Mexico passes climate-change law

[Dead_Parrot]

As the Kyoto Protocol winds down without a strong replacement, countries are implementing their own strategies to reduce global warming.

The Mexican legislature passed one of the strongest national climate-change laws so far on 19 April. Mexico, which ranks 11th in the world for both the size of its economy and its level of carbon emissions, joins the United Kingdom in having legally binding emissions goals aimed at stemming the effects of climate change.

After three years of debate and revisions, the bill passed in Mexico’s lower house with a vote of 128 for and 10 against, and was later passed unanimously by the Senate. The new law contains many sweeping provisions to mitigate climate change, including a mandate to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 30% below business-as-usual levels by 2020, and by 50% below 2000 levels by 2050.

Furthermore, it stipulates that 35% of the country's energy should come from renewable sources by 2024, and requires mandatory emissions reporting by the country's largest polluters. The act also establishes a commission to oversee implementation, and encourages development of a carbon-trading scheme. Although there was initial resistance from Mexico's steel and cement industries, the bill passed with bipartisan support.


Global trend
Experts say that Mexico's climate bill reflects a global trend in which individual states and countries, frustrated with stalled United Nations climate agreements, have begun implementing their own emissions regulations.

More: http://www.nature.com/news/mexico-passes-climate-change-law-1.10496
Also: Inside Mexico's Climate Revolution (BBC)

[gateley]

1. In the mid 70's I took a picture out of my airplane window as we were flying out of

Mexico City. There was just the THICKEST layer of brownish smog for miles.