Mexico is the 12th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world and has been a leader among developing and middle-income countries on international climate policy – and so far domestic actions appear to be backing the country’s international commitments to reduce its emissions. While the strategy does not provide many new details, it does seem to carefully examine and support key aspects of Mexico’s new climate change law for implementation.
The strategy was called for in Mexico’s General Law on Climate Change (LGCC), which was signed into law last June. Because the sweeping, but extremely general, legislation predated Enrique Peña Nieto’s new presidency, it was an open question whether the incoming administration would champion the issue or downplay implementation.
Peña Nieto’s administration hinted at an answer by releasing its official strategy for addressing climate change earlier this month.
The new National Strategy on Climate Change, released June 3 by the Environment Ministry (SEMARNAT), lays out a number of potential actions Mexico can take to reduce emissions – also known as “mitigation.” These actions focus on prioritizing mitigation potential, cost-efficiency, and additional benefits for reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions. Some highlights include:
- Accelerating the transition to low-carbon energy sources, with a goal to produce 35% of electricity from “clean” sources by 2024.
- Development of new economic instruments to finance mitigation, including the potential development of an emissions trading system.
- Reducing subsidies that favor inefficient use of resources, and redirection of current subsidies from fossil fuels.
- Reducing energy intensity through conservation and efficiency measures.
- Integrating national emissions reductions targets into the federal, state and sectoral programs.
- Improving forest management and reducing deforestation through REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) policies and other measures.
- Reducing emissions of short-term climate forcers and other greenhouse gases.
There are a number of highly encouraging signs from its release, which was a few weeks before the official deadline. The Peña Nieto administration reiterated and expanded on some key components of the law and the strategy maintains its focus on developing a climate change program that is centered on reaching Mexico’s emissions reductions targets.
Recall that only last summer, the historic climate law passed in Mexico’s outgoing congress with broad support across parties, including the current president’s. The comprehensive and historic law laid out a broad institutional framework; established federal responsibility for the development of strategies, plans and programs to address climate change mitigation and adaptation; and put forward ambitious (though still non-binding) domestic targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We noted then that the real guts of how Mexico would achieve those targets was left to be determined, and ultimately its success would rely on strength of commitment to implementation by Mexico’s next federal government.
What the climate strategy could mean for Mexico
The good news is that the new administration’s plan appears to take full advantage of the framework laid out by the law through the new “National Climate Change System.” The plan also includes the key commitment that national mitigation targets of 30% below business as usual by 2020 and 50 % below 2000 levels by 2050 will be integrated into the federal, state and sectoral development programs – where the real action on emissions reductions will be.
Notably, its introduction also frames the strategy explicitly in an international context where many countries, as well as some states and provinces, are developing or implementing emissions trading systems as a cost-efficient mechanism for reducing emissions. (You can learn more about emissions trading programs around the globe in EDF’s new resource, The World’s Carbon Markets.)
Clearly, Mexico has taken note of its potential to participate in carbon markets in building a low-carbon economy – and rightly so.
With a new administration that has focused on public commitments to economic growth, job creation, and energy, taking advantage of such tools could form a key part of reducing emissions nationally while setting the country on a path to prosperity and low carbon development for the future. Mexico, in particular, has a wealth of opportunities for effective, cost-efficient emissions reductions in many key sectors.
As an international leader on climate, Mexico also appears interested in leveraging this positive domestic action globally. The document states:
This strategy is a fundamental step to implement the General Climate Change Law and shows that Mexico is advancing in complying with its international commitments. To the extent that it is executed, it will also be the best argument to demand collective action against climate change from the international community.