Mexico’s new climate change law almost a reality

Mexico’s new General Climate Change Law will be the second such law in the world, positioning Mexico as a competitive economy in the renewable energy sector. Already approved by the Mexican House of Representatives with 280 votes in favor and 10 against, the General Climate Change Law will become a reality once approved by the Mexican Senate. The law will oversee the creation of the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change, a public organism decentralized from the Federal Public Administration. Six social counselors represented by the scientific, academic and technical community with experience in climate change will manage the institute. The General Climate Change Law’s objective will be to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2050, and ensure that 35% of Mexico’s electricity comes from renewable energy sources by 2024. Also, the law will ensure the reduction of fossil fuel subsidies in order to make renewable energy more competitive against oil, gas and coal. According to house representative Ninfa Salinas, “the proposal seeks to establish the means that allow our country to become a competitive economy, with low carbon emissions, but with a State vision that incorporates all sectors of society, with the premise of achieving above all equilibrium between economic development and protecting the environment.” This new law puts it on par with the UK’s Climate Change Act, the only two such laws in the world. International organizations like the WWF have already expressed their support for this initiative, hoping that other countries will do the same. Veronica French is a young American-Bolivian professional living in Mexico City. She is a freelance writer and web consultant, as well as a marketing and business analyst for GreenMomentum, Inc., a cleantech consulting firm and startup accelerator based in Mexico City and Silicon Valley. She enjoys researching and writing about Mexico’s growing sustainability movement and innovation in clean technology. Topics that also pique her interest are science, technology, religion, human rights and culture. In her free time, Veronica rides her bike about town, plays guitar, cooks and fiddles with her roommate’s mischievous cat.