The activities began with the organization of regional meetings with the states, where the exchange of good practices and lessons learned through spaces for face-to-face dialogue between the federal and subnational government was significant. The meetings led to the development of a baseline on sub-national progress in the development and implementation of climate policies, institutional arrangements, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) and climate financing. This exercise can be replicated regarding the regular periodic update of the progress of the subnational climate policy.

With this information, and based on the identified barriers and opportunities, , recommendations were developed for states to guide their actions and policies towards the alignment, quantification and long-term reporting of their contributions to the NDC. In addition, proposals were provided for the definition of governance processes and mechanisms that allow monitoring and transparency of this process.

These efforts were accompanied by the generation and diffusion of communication material (infographics and videos) to sensitize subnational governments about their role in the development of adaptation and mitigation actions and, therefore, in the fulfillment of national commitments from the local level. In addition, a repository of practical information on climate change was generated for states and municipalities, in reference to their contributions to the NDC.

The objective was to strengthen the capabities of the states in order to align, quantify and report their contributions in the field of mitigation and adaptation to climate change to the NDC. The regional workshops were carried out in collaboration with the Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance project.

Recommendations of regional workshops “Strengthening Subnational and their contribution to the Nationally Determined Contribution 2017-2018”

Informe y análisis detallado por región y Estado sobre las capacidades subnacionales en cambio climático y sus aportaciones a la NDC. Este producto se realizó en colaboración con el proyecto Alianza Mexicana-Alemana de Cambio Climático.

Analysis of Mexico’s local government conditions regarding mitigation

The study offers a review of the policy framework, governance and funding sources conditions of the municipalities for mitigation. In addition, the document identifies areas of opportunity and recommendations in the field.

Report of the workshop “National Meeting of States and their Contributions to the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)”

The purpose of the meeting was to give continuity and share the results of the exchange of experiences among states promoted by SEMARNAT, standardize methodologies for reporting contributions and share experiences. The meeting was held in collaboration with the Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance project.

Information repository of the states and municipalities of Mexico, in reference to their contributions to the NDC. The content of this toolbox was developed jointly with the Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance project.

Factsheets: Identification of mitigation measures and adaptation measures in the face of climate change A contribution of States and Municipalities to the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)

In order to strengthen Mexico’s NDC and increase its level of ambition, it is necessary to rely on contributions in terms of mitigation and adaptation from states and municipalities and to promote their participation.

Capsule:  Contribution of state and municipal governments to the compliance of the NDC.

This capsule seeks to guide subnational actors in the identification and development of measures within their powers, as well as to invite them to share their experiences on the subject.

Capsule: Linking adaptation and mitigation measures with the NDC and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the subnational level.

Based on the study of co-benefits of the NDC for the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda, developed by the projects 2030 Agenda Initiative and the Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance of the GIZ, VICLIM produced a video  about the co-benefits between both agendas and the role of subnational governments.

This amendment was carried out in close collaboration with the Government of Jalisco, through SEMADET. The program supported the development of a guide to develop and / or update municipal climate change programs (MCCP), aligned with the Jalisco State Law on Climate Action and the NDC. The guide was piloted, in collaboration with the GIZ project ADAPTUR, in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, one of the most important municipalities of Jalisco in economic terms, but which is also highly vulnerable to climate change. The work at the local level allowed to generate improvements to the methodologies proposed in the guide, to support the governance processes between Jalisco and its municipalities, and to mainstream the issue at the local level.

VICLIM also focused on the issue of local climate finance. On one side, in coordination with SEMARNAT, cases of climate financing were compiled at the municipal level where the success factors, minimum capacities and good practices that have enabled access to the financing of mitigation and adaptation measures were analyzed, in order to give examples and inspire other municipalities. On the other side, SEMADET was supported in analyzing fiscal and market instruments with the potential to channel more resources to the Jalisco Environmental Fund.  Additionally, the preparation of technical material to provide training on climate financing to the Inter-municipal Environment Boards of that State was supported.

Series of guidelines, tools and methodologies to guide the development and / or updating of the MCCP.

Municipal Climate Change Program (MCCP) of Puerto Vallarta

The MCCP was developed through participatory workshops with different actors of the municipality and was based on the “Guide for the development of MCCP of the State of Jalisco” and other methodologies developed by SEMARNAT and GIZ.  The process was developed in collaboration with the project Ecosystem-based Adaptation to climate change (ADAPTUR) in cooperation with the Tourism sector.

Portal of Municipal Climate Change Programs on the Energypedia platform

The objective of this space is to promote the exchange of experiences and collective learning among municipalities and other actors during the development of the Municipal Climate Change Programs (MCCP).

The series includes three videos about Jalisco’s contribution to the NDC of Mexico, the Climate Change Action State Program and success stories.

Recommendations on climate finance at local level

As part of the contributions of VICLIM in terms of local climate finance, the following were generated: 1) Case studies on financing mitigation measures and adaptation to climate change at the municipal level in Mexico; 2) Technical material for strengthening local capacities on access to climate finance for the State of Jalisco; and 3) Analysis of fiscal and market instruments to strengthen the Jalisco Environmental Fund and reduce its CO₂ emissions.

Through an equivalence analysis between the NKI instruments and the Mexican context and through a participatory process, the Energy Efficiency Learning Networks (LN) scheme was selected at the municipal level to generate a knowledge transfer between both countries

Under the guidance of the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu), recommendations were given to the National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE). The results are aimed at establishing Energy Efficiency LN and Energy Management Systems to improve the conditions of its implementation and the impact on the reduction of CO₂ emissions at the municipal level.

Strategic guidance document for the implementation of EE LN or EMS at municipal level.

Document of strategic orientations for the implementation of LN at municipal level, and systematization of experiences of LN in municipalities of Mexico, Brazil and Germany. This document was produced in collaboration with the Energy Transition Support Project in Mexico (TrEM) implemented by GIZ.

First National  Meeting of EE LN or EMS at municipal leve

The objectives of the meeting were to promote the concept of municipal LN as mechanisms to achieve an effective energy management and to reduce the emissions of GHG locally, as well as to exchange experiences based on success stories from Mexico and Germany. This document was made in collaboration with the TrEM project.

Video on EE LN or EMS at municipal level

The video introduces the concept of LN, describes the implementation phases, the main objective, and which actors are relevant for their development and implementation. The document was made in collaboration with the Energy Transition Support Project in Mexico of the GIZ.

Report of the workshop “Dialogue on the German National Climate Initiative (NKI): Exchange Opportunities between Mexico and Germany

At the workshop, the instruments of the NKI were presented to the state government of Jalisco and the Intermunicipal Environmental Boards (JIMA). Likewise, opportunities for exchanging experiences between Mexico and Germany were identified through the support of GIZ-VICLIM and Difu.

Study of equivalence between the NKI and programs in Mexico

This document aims to identify and select a financing instrument for municipalities of the Mexican government that is viable for the exchange of bilateral experiences with the NKI and with a high potential for scale up.

The program produced periodical publications for specialized newsletters, seminars on regional online platforms, as well as articles in conjunction with other international organizations presented for discussion at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Another exchange mechanism was a study trip between Mexico and Costa Rica (where VICLIM is also implemented), in terms of local climate action.

VICLIM, ICLEI and UN Habitat presented for the COP23 a document about lessons learned and good examples of climate policies that demonstrates the potential of subnational governments to comply with NDCs. Cases include experiences from Colombia, Germany, South Africa, Mexico and Myanmar.

VICLIM Mexico and Costa Rica offered a virtual seminar on the experiences in Mexico and Costa Rica on local planning climate instruments with a vertical integration approach.

The VICLIM program in Mexico and Costa Rica promoted a study trip for the exchange of knowledge, sharing experiences and case studies on the implementation of climate policy at the subnational level.

• • Top to bottom approach. The leadership of the Federal Government is essential to establish guidelines for subnational entities so that they are able to implement their climate policy. Consequently, their  progress can be reported and monitored at the federal level.
  • Bottom up approach. Climate change adaptation and mitigation will have an impact as long as the actions respond to local contexts. In this process, it is crucial to implement the mechanism to integrate the systematized results to the Mexico’s NDC.
  • Climate Change Mainstreaming The internalization of climate change criteria and considerations in local development policy and in its processes is essential to channel resources and efforts in order to achieve climate goals.
  • Innovation in governance and coordination mechanisms at the local level. It is important to promote regional actions to take advantage of common challenges or goals in the face of climate change and enhance processes, resources and impacts.
  • Exchange of good practices and lessons learned. It is very useful to have systematized experiences of national and international case studies, told by local governors who can convey motivation to other subnational governments.
  • Capacity Development Training and knowledge sharing spaces for the subnational level must be continuous, progressive and take advantage of the progress in some states and municipalities to strengthen others. Communication material for local decision makers is more effective in the form of concept notes and videos.

• Strengthening of the technical capacities of states and municipalities in the field of climate change policy (more than 25 exchange spaces and 990 people trained).

• Strengthening multilevel governance and the federal government’s role in coordinating subnational advances.
• Construction of a baseline of climate policy in the 32 states and development of the material necessary to update the information periodically.
• Exchange of good practices between states and municipalities, for example, in terms of local climate finance.

Climate change mainstreaming in development plans in both the State of Jalisco and the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta.