Real Progress or Empty Words? An Analysis of Environmental Conventions Worldwide and in Mexico

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Raúl Benet Keil

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Publicado: 26/11/2024 · 2:05 p.m. MX | Actualizado: 26/11/2024 · 2:05 p.m. MX

2024 marks a significant change in Mexico. With the leadership transition to the new government under Claudia Sheinbaum, who has appointed Alicia Bárcena as Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Mexico promises a renewed focus on energy transition and biodiversity conservation. This context raises expectations about whether Mexico will not only meet but also lead in achieving the international conservation and sustainability goals established in the conventions on biodiversity, climate change, and desertification—commitments that have faced contradictions and shortfalls so far.

• International Goals: Limited Achievements, Weak Commitments

Globally, the three conventions on biodiversity, climate change, and desertification that emerged from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro have accumulated commitments and promises. Yet, their accomplishments fall far short of what is needed. Global climate action has not met its targets, and despite progress in some areas, the data overwhelmingly indicate that the crisis continues to worsen.

Biological Diversity: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aimed to halt biodiversity loss, protect 17% of land areas and 10% of marine regions, and prevent species extinction. By 2020, the goal for protected terrestrial areas was nearly achieved globally, but the protection of marine regions remained at 7.74%, far from the target. Moreover, biodiversity loss remains unchecked: one million species are at risk of extinction, and wildlife populations have declined by 68% since 1970.

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Climate Change: Despite the Kyoto and Paris agreements, global greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high of 36.8 gigatons of CO₂ in 2022. The Paris Agreement sets a 1.5°C limit on global temperature rise. Still, with current policies, the world is on track for an increase of 2.4°C to 2.6°C, which would lead to devastating impacts for many vulnerable regions.

Desertification: The Convention to Combat Desertification aims to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030. Yet, 12 million hectares of productive land are lost yearly, and 3.2 billion people are affected by desertification and drought. These figures highlight the urgent need to go beyond rhetoric and achieve accurate and equitable implementation.

• Mexico: The New Environmental Vision

Mexico has been one of the countries most impacted by the climate and environmental crisis, facing droughts, devastating hurricanes, and an alarming loss of biodiversity. The 2024 government transition, with Claudia Sheinbaum and Alicia Bárcena at SEMARNAT, signals strengthened policies regarding these issues. Both leaders have shown a firm commitment to energy transition and biodiversity policies that, if realized, could align Mexico with the goals of international conventions. Below are critical areas for analysis under this new administration:

• Energy Transition: Towards a Less Fossil-Fuel-Dependent, More Solar-Powered Mexico

Sheinbaum has expressed her intent to accelerate the shift to clean energy, focusing on solar and wind power—sectors where Mexico has significant but underutilized potential. Her administration has set ambitious targets for 2030, aiming for renewable energy to constitute over 50% of the national energy mix, surpassing the previous 35% target. Alicia Bárcena, with her experience in international organizations and a focus on sustainability, has been instrumental in proposing policies that prioritize renewable energy, decentralize energy generation, and reduce fossil fuel consumption.

The new government is also expected to review the subsidies and investments in hydrocarbons that characterized the previous administration. This would mean redirecting resources toward clean energy projects and increasing local communities’ support for adopting renewable energy systems. The challenge will be to combine these efforts with economic development while facing pressure from business groups and traditional energy sectors.

• Biodiversity: Conservation and Environmental Justice

In the field of biodiversity, Alicia Bárcena has proposed an approach that combines the protection of natural areas with a model of environmental justice, placing indigenous and rural communities at the center of conservation efforts. Under this vision, Mexico is expected to strengthen both the quantity and quality of its protected areas. Currently, the country has about 13% of its land area and 22% of its marine waters under protection, but many of these areas face challenges related to funding, infrastructure, and management.

The new government has stated that, in addition to increasing the protection of natural areas and in line with the agreements reached at the COP in Cali on this matter, it will work on sustainable ocean management and combat illegal fishing. Local communities are encouraged to participate and take leadership in implementing practices that preserve marine life, contributing to ecosystem health and the resilience of coastal communities, particularly in biodiversity-rich areas such as the Mexican Caribbean and the Gulf of California.

Mexico’s commitment at the recent Biodiversity COP in Colombia includes the protection of 30% of marine and terrestrial areas, along with new conservation strategies led by Indigenous, Afro-Mexican, and local communities. This represents a 50% increase in Mexico’s protected natural areas within just six years.

Bárcena has announced and initiated the review of tourism and mining developments in environmentally sensitive areas, such as the Sea of Cortez, the Lacandon Jungle, and the Riviera Maya, severely impacting extractive activities and real estate developments. The new government proposes a conservation policy that considers community welfare and ensures natural protection against activities that degrade the environment and the quality of life of its inhabitants.

• Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience

Mexico has suffered from extreme climate events, such as the recent hurricanes Otis and John in Guerrero. These hurricanes revealed the vulnerability of many regions, particularly in the mountains of Guerrero, and the lack of preparedness for these recurring events. The Sheinbaum and Bárcena administrations aim to promote a national climate adaptation program, focusing on hurricane-resistant infrastructure, water management policies in the northern part of the country, and strengthening disaster response capacities.

As programs and public policies are enshrined in the Constitution, sustainable and resilient agroecology and agroforestry initiatives, such as Sembrando Vida, will be strengthened. The new government has also established measures to focus on urban adaptation projects, such as green infrastructure in cities to mitigate flooding and improve air quality.

• Real Change or Cosmetic Adjustments?

While the progressive left-wing orientation, known as ‘Mexican humanism,’ with Sheinbaum and Bárcena, raises positive expectations, the success of these initiatives will depend on real implementation and the political will and capacity to confront corporate interests and internal resistance. The structural transformation that Mexico needs requires going beyond policy and budget adjustments; it implies rethinking the development model so that sustainability and social well-being are its main pillars.

Mexico must confront the root causes of the environmental crisis more decisively and radically, such as inequality in resource access and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. Additionally, it is realistic to expect that Mexico could become a benchmark for climate justice in Latin America, demonstrating that a functional economy oriented toward equity and conservation is possible.

• COP and Conventions: A New Opportunity for Mexico?

Mexico’s participation in the COPs and conventions on biodiversity, climate change, and desertification has often been symbolic. However, Mexico now has the opportunity to become a key player in advancing environmental justice issues. With a government aligned with sustainability objectives and committed to communities, Mexico is demonstrating in international forums that a different development model is possible if environmental policies are also considered social welfare policies.

The arrival of Claudia Sheinbaum and Alicia Bárcena at the helm of Mexico’s environmental and energy policies represents an opportunity to position the country as a leader in global conservation and climate justice goals. However, a fundamental transformation will require a firm commitment to implementing these policies coherently and addressing the structural challenges imposed by the neoliberal model. Mexico stands at a crossroads: it can become a leader in climate justice in the region and the world, or if the promises remain mere words, it will continue dragging the same environmental problems that have marked its history over the past decades.

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Raúl Benet Keil