On September 25th 2019, the annual Workshop of the Regional Group for the Monitoring of bodies of water and associated wildlife in the Selva Maya (MASM), was held in Flores, Guatemala with the objective to use the standardized monitoring of bodies of water and associated wildlife as an indicator of the state of conservation of biodiversity and climate change in the region, and then generate recommendations for management and conservation to decision makers.
GIZ credits: Regional workshop for monitoring bodies of water and associated wildlife in the Selva Maya
During the workshop, experiencesof those who work in the Selva Maya, shared by Guatemala, Mexico and Belize were presented; recommendations for management and conservation of bodies of water in the region were also discussed. Derived from the discussions, it was concluded that between 2018 and 2019 the gouaches have presented a critical situation, registering that more than 90% of them remain dry compared to other years. This coincides with an increase in the number of animals found dead in the region (i.e. tapir and white-lipped peccary).
On the other hand, warnings about the threats generated by the reduction of water and humidity in the Selva Maya were given; among them, the increase in fires caused by agricultural and illegal activities, the increase in conflicts between wild animals and humans, and the decrease in income from sustainable activities, such as ecotourism, beekeeping, agroforestry, among others.
Imagine a web platform where any person, scientist or citizen interested in biological diversity can interact and share photos and data of plants and animals, a social network for nature lovers!… Such a magnificent platform is called Naturalist and was developed by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) in collaboration with iNaturalist.
This website, which contributes to the knowledge of nature in a playful way, has had a high impact in Mexico reaching more than 50 thousand users who share, through their accounts, their observations with other naturalists. The best thing is that it can be used not only in Mexico but anywhere in the world. To promote it, on October 2nd and 3rd, the Naturalist workshop: Bases for citizen science, was held in Chetumal, Quintana Roo. It was given by CONABIO, in collaboration with El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) and Support for the monitoring of biodiversity and climate change in the Selva Maya Project of the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development (GIZ).
This training of trainers (ToT) was attended by members of the Belize Audubon Society, Chaa creek and Ya’axché Conservation Trust from Belize; of the Center for Conservation Studies (CECON) of the San Carlos University (USAC) from Guatemala, of the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) from Guatemala; and of ECOSUR from Mexico. Their mission will be to replicate the training in their countries, strengthening national inventories through citizen participation.
What role can technological innovation play in renewable energy and energy efficiency in promoting local climate action? How can the link between various public and private actors be strengthened to promote a local energy transition based on entrepreneurship and digitalization?
These and other questions were addressed at the presentation event of the project that promotes the creation of a technological innovation Hub for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the State of Querétaro, which was held last August 20 at the Industrial Club in Queretaro. The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development) through the Project Enhancing the Coherence of Climate and Energy Policies in Mexico (CONECC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Sustainable Development (SEDESU) of the State of Querétaro, the State Energy Cluster and the Research Laboratory in Reconfigurable Control (LiCore).
The Hub concept refers to a platform for linking and collaborating among different actors in the innovation ecosystem, in which various organizations, entrepreneurs and investors, industry, academia, government, among others, seek to develop disruptive technologies that strengthen the energy transition state and generate positive social, economic and environmental impacts for the whole population.
The event featured awelcomemessagefromthe Secretary of Sustainable Development of the State of Querétaro, Marco Antonio del Prete Tercero; the Director of the queretana start-up Solar Manager Arturo Fenton; the Director of LiCore Natalia Nila; and the CONECC Project Director Jonas Russbild. The Secretary del Prete highlighted the commitment of the state of Querétaro to promote projects aimed at promoting an equitable, sustainable, competitive and innovation-based economy, while the CONECC project highlighted the relevance that schemes such as the Hub are able to build bridges between the energy and climate change sectors .
Credits: CONECC / GIZ. Marco Antonio del Prete Tercero, Secretary of Sustainable Development of the State of Querétaro, sharing his message of support for the development of the technological innovation Hub project.
Créditos: CONECC / GIZ Natalia Nila Olmedo Directora de LiCore durante el Presidium de apertura del Evento de presentación del Hub de innovación en Querétaro.
The event also featured the presentation of Pedro López Sela, expert in entrepreneurship and innovation, who invited companies, the productive sector and the innovation ecosystem to join the project to generate sustainable and realistic collaboration ties.
Credits: CONECC / GIZ Pedro López Sela giving a Keynote speech on innovation in the energy sector and its scope
This initiative seeks to generate synergies and strategic links that allow participating actors to take advantage of the technological potential and development in the State in order to develop, mature and strengthen technologies or business models aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy and the implementation of measures of energy efficiency, thus contributing to the mitigation of GHG emissions. Some examples may be technologies that promote the digitalization of the electricity sector, the use of renewable resources for electricity generation (especially solar and wind resources), smart grids, energy storage, load aggregation, energy demand control, among others.
Queretaro is a State where the integration of mechanisms such as the Hub is favorable: in 2018, the State ranked second in the State Competitiveness Index developed by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), andits strengths include innovation in the economic sector, the number of scientific and technological institutions, patents and research staff.
The Hub will seek to provide conditions and solutions for linking, training, communicating and accelerating young companies that enable all the above. Therefore, it is necessary to initiate a process of dialogue and exchange with all actors of the innovation and energy ecosystem to find the most efficient ways that this may require.
GIZ provides technical support to the State of Querétaro to develop an optimal concept of governance, operation and linkage of the Hub, considering the diversity of perspectives and the different areas of action identified. The next steps are to carry out consultations and interviews with key actors in Querétaro to integrate a proposal of elements for the integration of a strategic plan of the Hub, which will be discussed in a workshop with the actors involved and that will seek to derive in a first solid proposal by the end of 2019. The process of constitution of the Hub is expected to begin towards the beginning of the year 2020.
Credits: CONECC / GIZ. Jonas Russbild, CONECC Project Director, thanking the participants for their assistance and inviting them to join efforts around the Hub.
On October 1st, 2019, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) published the Preliminary Bases of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) Pilot Program. This system, developed with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU), is a key instrument for the fulfillment of Mexico’s sectoral climate commitments and low-carbon development.
Credits: Shutterstock
The Preliminary Bases detail some of the elements of the 36-month Pilot Program. With this, a greater generation of quality jobs and cost-effective mitigation of emissions from regulated sectors are expected. Together, the emissions covered by the Pilot Program correspond to 40% of the National Inventory of Greenhouse Gas and Compounds Emissions.
How will the Pilot Program operate according to the Preliminary Bases? The System will work under the “cap and trade” principle. In Mexico, the government will grant, for free and based on historical emissions, a number of allowances to regulated facilities. These allowances correspond to a proportional amount of direct CO2 emissions. This means that if emissions are reduced, regulated entities can trade these allowances, creating an allowances market and promoting more efficient mitigation. At the same time, by capping the global amount of emissions through the total number of allowances granted, the government ensures a reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in line with its environmental objectives.
In Mexico, only facilities from the industrial sector and the energy sector that have reported emissions greater than 100,000 tCO2 in 2016, 2017, 2018 or 2019 will participate, which represents around 300 units. To keep track of the transactions and tenure of the allowances, SEMARNAT will create a Registry that will keep track of the operations. Besides, each installation must create a Monitoring Plan based on the guide that will be published by SEMARNAT. Therefore, it is intended to establish a fair and transparent trading system.
At the end of each compliance period, each installation must have the same number of allowances as emissions caused. These emissions will be verified by independent third parties, giving solidity to the system. Also, in a limited way, offset credits generated in emission reduction projects outside the regulated sectors may be used to comply, which makes the system more flexible. Although the Pilot Program does not contemplate economic sanctions, for each missing allowance, two will be deducted in the first allocation of the Operational Phase (after the end of the 36 months of the Pilot Program). This encourages companies to comply without generating a strong impact on their competitiveness.
The Preliminary Bases lay the foundations for the formal establishment of an ETS in Mexico. This will contribute to the reduction of GHG in the country and will bring significant co-benefits, which will lead to economic growth that respects the environment. If you want to know more about this instrument, please refer to the attached informative brochure.
During the first National Climate Change Adaptation Meeting in the Tourism Sector (ADAPTUR), representatives of tourism from the public, private and social sectors, at the national level, from the Riviera Maya, Riviera Nay-Jal, and San Miguel de Allende, met to address climate change challenges in a coordinated manner.
The Minister of Tourism, Miguel Torruco Marqués, pointed out the importance of working in coordination to face the challenge of climate change for the industry:
“Without the efforts of our partners, it is not possible to promote initiatives to conserve the natural assets that bring the tourism sector to life”
The dialogues focused on how to achieve together, the public and private sectors a balance between territorial planning, conservation of natural resources, and the application of financial resources in tourist destinations. With that momentum, Benigno Torres, Chairman of the Business Coordinating Council of San Miguel de Allende, lead the public to reflect.
“The ultimate goal of the company is no longer the generation ofutility for its shareholders; the company must now generate prosperity for the community in which it develops”
The Resident Director of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development) in Mexico, Marita Brömmelmeier, recognized some of the efforts that have been made made in tourist destinations:
“I recognize the great efforts in Quintana Roo to combat the white syndrome in the Mesoamerican Reef System… actions in San Miguel de Allende that help reduce the risk of droughts… and to the local governments of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco and Bahía de Banderas in Nayarit to develop their Municipal Climate Action Programs “
The National Meeting was held on October 3 and 4 in Mexico City, and brought together more than 100 specialists. It was summoned by the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), with the support of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC) and GIZ Mexico.
ADAPTUR is a project financed by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) as part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
With the objective of providing capacity development mechanisms and accompanying actors involved in the Emissions Trading System (ETS), the project “Preparation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico” (ETS) of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development) created a board game that allows players to understand the technical aspects and possible scenarios that may occur during the implementation of an ETS.
Créditos: GIZ
ETS, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), supports the Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) in the creation and dissemination of communication materials and awareness-raising instruments of the ETS. Due to the technical complexity of the system and having the shortage of technical experts at the national level in mind, SiCEM seeks innovative mechanisms that allow a non-face-to-face spread of information in this matter. Consequently, it created a didactic board game that incorporates specialized concepts and key messages for a more comprehensive understanding of the ETS.
The purpose of the board game is to have an educational tool that presents in a simple and fun way the essential aspects of the ETS, such as compliance, allocation, periods, offsets, allowances and penalties. The board game’s goal is to increase the general interest in how the ETS works and its status around the world. In the game, each player plays the role of one of four industrial plants. The objective of the game is to mitigate emissions, get money and comply with the ETS.
The process of creating the board game “Hasta el tope” included the participation of representatives from different institutions. Through meetings and test sessions, the creators were able to gather the opinions of the different participants on how to improve the game design, include more topics and facilitate the understanding of the ETS internal process. The final product is a board game that incorporates the main elements, processes, actors, and situations that involve an ETS. Likewise, the game was able to extract the main information of the system and adapt it understandably and attractively, without losing its technical nature.
Dare to learn about the Emissions Trading System while playing and having fun!
Since 2018, the project Social, Environmental, and Economic Co-Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies in Mexico has been implemented through the project Enhancing the Coherence of Climate and Energy Policies in Mexico (CONECC) of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development), in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and in collaboration with the Potsdam Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS).
As part of the development stages of the MCCP of Puerto Vallarta, the public consultation of the document was successfully conducted in virtual and face-to-face formats in order to gather the comments and contributions from citizens, civil society, experts, private sector, as well as educational institutions.
To ensure proper adoption of public policies, public consultation processes are vital to ensure the integration of diverse visions, opinions and proposals of citizens, as well as all interested parties in the matter in a transparent manner.
As part of the development stages of the Municipal Climate Change Program (MCCP) of Puerto Vallarta, once being completed the first draft of the document, it was taken out for public consultation between September 1st and 30th, 2019 in virtual and face-to-face formats, in order to collect comments and contributions from all society sectors in a participatory, equitable, differentiated, co-responsible and effective manner.
The Interinstitutional Commission for Climate Change, through the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development (SEMADET) of the State of Jalisco and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development), through the “Vertically Integrated Climate Policies Program (VICLIM)” and “Ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change in cooperation with the private sector in Mexico (ADAPTUR)” have been supporting the municipal government of Puerto Vallarta since December 2018 to jointly prepare their MCCP.
Below is a recount of the prepared articles and results about the activities that have taken place since the announcement of the beginning of the process up until the public consultation of the program:
As a result of this participatory process consisting of workshops with diverse actors, bilateral meetings with municipal officials and the accompaniment of two expert consultancies in the field, a total of 66 measures have been proposed to integrate the MCCP. These measures are jointly articulated and are aligned under six strategic axes. In addition, they consist of 21 measures that enable the conditions (legal, economic, governance, etc.) to implement 33 mitigation actions, which 12 are adaptation to climate change actions.
Image 1. Proposed structure of the MCCP of Puerto Vallarta / Author: Edgar Hernández
The public consultation stage of the MCCP consisted of three main measures:
Physical Document. The MCCP was available for consultation during this period at the offices of the Subdirectorate of Environment, address: Republic of Ecuador 650-A, col. Coapinole, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.
Virtual consultation. The virtual consultation process was open between September 1st and 30th and consisted of an online survey accompanied by MCCP informational material disseminated on both the channels of the SEMADET and Puerto Vallarta Municipal Government. In this exercise, 310 surveys and 3 free writings were collected that will be considered for the final version of the program.
Face-to-face forums. In order to have a more participatory process, three exchange forums were held in the format of working tables where the MCCP was presented and a physical and online survey was requested. These forums were strategically held in three different spaces in order to cover a greater number of the population, including the rural sector and young people:
The 1st Forum was held on September 3 in the Municipal Administrative Unit (MAU) with a participation of 70 people.
The 2nd Forum was held on September 4 at the Ixtapa ejido, with a participation of 25 attendees.
The 3rd Forum held on September 24, at the University Center of the Coast, University of Guadalajara, with 113 participants from the university community.
By this means, the outstanding participation and commitment of all those who participated in this process is appreciated. It will allow to have a program that is better suited by the citizens and can respond with greater certainty to the current and future conditions of the municipality in the face of climate change.
Between October and November, the valuable comments of the public consultation will be integrated, and the final product will be presented to the Municipal Government for adoption and subsequent publication in the Official State Gazette.
In light of the forthcoming launch of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) Pilot Program in Mexico, in January 2020, and with the intention of promoting a favorable environment for a robust and continuously improving Emissions Trading System, the project “Preparation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico”(ETS) of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development) facilitates the dialogue with actors from the public and private sectors and civil society, so that they can identify, and subsequently play their roles in the market.
In this context, the discussion “The Insertion of the Emissions Trading System in Mexico’s research agenda” was held, bringing together representatives of Mexican universities to reflect on the opportunities it represents for the academic world in matters of regulation, implementation and analysis of results of the ETS Pilot Program. In addition, possible challenges were discussed, as well as solutions and possibilities for collaboration to avoid those challenges..
Credits: GIZ
The breakfast took place on September 25th, 2019 at the Novit Hotel in Mexico City. The project “Preparation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico (ETS)” implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) organized the event, which was attended by distinguished universities such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE), the Ibero-American University, the Anahuac University, the National Polytechnic Institute and the Mora Institute.
On September 26th, 2019, more than 100 representatives from academia, national and sub-national governments, associations and international cooperation organizations and private sector companies met to begin the work of the 5 priority areas to move towards a sector of efficient, resilient and low carbon buildings.
During the workshop of actors and the formation of working tables of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction Mexico (GABC_Mx), convened by the Alliance for Energy Efficiency (ALENER) supported by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Programme for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB) of the GIZ and the World Resources Institute (WRI), the GABC_Mx Declaration was read out. It underlines that, although significant progress has been made in Mexico in terms of sustainable design of the urban environment and buildings, the country has the great challenge of working in a coordinated manner to achieve the established objectives of social development and fight against poverty, as well as those of sustainable development and climate change, which must be approached in an aligned manner.
The GABC_Mx is a space to facilitate the work in a coordinated way in the design and implementation of actions that consolidate a national agenda for sustainable, low carbon, safe and resilient building and construction, and that promotes the social and economic development of the population, considering the convergence and articulation of initiatives from different actors.
These works are aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agenda, with the implementation of the NDC of the construction and buildings sectors in Mexico, and promotes the GlobalABC Regional Roadmap Development for buildings and construction in Latin America, developed by the IEA and WRI.
ALENER and PEEB support the formation and monitoring of the working groups of the GABC_Mx to advance in the five priority areas: education and awareness, public policies, market transformation, financing and measurement and collection of data and information.
The PEEB is the first program that implements the GlobalABC roadmap for high-efficiency buildings internationally and is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). PEEB is also implemented in Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Vietnam.
Mr. Arturo Echeverría and Mr. Carlos Carrazco Cota, focal points of the GABC_Mx, invited other actors who want to be part of the Alliance and contribute to any of the five working groups. For more information: acarrazco@ahorroenergia.org.mx
A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is relevant in the prioritization and selection of climate change measures since it allows to calculate the economic viability and positive external aspects for effective implementation, facilitating the decision-making of one action against another. To include this analysis in the policy of the different levels of government, a series of workshops were developed in order to train public servants in the use of the CBA methodology.
A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is relevant in the prioritization and selection of climate change measures since it allows to calculate the economic viability and positive external aspects for effective implementation, facilitating the decision-making of one action against another. To include this analysis in the policy of the different levels of government, a series of workshops were developed in order to train public servants in the use of the CBA methodology.
Under this context, within the framework of the “Vertically Integrated Climate Policies” Programs (VICLIM) and “Ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change in cooperation with the private sector in Mexico” (ADAPTUR) implemented by GIZ, three theoretical and practical workshops were held regarding this methodology. In the first part of the training, attendees learned the background of the CBA, as well as the basic concepts of social cost-benefit analysis and environmental economics to perform economic evaluations for environmental projects; specifically, those that contribute to sustainable development and low emissions.
Credits: GIZ Participants in the training carried out in Mexico City
In a second practical part, the participants learned to use the CBA computer tool that was developed by GIZ, and can be consulted at www.acbgiz.org. It is designed to facilitate social cost-benefit analysis, without implying in-depth knowledge. Through this tool, attendees were able to model public investment projects and interpret the results of social profitability. This, together with the theoretical bases, will allow public servants to give recommendations on whether or not to carry out those projects and report on the costs and benefits that they imply for society.
Credits: GIZ Explanation of the CBA tool in Puerto Vallarta
The workshops took place on August 30 in Guadalajara, on August 21 in Puerto Vallarta, and on September 26 and 27 in Mexico City. It was attended by municipal actors from the government of Puerto Vallarta and Costa Rica, as well as from intermunicipal boards and the Metropolitan Area Development Planning and Management Institute of Guadalajara . Likewise, public servants of the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development of Jalisco (SEMADET), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), and technical advisors of GIZ participated.
The Emissions Trading System (ETS) in Mexico is a reality, and its Pilot Program will begin on January 1st, 2020. In this context, GIZ’s project “Preparation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico” continuously carries out capacity building activities for the facilities required to participate within the ETS so that they have the theoretical and practical tools in order to participate in the System.
Within this framework, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and the ETS project implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development, GIZ) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), joined forces and organized the workshop “Introduction to the Emissions Trading System (ETS) for representatives of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE)”, with the main objective of building capacities for compliance with the ETS in participating facilities of this System in Mexico. The workshop was held on April 1st and 11th at the facilities of the CFE in Mexico City.
