A Mexican recipe for measuring greenhouse gas emissions

Mexico is among the first 13 countries in the world with the largest generation of greenhouse gases (GHG), contributes 1.6% of the total emissions in the atmosphere, and is the main emitter of these gases in Latin America.

Therefore, the country is committed to reducing its emissions by 20% by 2020 and by 50% by 2050 according to its Special Climate Change Program (PECC), which promotes specific initiatives. In 2009, Mexico launched the PECC, in which it agreed on an agenda in conjunction with the private sector to develop a voluntary accounting and reporting system for greenhouse gas emissions, the GHG Program.

Fugitive Emissions Management

The MIF had the opportunity to support this pilot and cutting-edge initiative in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, which aimed to create a culture of accounting for GHG emissions. This initiative was complemented by another initiative that promoted the creation of local capacities for the verification and validation of these inventories, in order to make them comparable, truthful and transparent, and a market for local consulting services, accessible to Mexican companies, could be created. .

Both initiatives created the foundations of an ecosystem that allows the expansion of inventory surveys and their validation and verification at the national level, the definition of performance standards, the estimated cost for mitigation actions, as well as the implementation of a mechanism for gradual recognition of companies for their mitigation efforts.

How to reduce emissions : Mitigation is related to policies and measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Measures may include reducing the demand for goods and services that cause large emissions, driving the increase in efficiency and increasing the use of low carbon and renewable energy technologies.

With correct policies, the increase in the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can slow down and eventually stabilize.

Avoid emissions : Another way to mitigate the effects of climate change is to improve "sinks" -deposits that absorb CO2, such as forests or peat bogs. Leaving existing forests intact and planting new trees are two examples of how this can be achieved.

The United Nations Collaborative Program to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, launched in September 2008, focuses on these aspects of mitigation.

The Government signed a cooperation agreement with a foundation dedicated to studying and promoting actions that help the planet in relation to climate change.

In an event that took place at the Grand Bourg Convention Center, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Francisco López Sastre, signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Plan 21 Foundation, through which joint work on issues is planned referred to Climate Change and Sustainable Tourism, among other issues related to the environment and its protection.

The signing of the agreement took place within the framework of the launch of the "Carbonocero" proposal and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, carried out by the president of the Plan 21 Foundation, Fabián Román. The meeting was organized by the Climate Change and Renewable Energy Program under the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of the province and was attended by the General Coordinator, Emiliano Venier and the representative in Costa Rica of the Wildlife Conservation Society (Society for Conservation of Wildlife), Mario Boza.

The holder of the Plan 21 Foundation, said that the framework agreement signed with the Ministry of Environment will allow the actions to be directed through two lines of work, "one is related to climate change and the Carbonocero program. Since the foundation, Román explained, the idea is that the program can be promoted in Salta through the ministry and reach as many people as possible, so that together they can identify mitigation projects of greenhouse gases in municipalities and also in fiscal areas of the province. "

It is also planned to coordinate a system of collaboration between the Foundation and the Ministry, linked to sustainable tourism. Román said that they will "work on specific projects, especially with the different communities so that they can develop sustainable tourism products. We will contribute the knowledge, for example, how can be planned in a more friendly way with the communities, with the cultural and natural heritage, how to address the local social and economic issues through tourism, as well as, bring the province closer to the international actions of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, "said Román, who is also a member, for Latin America, of the board of directors of the World Council of Accreditation in Sustainable Tourism.

What is Carbonocero?

Carbonocero is an initiative of the Plan 21 Foundation of Argentina for Latin America, which aims to disseminate the problem of Climate Change and offer companies and responsible citizens the possibility of mitigating their carbon footprint through a voluntary contribution that will be allocated to finance actions to raise awareness and implement projects to reduce greenhouse gases, afforestation and management of native forests. This activity is carried out through different partners, such as the Conservation and Development of Ecuador and the University for International Cooperation of Costa Rica.

Its mission is to preserve natural resources and improve the quality of communities, facilitating participatory processes and promoting the implementation of better public and private practices within the framework of Sustainable Human Development.