CDMX Advances Sustainability Goals

Mexico City’s Ministry of Environment (SEDEMA), through its General Directorate of Policy and Environmental Culture Coordination and the General Directorate of Air Quality, held the fourth workshop in the participatory process to update the Climate Action Program (PACCM) and the Air Quality Improvement Program (ProAire) for 2025-2030, focusing on waste management, water, and roadways.

The workshop gathered 140 participants representing the Mexico City government, federal authorities, boroughs, civil society organizations, academia, international cooperation institutions, and the private sector. Andrea Bizberg, City Advisor, C40’s Breathe Cities program, noted that managing waste and water as essential public services is key to improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gases, and adapting to climate change. She emphasized that waste management could reduce emissions by 15% to 20%.

“At C40, we support Mexico City in designing policies and projects that create green jobs, enable a circular economy transition, and address citizen priorities such as water access and more efficient public infrastructure management,” Bizberg said.

Roberto Castillo, Director General of Policy and Environmental Culture Coordination, SEDEMA, explained that these agendas involve government and borough responsibilities to provide quality services, along with shared roles for the private sector and citizens in meeting common goals. 

The director highlighted that the city generates over 12,000t of municipal solid waste, nearly 14,000t of construction and demolition waste, and up to 500t of electronic waste daily. Sustainable waste management helped achieve one-quarter of the 2024 mitigation target. Regarding water, he pointed to the recent launch of a rainwater harvesting program for homes, combined with solar water heaters, ensuring water access during rainy seasons while reducing energy use for pumping and distribution.

The workshop presented proposals to harmonize and update the Climate Action and ProAire programs. Castillo outlined the city’s mitigation and adaptation commitments, noting the update aims to strengthen decarbonization and resilience goals while formalizing commitments from the private sector and citizens. “SEDEMA promotes a participatory program not only in design but in implementation over the next six years, working collaboratively to meet future city targets,” he said. 

Ana Mendívil, Director of Climate Change and Sustainable Projects, SEDEMA, stated that while municipal solid waste and wastewater contribute only 1.5% of Mexico City’s CO2e emissions, they account for 66% of methane emissions. These contribute to greenhouse gases at final disposal sites located in other states of the metropolitan area and result from electricity use in water pumping and extraction.

Mendívil highlighted the city’s progress, including banning single-use plastics, enacting the Circular Economy Law, installing waste selection and treatment plants for solid and construction waste, and generating compost and biofuels from waste energy recovery. In water management, improvements include modernizing supply systems via sectorization programs, rehabilitating distribution lines, pumping and treatment plants, and addressing deep drainage systems to reduce flood and waterlogging risks.

The workshop continued with participatory working groups, where attendees proposed actions to improve waste management, water provision, and road maintenance. In the closing plenary, Mendívil thanked participants and encouraged continued involvement in planning and collaborative work toward implementing the outlined strategies.