MEXICO
CLIMATE CHANGE FACT SHEET
Mexico is the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the Latin America and Caribbean region. The energy sector is the most significant contributor to the country’s overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for more than 70 percent of total emissions. The agriculture and livestock sector is an additional important source of emissions (14 percent). The forest sector in Mexico is a “net carbon sink,” removing more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it emits. Nearly half of Mexico is covered by forest – a total of 88 million hectares.
Mexico’s geography makes it vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as tropical cyclones and floods, that threaten the country’s aging transportation, power, and water infrastructure. Mexico’s economically important coastal tourism sector is also at risk from the effects of climate change. In rural areas where small-scale producers earn a large proportion of their income from agriculture, extreme temperatures and erratic rainfall drastically affect both crops and livestock.
GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO CLIMATE PRIORITIES
Over the last several years, the Government of Mexico has rolled back support and investment in renewable energy, prioritizing fossil fuel projects instead. In December 2020, the Government of Mexico submitted an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement that retains the same targets submitted in 2015 but does include more measures for climate adaptation and natural climate solutions. Key goals under Mexico’s NDC include:
- By 2030, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22 percent and black carbon emissions by 51 percent over a business-as-usual scenario.
- Reach a net-zero deforestation rate by 2030.
- Prevent and manage the negative impacts of climate change, especially among communities facing the most significant social inequalities.
- Promote sustainable and resilient food production systems.
- Conserve and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- Protect strategic infrastructure from the effects of climate change.
