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Mexico once led the way on climate policies. Now, it has taken a step backwards

As it steers towards fossil fuels, the Latin American nation is on a path opposite to the objectives of the Paris Agreement

By Juanita Rico
Mexico once led the way on climate policies. Now, it has taken a step backwards
A lone boat sits in the middle of a dried-out lake bed in Michoacán, Mexico | Brian Overcast / Alamy Stock Photo
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In a region rife with poverty, inequality, corruption and climate disaster, being the country with the highest CO2 emissions is not a compliment; but that’s Mexico.

Despite not being the largest or richest country in Latin America, Mexico has been cementing its path towards fossil fuel dependence over the past 20 years.

As in every Latin American nation, oil has contributed to Mexico's economic growth, despite wind and solar generation tripling in the past five years.

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0