Mexico City, Mexico — The Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources presented an ambitious environmental agenda to the Senate. The agenda was presented Wednesday by Environmental Secretary Alicia Bárcena Ibarra.
She appeared before the Senate’s Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, where she presented the main advances and challenges of the Mexican government’s Humanist Ecological and Environmental Policy.
“Our commitment is to restore, protect and ensure that ecosystems continue to be a source of life for future generations; there can be no social justice without environmental justice,” she said during her presentation.
In her remarks, Secretary Bárcena presented the progress made and outlined the seven priorities of the Humanist Ecological and Environmental Policy promoted by the Mexican government:
River sanitation: Restoring the Lerma-Santiago, Atoyac and Tula river basins with historic investments and nature-based solutions.
National Water Plan: With the introduction of the General Water Law and the National Water Law to regulate concessions and guarantee the human right to water.
National Climate Change Plan: 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, promotion of biofuels and sustainable fuels.
Circular economy and zero waste: Two circular economy parks, 12 recycling plants, and the goal of eliminating plastics from beaches.
Reforestation and conservation: 200,000 hectares of forests and 18,000 hectares of mangroves to meet the international goal of protecting 30% of the country’s territory by 2030.
Environmental Justice: Prioritizing affected communities on the Sonora River and the Endhó Dam with environmental restoration and health programs.
Improving air quality in the Valley of Mexico, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, with new regulations for transportation and industry.
“Mexico is a megadiverse country, and under the leadership of President Claudia Sheinbaum, we are moving toward an environmentally just, socially equitable, and energetically sustainable Republic,” the secretary said.
She reported that in this first year of his administration, strategic actions were achieved, such as the National Agreement on Forests, Jungles and Mangroves, the protection of emblematic species like the vaquita marina and the olive ridley turtle, the closure of polluting facilities, the fight against illegal logging, the restoration of mangroves, and the ban on highly hazardous pesticides.
At the international level, the Secretary highlighted Mexico’s renewed environmental diplomacy, with leadership in multilateral and regional forums, particularly ahead of COP30 in Belém do Pará, Brazil, where the country will present its Nationally Determined Contribution 3.0.
The comprehensive report also included the creation of the Great Mayan Forest Biocultural Corridor between Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, an example of regional cooperation to preserve biodiversity and the 250,000 hectares incorporated into the Payment for Environmental Services Program, benefiting indigenous and rural communities.
It also included the Zero Deforestation Agreement with the avocado industry to ensure exports without environmental impact and species protection, where over 900,000 olive ridley turtle nests have been protected in Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Tamaulipas, confiscation of 224 totoaba bladders and the permanent closure of the Dolphinaris Barceló dolphinarium.
More than 150 favorable rulings against aquifer contamination and illegal activities, the presidential decree banning 35 highly hazardous pesticides, a historic measure after 40 years, 30% fewer forest fires thanks to the coordinated action of brigades and the constitutional reform for the protection of native corn.
The Agency for Safety, Energy, and Environment (ASEA) designed and implemented Renagas, a tool that promotes self-management of regulatory compliance, increases transparency, and strengthens sector accountability. It also strengthened regulation of LP gas transportation and distribution activities, considered high-risk.
“Environmental policy is a pillar of national development. We are your allies. The entire Semarnat (National Secretariat of Agriculture) and the entire environmental sector are here and we are deeply committed. You can always count on us,” she concluded.
The federal environmental sector reaffirms its commitment to protecting the environment, promoting restoration, and ensuring environmental justice for the benefit of communities.
