private sector and civil society to integrate the announced Climate Change National System (eventually launched in 2014) and work for the promotion of a “truly sustainable development”. The launch of the Inter-secretarial Commission on Climate change, formed of 13 secretaries, was also announced.

In July 2013 Mexico adopted the 10-20-40 National Climate Change Strategy. Following from the 2012 General Law on Climate Change, the Strategy outlines actions to be implemented until 2040. It sets out the main focal areas regarding cross-sectorial climate policy, adaptation to climate change and reduction of GHG emissions, presented as “eight axes of action”.

These are: 1) reduce vulnerability to climate change of Mexicans living at risk and strengthen their resilience; 2) reduce the vulnerability of production systems and strategic infrastructure against weather contingencies; 3) foster adaptability of ecosystems to the effects of global warming; 4) accelerate energy transition towards clean energy sources; 5) reduce power consumption intensity through efficiency and rationality schemes; 6) transition to sustainable city models, with intelligent mobility systems, integrated waste management and buildings with a low carbon footprint; 7) encourage better agricultural and forestry practices, with schemes for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+); and 8) reduce “short life” pollutant emissions, such as black carbon and methane, to improve the health and welfare of Mexicans.

The Strategy also reinforces Mexico’s mitigation goals to reduce emissions by 30% by 2020 with respect to the business-as-usual scenario, and by 50% by 2050, as compared to emissions in 2000.

Internationally, Mexico has been one of the most active developing countries in relation to conducting and updating the UNFCCC’s National Inventories on Greenhouse Emissions. It was the first developing country to submit the Fourth National Communication and is on the verge of presenting its Fifth National Communication. Mexico’s hosting of COP16 in 2010 created momen­tum to address climate change, as evidenced by the four draft laws put forward to Congress by the major political parties that eventually led to the approval of the General Law on Climate Change (GLCC).

The GLCC became law in 2012 and was a major advance in Mexico’s actions to tackle climate change. After a process of negotiation that lasted two years, the key breakthrough was a meeting in October 2011, convened by GLOBE International and addressed by former UK Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott. At this meeting legislators from different parties, who had proposed separate drafts of a climate change law, agreed to merge them into one single proposal. The GLCC was voted on, and approved, in the Mexican Senate in December 2011, coinciding with the UNFCCC COP17/CMP7 in Durban, South Africa.

The current National Development Plan (2013-2018), in turn, includes an environmental sustainability axis concerned with reinforcing climate change policy and environmental policy to promote transition to a “competitive, sustainable, resilient and low-carbon economy”. The updated Special Programme on Climate Change (2014-2018) establishes goals, targets and actions necessary to promote climate change mitigation in the short term while securing economic competitiveness and allowing time for the development of adaptation strategies. The Government expects full implementation of the latter to achieve total annual emissions reduction of 83.2m tonnes of CO₂–equivalent (PCG100) by 2018 in relation to the business as usual scenario.

Energy supply

The Law on the Use of Renewable Energies and Financing the Energy Transition (LAERFTE) and the Law for Sustainable Energy Use (LASE) were both passed in 2008. They are expected to be merged and updated soon by a new Energy Transition Law, awaiting approval of the Senate at the time of writing. In 2009 a fund for renewable energy was created at the initial value of MXN3bn (USD220m). In a similar vein, the Law on Bioenergy Promotion and Development was passed in 2007 with the purpose of developing bioenergy in the country, thus contributing to energy diversification and sustainable development while supporting rural areas and promoting social inclusion. These bills all outline a broad framework for action and request the estab­lish­ment of multiple bodies and funding mechanisms. In this sense, they represented the first step, a binding commitment of future action, which has been built on by the General Law on Climate Change. In December 2013, Mexico introduced a comprehensive Energy Reform to support competitiveness and efficiency of its energy sector and further promote the development of clean energies in particular in the electricity sector (renewables, smart grid). The reform also introduced the concept of ‘sustainability’ into the Constitution and created or amended a total of 21 laws. The ‘Special Programme on the Use of Renewable Energy’ (2014-2018) was adopted, which notably sets the ambitious targets of 34.6% of renewable and clean electricity generation capacity installed by 2018, and at least 25% share of renewables in gross electricity consumption by 2018.

Energy demand

Mexico’s energy efficiency and demand side management policy is also based on the above-mentioned LAERFTE and LASE laws. The ‘National Programme for Sustainable Use of Energy 2014-2018’ was adopted on 28 April 2014 (following the first edition 2009-2012). The Programme sets six main objectives: develop measures to promote optimal energy use in the processes and activities of the national energy chain; strengthen the energy efficiency standards for appliances manufactured and/or marketed in the country; strengthen energy efficiency governance at the federal, state and municipal levels in co-operation with public, private, academic and social institutions; support the development of sustainable development technical capabilities; contribute to the dissemination of energy-saving culture among the population; and promote research and technological development related to energy efficiency. In addition, a number of programmes have been introduced, such as the ‘National Project for Support of Efficient Municipal Lighting’ (2010) and the ‘Programme for Energy Savings and Efficiency by Companies’ (2011).

Carbon pricing

Building on the existing National Emissions Registry and the recent tax reform (October 2013) that introduced a carbon tax on fossil fuels starting 2014 allowing companies to pay the levy with carbon credits, Mexico launched a voluntary emissions trading scheme (MEXICO₂) in 2013 and announced a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions from energy sector in February 2014.

LULUCF

In 2012 Congress passed a series of legal reforms on the Environmental Law (1988, last amended in 2014) and on the Sustainable Forest Development Law (2003), to facilitate the implementation of the REDD+ mech­anism in Mexico. The amendments focus on harmonising the definitions of key terms, the development of economic instruments that benefit forest owners and users and the inclusion of REDD+ safeguards.

The development and passing of these legal reforms was led by the Mexico Programme of the GLOBE Legislators’ Forest Initiative and highlight the beginning of a transition towards integrating REDD+ within national legal frameworks. Until then, the REDD+ mechanism has predominantly been discussed within the UNFCCC and the executive branch of governments. The legal reforms also take a critical step towards ensuring that local communities, which sustainably manage their forests, receive economic benefits derived from any future carbon payment scheme. The definition of environmental services has been adapted to emphasise the relationship between the benefits and the functionality of the natural ecosystem and the individuals settled in the territory.

The National Strategy for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (ENAREDD+) was prepared in April 2014 by the Inter-secretariat Committee on Climate Change and is offered for public consultation until 2015, when it will be officially adopted. It aims to “reduce GHG emissions from deforestation and degradation of forest ecosystems and maintain and increase forest carbon stocks in the context of sustainable rural development in Mexico”. The new National Forestry Programme 2014-2018 creates a basket of 17 indicators to evaluate the implementation of the Strategy objectives for 2018. In parallel, national and municipal forest inventories are to be created and linked to the REDD+ Measure, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system based on the latest UNFCCC guidelines. All economic instruments will be considered to promote environmental forest services, thus establishing a legal basis for new “payment for ecosystem services” mechanisms, so that forest land owners are the direct beneficiaries of the economic revenues generated by the sustainable management of their forests. In June 2014, there were 11 REDD+ projects and around 38 forest initiatives initiated in Mexico.

Adaptation

Due to its geographical features, Mexico is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, in particular droughts, floods, rising sea levels and frequent extreme events. Moreover, more than half of the population lives in poverty with limited adaptation capacity. In response to the adaptation challenges, the Special Programme on Climate Change 2013-2018 has been adopted. It defines two main objectives: “Reduce vulnerability of the population and productive sectors and strengthen the resilience of the strategic infrastructure” and “Protect, restore and sustainably manage ecosystems supporting the related environmental services for climate change adaptation and mitigation” and proposes a number of related measures.