Author: IKI Alliance

The GIZ project “Preparation of an ETS in Mexico” (SiCEM) provides support to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) in the continuous development of capacity-building activities for relevant actors and decision-makers from public and private sectors. The project, which began on January 1, 2020, is carried out within the framework of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) Test Program in Mexico.

In this context, the 2020 ETS Academy was held for the second consecutive year. On this occasion, it was successfully carried out virtually, and focused on the implementation aspects of the Test Program. The course was convened by SEMARNAT and developed with the support of the World Bank’s Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR), the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) and GIZ Mexico.

Between August 18 and September 10, productive space for exchange and networking was generated among around 60 course participants. During these four weeks, learning was strengthened with presentations of the lessons learned, merits and challenges in the implementation of an ETS by national and international experts (China, Quebec, California, European Union, etc.), as well as the use of innovative digital tools and images that captured the key points discussed during the sessions.

Finally, there were two sessions open to the public, attended by Mr. James Grabert, Director of Mitigation of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as an exchange session between Latin American countries on carbon price instruments.

Photographic Archive 2020 ETS Academy © GIZ

Week 1. ETS Architecture, Pilots from Mexico and the World

The first week set the stage for subsequent sessions, introducing the concept of carbon pricing instruments and the opportunities presented by the ETS in order to meet the NDC mitigation climate targets based on the Paris Agreement. Although the international experience has shown that it is a cost-effective instrument, its effective implementation requires clear regulatory frameworks, a national policy that responds to international commitments, and close communication with the actors involved in the process.

Jurisdictions such as China, Quebec, and Spain (as part of the European ETS) shared their ETS experiences in the early phases. They stressed the importance of having a strong regulatory and political framework, creating opportunities for dialogue with the regulated sectors and ensuring the quality and robustness of emissions data. In recent years, Mexico has implemented a legal and institutional framework on the matter based on the reform of the General Law on Climate Change in 2018 and the publication of the Agreement establishing the preliminary bases of the ETS Test Program, in which the figure of the Advisory Committee is also created as a space for dialogue and feedback. It also has a robust MRV framework, reflected in the National Emissions Registry (RENE).

Week 2. Allocation and Market Dynamics. What are the Options?

During the second week, the methods to allocate Emission Allowances (DEM) were discussed. Each jurisdiction chose a method (or combination of methods) to use based on national priorities and ETS objectives, among which the following stand out: incentivizing abatement measures, increasing revenue at the government level, protecting the competitiveness of regulated facilities or manage a gradual transition to an ETS. In the case of Mexico, the Trial Program will start a free scheme based on historical emissions per installation in order to facilitate the transition to the Formal Phase of the ETS; later on, the implementation of a percentage of allocations through auctions is envisaged.

Once DEMs are assigned, they can be traded on the secondary market. In the sessions, actors involved in DEM trading in the European ETS covered the different alternatives that exist for this trade, such as exchanges or stock exchanges, or bilaterally through a mechanism known as over-the-counter, as well as looking at the relevant difference that exists between regulated carbon markets (a public policy instrument with a defined legal framework and jurisdiction to reduce GHG emissions) and voluntary ones (a decentralized initiative to promote the reduction of emissions and facilitate the participation of more actors in mitigation activities).

 

Photographic Archive 2020 ETS Academy © GIZ

Week 3. Monitoring, Reporting and Verification Systems (MRV): ETS Challenges and Successes

An effective ETS requires a robust MRV scheme, as this allows designing the top of the ETS and making a better DEM allocation. Also, it ensures environmental integrity and enables compliance monitoring of the covered sectors. It was highlighted that it is crucial to incentivize compliance in an SCE, since otherwise, there is a risk of distorting competition between regulated entities. Jurisdictions such as California, Germany, the Netherlands, and China, shared the mechanisms used to strengthen compliance in their jurisdictions, such as the involvement of the regulated from the early stages of the process so that they are well aware of their obligation, the constant and proactive communication of obligations, listening to feedback, even administrative and economic sanctions.

Week 4. ETS Social and Environmental Benefits and Progress in Latin America. Where are we, and where are we going as a region?

During the last week, the 2020 ETS Academy addressed two topics: offset mechanisms and carbon price instruments in Latin America.

Regarding the first, the ETS includes mechanisms to encourage mitigation actions in non-regulated sectors under the offsets scheme. These contribute to the sustainable development of other sectors and actors indirectly linked to the ETS. Similarly, they allow cost reduction by improving the efficiency of the ETS. With a view to the Operational Phase, a global overview of these mechanisms was presented, as well as an exploration of the possibility of generating offsets for sectors such as forestry, livestock and agriculture, and transportation, within the Mexican context.

On the closing, the 2020 ETS Academy culminated with the exchange of experiences in the Latin American region. The participants had the opportunity to learn about the different advances in the area based on carbon prices. In this regard, countries such as Chile, Peru, and Colombia have implemented a tax on carbon or fossil fuels, while Brazil is analyzing the most cost-effective instrument for the country. Mexico is positioned as the first country in the region to have both a carbon tax and an ETS, so it will be of great interest to learn about their valuable experiences during the design of the ETS and the implementation of the Test Program.

 

Participants and speakers at the 2020 ETS Academy © GIZ

For more information on this topic, please contact us at: Comercio.Emisiones-MX@giz.de

The National Emissions Registry (RENE) is a public policy instrument derived from the General Law on Climate Change (LGCC) in 2012, with the aim of compiling information on direct and indirect emissions of greenhouse gases and compound emissions (CyGEI) generated by the fixed and mobile sources of the different productive sectors across the country, which is used to trace climate policies in Mexico.

Annually, Establishments Subject to Reporting (ESR) regulated by the RENE Regulation, report their CyGEI emissions to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). The reports must be verified every 3 years by a Certification Body for the Verification and Validation of GHG Emissions (OC-VV-GEI) accredited by the Mexican Accreditation Entity (EMA) and approved by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), which certifies the relevance, integrity, consistency, transparency and precision of the information they contain.

The recent Emissions Trading System (ETS) Test Program in Mexico, effective as of January 1, 2020, is integrated with the information reported in the RENE and establishes the obligation of regulated facilities in the preliminary bases of the ETS, to present positive verification opinion on an annual basis only for its direct carbon dioxide emissions, in accordance with the procedure and criteria provided in the RENE Regulations.

In order to continue strengthening and creating OC-VV-GHG capacities in Mexico, SEMARNAT, in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH through the project “Preparation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico ”(SiCEM), organized the series of online seminars “Methodological Aspects for GHG Verification within the Framework of the report to the National Emissions Registry and the Emissions Trading System for Mexico”, with the participation of the EMA, PROFEPA, and 16 OC-VV-GEIs.

The seminars were held on August 24, 27 and 31, 2020 with the purpose of reinforcing the knowledge of the OC-VV-GHGs on the methodological aspects for the development of a risk analysis, the preparation and planning of sampling plans, and the calculation of materiality in the GHG emissions verification process based on the CyGEI Emissions Verification Criteria issued by SEMARNAT. In this way, it seeks to strengthen the verification process to provide reliability and transparency to the RENE and the ETS.

Seminar 1: Monday, August 24, 2020. Development of Risk Analysis.

Seminar 2: Thursday, August 27, 2020. Data Sampling and Materiality – Regulation, Concepts and Calculation.

Seminar 3: Monday, August 31, 2020. Materiality Calculation and Application of Sampling Methodologies.

In Mexico, to promote the implementation of emerging bike lanes, local governments have been supported technically to strengthen and promote emerging bike lanes projects as a joint effort between Climate Policy Meets Urban Development” (CPMUD) and Climate Protection in Mexican Urban Policy (CiClim). These are projects commissioned by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) as part of the International Climate Protection Initiative (IKI).

The CiClim project is supporting Mexico to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, within the framework of the 4S Mobility Plan (Healthy, Safe, Solidarity and Sustainability) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU). The issue of emerging bike lanes is placed within SDG 11 – “Sustainable Cities and Communities”, which seeks to build cities that are more humane, liveable, green and capable of facing the challenges of climate change.

Bike lane in León © CiClim Program, GIZ México

Emerging bike lanes have been key to the mobility of people and goods during the current context of the pandemic. Consequently, bicycles have become a mode of transport that adapts to the situation of the pandemic, reducing congestion from car use, reducing emissions, and improving air quality. In addition, it is an accessible transport model for a greater part of the population, an important factor in times of economic crisis derived from the pandemic. Likewise, the bicycle will contribute to the green recovery of cities.

Currently, the CiClim project, in conjunction with CPMUD, supports the Mexican government in the implementation of temporary bike lanes in three cities in the center and north of the country (León, Guanajuato; Torreón, Coahuila; and San Nicolás de la Garza, Nuevo León). The three cities were selected through a contest that was organized in conjunction with SEDATU and is expected to cover just over approximately 27 kilometers.

Finally, many of the bike lanes are expected to become permanent infrastructures in favor of a green recovery that promotes the sustainability of cities.

The project “Restoration of the Mangrove Landscape; An Opportunity for Social Development at the Ramsar site, Alvarado Lagoon System, Veracruz”, implemented by Pronatura Veracruz A.C with financing granted by the German Government’s Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), has supported the restoration of more than 200 hectares of mangrove forests. The effectiveness of mangrove recovery requires transforming society’s relationship with the mangroves, as well as the goods and services they provide us. Environmental education and awareness have a central role in this process. Children and youth in local communities are key agents in adapting to climate change and in building resilient socio-ecosystems.

Diploma of environmental education workshops with young people © Pronatura Veracruz A.C.

In Goal 13 of the 2030 Agenda, Climate Action, the importance of education, awareness, and the human capacity for adaptation and mitigation to climate change is denoted. These principles are fundamental to ensure compliance with the goals of ecological restoration of mangroves.

Thus, our project works with rural schools near areas of ecological restoration and harnessing of sustainable materials. This has made it possible to integrate the participation of young people from the ejido (communal land) that owns the mangrove swamp, who will play a key role in future decision-making regarding the ecosystem. To date, more than 93 young people have participated, alongside the 11 teachers and parents who supported the activities.

Environmental education workshops with young people © Pronatura Veracruz A.C.

Education and awareness-raising come with the challenge of adapting methods and designing innovative materials that can be appropriated by the communities. An example of these materials is Pro-Manglar, a board game designed to encourage reflection on the importance of mangroves, the threats presented to them, and actions to preserve them.

The characters in Pro-Manglar are emblematic fauna species for the local culture and economy, such as the swamp crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) or the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Likewise, the game’s graphics refer to the motifs and patterns used throughout generations by the communities of the Alvarado Lagoon System in their textiles and pottery. This allows a sense of identity to be formed around the conservation and restoration of mangrove forests.

Pro-Manglar is downloadable for free at http://www.mundomanglar.com

 

The project Integration of Biodiversity in Mexican Agriculture (IKI-IBA), jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRICULTURA) aims to recognize and integrate the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services into the decision-making and planning instruments of key public and private actors in the Mexican agricultural sector. Thus, the project contributes to SDG 2, 12, 15, and 17.

In the fight against hunger (SDG 2), work is being done with small agricultural producers to improve their productivity and promote their access to markets and value chains. Also, the development of financial mechanisms that respect the environment and ensure the provision of ecosystem services is promoted, in which the application of agricultural production practices that are friendly to biodiversity and the climate are key to sustainable and long-term production.

Strawberry farmer showing his harvest, Michoacán © Daniel de la Torre

Meanwhile, the project promotes the development of sustainable management instruments and intersectoral coordination in addition to distributing information and knowledge that favor sustainable development (SDG 12).

One of the alliances to achieve the objectives (SDG 17) is based on a TEEB study, in which recommendations will be made for the integration of biodiversity in the agricultural sector’s policy and planning instruments; policy coherence will be supported for sustainable development.

Methodologies applied successfully at an international level are also adapted and implemented to strengthen the capacity of key actors in the use of information on the effects and dependencies between agriculture (including livestock and forestry) and biodiversity, allowing their integration into agriculture.

The IKI-IBA project contributes to the SDGs by working with the Mexican government in the framework of a process that guarantees food security and reduces negative impacts on the environment and people’s health, laying the foundations for adaptation to climate change.

Tilled land in the Barranca de Metztitlán, Hidalgo © Daniel de la Torre

If people had a crystal ball (one that worked), they would make decisions that would improve their life experience. Climate forecasts –although they do not have such power– can help us to be better prepared in the face of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, or hurricanes, that put our lives or belongings at risk. To support decision-makers and also the population of the Selva Maya, the meteorological services of Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico have joined forces and, together, are preparing seasonal forecasts for the Selva Maya region.

The actors began this collaborative process with the preparation of the first two quarterly editions of the Forecast in 2020 (May–July, and August–October). It intends to provide decision-makers at different levels with relevant information on the seasonal climate outlook of the Selva Maya region. This collaboration is carried out with the support of the Project “Fostering the Monitoring of Biodiversity and Climate Change in the Selva Maya Region”, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and with funds from the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

Landscape in Guatemala in the rainy season. © GIZ – Programa Selva Maya

As well as being important for the sustainable development of the Selva Maya region, this collaboration between the three countries –Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico– contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on a global level. Within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, several SDGs were defined, among others Climate Action (SDG 13). One of the goals of this SDG is to improve human and institutional education, sensitivity, and capacity to adapt, as well as mitigating the effects of climate change. As part of the efforts made at various levels to meet the goal, this regional forecast supports this SDG by providing information to better prepare decision-makers and the population in the face of climate change.

Thus, while there is no crystal ball to foresee the future, we are already working together to improve people’s lives.

Rains in Yaxhá, Guatemala © GIZ – Programa Selva Maya

 

 

The Working Group on Sustainable Livestock Agroecosystems of the State of Campeche (AGS-CAM), in Mexico, joined the National Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (NODESS), an initiative promoted by the National Institute of Social Economy (INAES), in order to link sustainable livestock with the social economy and thus support livestock producers in the area.

The AGS-CAM is an inter-institutional group made up of the Biodiversity and Sustainable Agrosilvopastoralist Livestock Landscapes, known as BioPaSOS and implemented by CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), together with representatives of livestock producers, the Rural Development Ministry of the Executive Branch of the State of Campeche (SDR), the Ministry for the Environment, Biodiversity and Climate Change of the Executive Branch of the State of Campeche (SEMABICC), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the College of the Southern Border (ECOSUR) Campeche Unit, the Postgraduate College (COLPOS) Campeche Campus, the China Technological Institute (IT China), the National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP), PRONATURA PY, the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP).

“By being part of NODESS we seek to promote and drive productive and organizational initiatives that foster a social and solidarity economy,” stated Edwin Pérez, local coordinator of the BioPaSOS project in Campeche.

Thus, a six-month work plan was developed to carry out actions that contemplate the strengthening of capacities in productive, administrative, and organizational matters in 10 communities of the municipalities of Escárcega, Champotón and Calakmul. “This period is part of a process that must be carried out to later be able to join the National System of Training and Specialized Technical Assistance (SINCA) of INAES”, explained Pérez.

The BioPaSOS project appears in this process as the promoter of AGS-CAM, since one of its purposes is to promote and strengthen this type of cooperative platforms in alliance with local actors interested in promoting sustainable livestock.

BioPaSOS is being implemented with the support of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in coordination with the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), with funding from the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

With the entry into force of the Test Program of the Emissions Trading System in Mexico (ETS), the project “Preparation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico” (SiCEM) of GIZ is supporting SEMARNAT in the design of the various components, with one highlight being the design of the auction scheme for the Mexican ETS.

The preliminary bases of the Test Program state in its 20th article: “As of the second year of the pilot phase of the Test Program, the Ministry may implement an auction scheme for the emission rights deposited in the auction reserve without economic effects, depending on the behavior of the emissions market.”

Therefore, the study “Design of Auctions for the Emissions Trading System in Mexico” was carried out. This study is a first effort to establish scenarios that show what an auction scheme could look like for Mexico.

The analysis presents an overview of international best practices, the necessary elements in auction design, as well as technical and operational decisions that must be considered in the design process. For this purpose, four guiding principles were taken as a reference that include a broad review of the institutional structure in Mexico:

  1. Efficiency: Efficient allocations and prices while maintaining low transaction costs for participants.
  2. Simplicity: Reduction of administrative barriers for regulated participants, avoiding unnecessary complexity and achieving the qualification of a wide range of participating entities.
  3. Credibility: Operation through a regulatory financial framework that safeguards effectiveness against inappropriate market behavior.
  4. Compatibility: Compatibility with a broad design and objectives of the ETS including, but not limited to, future pricing prefeasibility, as well as international links.

Likewise, a preliminary analysis of the Mexican regulatory and institutional context was carried out, preliminarily identifying the relevant actors that would play a role in the implementation of the auction scheme and the regulations that could potentially to be adapted as a result of the implementation of the four proposed scenarios. These scenarios are mainly based on the following elements:

  1. Monitoring auctions using existing government agencies (regulators) or outside vendors (independent).
  2. Using the infrastructure of existing stock exchanges or use a new personalized platform.

Each of the proposed options represents advantages and disadvantages that will have to be further analyzed, but at the moment it is possible to list a series of recommendations for the design and subsequent operation of auctions guided by the aforementioned principles.

The presentation was carried out through a virtual session on August 10. This meeting was held within the framework of the project “Preparation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico (SiCEM)” developed by GIZ and commissioned by the German Government in support of SEMARNAT. The session was attended by highly relevant institutions such as the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), the Mexican Banking Association (ABM), Mexico2 and Laguna Sustentabilidad and Law. The study was developed by the Vivid Economics consulting team.

For more information on this subject, please contact us at: comercial.emisiones-MX@giz.de

The Tourism sector, which contributes 8.7% of the national GDP, is reiterating its commitment to sustainable development by incorporating –for the first time– a climate change and biodiversity approach in the most important political instrument for the sector in the country.

Thanks to the collaboration of tourism specialists and citizen consultation, on July 3 of this year, the Federal Government published the Tourism Sector Program (PROSECTUR) for the period 2020-2024, which establishes actions that guarantee the balanced development of tourist destinations while prioritizing social justice, respect for human rights, cultural diversity, and the value of ecosystems.

In the words of Lic. Miguel Torruco Marqués, Tourism Secretary, it was emphasized that:

‘The new tourism development model formulates a comprehensive, inclusive vision of shared responsibilities with key actors, promoting concrete actions to face the various conditions presented to us by the tourism sector’

Among the actions concerning climate change and biodiversity, it is worth pointing out those included in Strategy 4, which promotes sustainable tourism. For example:

4.1.5 Promotion of the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and the strengthening of the capacity to adapt to climate change in tourist destinations.

4.1.6 Promotion of compensation mechanisms in the tourism sector for the development of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) measures.

4.2.5 Boosting risk analysis, vulnerability studies, and climate scenarios in the preparation of investment projects and new tourism developments.

4.3.2 Promotion of the incorporation of biodiversity and climate change criteria into institutional, regulatory, and public policy frameworks to promote sustainable tourism development.

While the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) has been an active participant in the Intersecretarial Commission on Climate Change (CICC) for several years and has, in turn, promoted concrete actions to address the challenges of climate change and the integration of biodiversity, this guiding document establishes priority and enforcement issues for the entire Mexican territory.

The GIZ in Mexico, through the project “Adaptation to Climate Change Based on Ecosystems in the Tourism Sector (ADAPTUR)” has collaborated with the SECTUR by providing technical advice for the incorporation of both approaches in the proposed actions, thereby contributing to compliance with the national goals.

The ADAPTUR project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH at the request of BMU, alongside the SECTUR, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), with the technical support of National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC).

To consult PROSECTUR and other tourism-related topics, please consult the following links:

Sectorial Program derived from the National Development Plan 2019-2024

Adaptur Website

In recent years, the Mexican agricultural sector has made significant progress in its legal and programmatic framework for a transformation towards a more sustainable agrifood system. Likewise, there have been important intersectoral coordination efforts framed mainly within the National Biodiversity Strategy of Mexico (ENBioMex) and its 2016-2030 Action Plan, as well as in Strategies for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the States (ECUSBEs), derived from this important planning instrument. Some state governments have given a decisive boost to this intersectoral vision to achieve sustainable and biodiversity-friendly agricultural production, establishing local programs and concrete actions that provide solutions to specific problems in each state, while potentially serving as an example to other entities.

In order to make visible the relevance of intersectoral dialogue in the search for opportunities to implement good practices that favor biodiversity in primary productive sectors, ensure their resilience and share the lessons learned, the IKI IBA Project organized a series of Seminars for the Exchange of Experiences between State Authorities on Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity.

The first seminar talked about The Integration of Biodiversity in the Agricultural Sector and took place on June 17, 2020, with the participation of representatives from the agricultural and environmental sectors in the states of Jalisco, Yucatán, and Guanajuato. The second was held on July 8, with the states of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Hidalgo participating in the topic Agroecology as a Path to Food Self-sufficiency and the Conservation of Biodiversity; while the third, held on July 21 with the topic Pollination, its Importance in the Health of Ecosystems and Food Production, involved the states of Quintana Roo, Querétaro and Mexico City.

All seminars were broadcast live via Facebook Live on the IKI IBA Project page, which allowed a wide audience, reaching more than 100 participants, and the exchange of questions and answers with the different panelists. Each seminar contained an interesting dialogue promoted between the sectors and the states, highlighting the role of state governments in promoting the agendas of sustainability and integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services in agrifood production.

You can consult the videos of the presentations, as well as photos, here.

What is the role of subnational governments in promoting energy transition processes that strengthen the achievement of climate goals on a global scale? To answer this question, the Ministry of the Environment, Sustainable Development, and Territorial Planning of the Government of the State of Puebla sponsored the Virtual Keynote Speech “Energy Transition and Climate Change in the World: Actions at the Subnational Level”, attended by more than 180 people and several Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH projects, including the Mexico-Germany Energy Alliance, the CONECC project, TrEM, and FELICITY.

The Secretary of the Environment of Puebla, Beatriz Manrique Guevara, and the Director of the GIZ Energy Cluster, Joscha Rosenbusch, gave the welcome messages and highlighted the need to address climate change and the energy transition from a sustainability perspective, with an inclusive, fair, and equitable approach that considers the obvious nexus between climate change policies and their multiple social, economic, and environmental benefits, for subnational governments to take advantage of them.

The guest speaker, Elena Cantos from Germany’s Renewable Energy Agency, presented the experience of federal states in Germany in the rise of renewable energies, the implementation of energy transition processes (Energiewende), and the benefits for sub-national governments; she highlighted the importance of an autonomous and decentralized approach in energy decision-making. Also, she brought pioneering examples of these experiences to the table, such as the case of Saxony: a state that left coal behind by pushing renewables, energy efficiency, and energy storage.

 

How does this translate into implementation frameworks at a subnational level in Mexico?

The undersecretary of Environmental Management and Energy Sustainability of Puebla, Santiago Creuheras, highlighted the importance of adopting local solutions for local problems, and of partnerships with the private sector and other actors to enhance the local energy transition. Meanwhile, the President of the CMIC Puebla, Héctor Sánchez, reiterated the need to actively collaborate with other actors in the implementation of these processes.

Secretary Manrique concluded by emphasizing the need to transfer good practices from the German experience in the energy transition to the case of Puebla and other states in Mexico. Joscha Rosenbusch referred to specific examples of the skilled support and strengthening provided by GIZ in the energy and climate change field on issues such as facilitating subnational dialogue between Mexico and Germany, community energy, low-carbon development, co-benefits of sustainable energy, innovation, and entrepreneurship, among others.

The event allows us to reflect on the potential role of subnational governments in promoting energy transition processes that are relevant to strengthening local climate action. Furthermore, it envisions the process of “post-pandemic recovery” as an opportunity to provide the construction of a “new normal” with a social and green perspective, beyond a perspective of “making up for lost time”.

The Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance and the Conservation of Biodiversity in the Neovolcanic Axis COBEN II project at the GIZ Mexico Biodiversity Cluster participated in a virtual forum organized by the State of Mexico’s Mexican Employers’ Association (COPARMEX) to present the “Call for the Strengthening of Socio-environmental Entrepreneurship in the Post-Covid-19 Context” and as part of the activities carried out in the Private Sector Working Group, to promote strategic alliances with the private sector.

COPARMEX Estado de México and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH begin their strategic alliance with the presentation of the Call for the Strengthening of Socio-environmental Enterprises in the Post-Covid-19 Context. The forum took place online on Tuesday 21 July, with the presence of over 75 representatives of companies, ventures, and media outlets, including Grupo Milenio, El Sol de Toluca, Portal, and El Valle.

As part of the activities to be carried out between both institutions, the DeveloPPP program was presented to COPARMEX partners –as well as integrated cooperations, such as public-private cooperation mechanisms– in order to promote economic development and recovery that integrate sustainability as a fundamental axis. This is part of the activities carried out by the GIZ Private Sector Working Group. Likewise, the call for the strengthening of socio-environmental enterprises is one of the concrete actions promoted by the German cooperation, alongside its government counterparts SEMARNAT and CONANP, who strengthen the socio-environmental projects that require an additional boost in a context of COVID-19.

 

Credits GIZ.  The online forum organized by the State of Mexico’s Mexican Employers’ Association (COPARMEX)