Climate Change Act Places Mexico at Global Forefront Victor Mayen - Rumbo de Mexico | |
go to original May 7, 2012 |
MEXICO CITY – Ninfa Clara Salinas Sada, the president of the Environment and National Resources Committee in the Chamber of the Deputies, said that the Climate Change Act places Mexico at the global forefront by having a legal instrument with which the country can address climate change issues.
Green Party (PVEM) Deputy Salinas Sada said that rising global temperatures, droughts, tornados, hurricanes, crop failures and health issues are some of the problems brought on by climate change.
The act, which originated in the Chamber of Deputies, was passed by the Senate on April 19. Mexico and the United Kingdom are the only countries that have passed climate change legislation.
The act establishes the creation of a National Institue of Climate Change and Ecology, which will undertake studies and projects to protect the environment. The act includes a mandate to reduce the country’s carbon dioxide emission by 30 percent by 2020 and by 50 percent by 2050. The act also states that 35 percent of the country’s electricity should come from renewable resources by 2024.
The act requires Mexico to begin phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and make renewable power more competitive with oil, coal, and gas.
Mexico attempted to pass climate change laws in 2009, but the bill was shot down in the Chamber of Deputies. This time around, the Senate unanimously passed the bill after the Chamber approved it, with 128 votes in favor and 10 against.
Salinas Sada said she hoped that the executive branch would publish the act in the Official Gazette soon.
She also stressed the importance of passing the Air Quality and Atmosphere Protection Act, which would institute air-quality monitoring by geographic region instead of political boundaries, which is how air quality is currently monitored. The act aims to reduce the amount of pollutants in the air in major metropolitan areas in the country in order to improve health conditions.
The deputy said that the country has achieved environmental goals with the passage of other acts as well, including the Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection Act, and the Wildlife Act. “These (acts) help protect genetic resources, including marine life, making it a priority issue. Native flora and fauna species are now protected against invasive species which have demonstrated that they can be destructive,” she said.
The deputy also noted that recently approved acts to protect the environment prohibit the importation of exotic species into Mexico.
We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!
From activities like hiking, swimming, bike riding and yoga, to restaurants offering healthy menus, Vallarta-Nayarit is the ideal place to continue - or start - your healthy lifestyle routine.