Climate and biodiversity context in Mexico

In recent years, Mexico has become a proactive actor in terms of its climate change and biodiversity policies, both nationally and internationally. As part of the Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Mexico foresees a non-conditional reduction of 22% of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030. Moreover, the Mexican NDC devotes special attention to adaptation measures, including a zero deforestation rate by 2030. At the national level, the National Climate Change Law entered into force in 2012. In addition, in 2016, Mexico hosted the 13th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, emphasizing the integration of biodiversity in different sectors. In the same way, in 2016 the National Biodiversity Strategy and the Action Plan in Mexico came into force.

 

The International Climate Initiative (IKI)

The International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature  Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)  is a key element of climate finance and the commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The initiative focuses on four funding areas:

  1. mitigating greenhouse gas emissions
  2. adapting to the impacts of climate change
  3. conserving natural carbon sinks with a focus on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+)
  4. conserving biological diversity

Mexico is a focal country in terms of IKI funds. IKI currently finances 40 bilateral, regional and global projects in Mexico that are implemented by more than 15 organizations in the four IKI funding areas.

 

The Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance and its interface function of IKI projects in Mexico

In Mexico, the BMU has assigned the interface function to the bilateral project “Alliance Mexicana-Alemana de Cambio Climático” with the objective of promoting  exchange among IKI projects in Mexico and providing information regarding the entire IKI portfolio of the country to the BMU. Within the framework of its IKI interface, the Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance facilitates knowledge management for IKI projects in Mexico. This includes organizing annual exchanges among IKI projects as well as the managing the IKI Alliance Mexico blog and newsletter  about impacts and activities of IKI projects.

 

Summary of the first and second exchange workshop

In June 2017, the first workshop brought together 80 representatives of 26 IKI projects, their political partners and three representatives of the BMUB and the IKI Program Office. The projects expressed interest and need for exchange and proposed processes for an effective link among IKI projects. Based on a proposal from the IKI interface, a knowledge management strategy was developed that focuses on three elements: newsletter, online platform, and face-to-face meetings.

In April 2018, the second IKI networking workshop in Mexico brought together 65 representatives from different IKI projects, their political partners from the Mexican federal government, and two BMU representatives and the IKI Program Office. The contributions of IKI projects to the achievement of the goals of the NDC and the National Biodiversity Strategy were identified. Likewise, the co-benefits of each project were analyzed regarding the fulfillment of the Agenda 2030. On the second day, the progress of projects were discussed around cross-cutting issues and experiences and lessons learnt were shared. At the end, the knowledge management strategy was analyzed, and opportunities for action were defined.

 

Objectives of the third networking workshop

Day 1:

  • Present new IKI projects and exchange lessons learnt among projects

Day 2:

  • Inform about knowledge management in the framework of the IKI
  • Present the IKI portfolio in Mexico to the new Mexican government
  • Define the contributions of IKI projects to the NDC and the National Biodiversity Strategy/Action Plan in Mexico

 

Workshop format

Language: Spanish (with parts in English)

Participants day 1: afternoon: ZUG and IKI projects

Participants day 2: morning: ZUG and IKI projects, afternoon: representatives of IKI project counterparts, BMU, ZUG and IKI projects

 

More information: Third IKI networking workshop in Mexico