Ecosystem Restoration, Waste Management: SEMARNAT’s 2026 Goals

In her first address of the year, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Alicia Bárcena outlined her ministry’s environmental priorities for 2026. Within a framework of what Bárcena termed “Mexican Humanism,” the country will seek to make significant advances on ecosystem restoration, waste management, air quality, and international cooperation. 

According to Bárcena, a central priority for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) will be the ongoing cleanup of the Tula, Atoyac, and Lerma-Santiago rivers, three of the most contaminated watersheds in the country. The cleanup was described as a priority for the Sheinbaum administration, which considers their remediation essential for public health, environmental justice, and regional development. According to the National Environmental Restoration Program (PNRE), released in June 2025, the ministry aims to achieve full restoration for these river basins by 2030. 

Expanding on the broader effort to support environmental justice, Bárcena says that Grupo México has agreed with the federal government to cover the costs of restoring the Sonora River, nearly 12 years after a toxic spill at the Buenavista del Cobre mine. The agreement formed part of a comprehensive remediation plan that concluded an 18-year strike at the nearby Cananea mine. Per the agreement, the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) will oversee the construction of 16 water treatment plants, the rehabilitation of existing facilities, and the equipping of a regional water quality laboratory with monitoring stations along the Sonora River.

Highly contaminated sites along Mexico’s coasts will also be restored, as part of the ministry’s National Beach and Coastal Cleanup Strategy. Bárcena says that about 16% of Mexico’s beaches have been “adopted” under the program to date, with a target of reaching 36% in 2026. She adds that SEMARNAT will continue implementing aspects of the PNRE pertaining to marine and coastal ecosystems, prioritizing mangroves and wetlands in the Gulf of California and the Yucatan Peninsula. To prevent further degradation of coastal ecosystems, the ministry plans to draft a Law of Seas and Coasts for Mexico and a General Land Use Planning Law, aiming to strengthen governance of coastal and territorial development amid climate and biodiversity pressures.

Waste management will be another key priority in 2026 as SEMARNAT works to build a more circular economy in Mexico. Under instructions from President Sheinbaum, the ministry is working on a National Solid Waste Program to support municipalities and communities facing challenges with landfills and waste disposal. The program represents an expansion of recently launched regulations in Mexico City, which require residents to separate household waste into organic, nonrecyclable, and special (electronics and appliances) categories. 

Bárcena adds that the government is evaluating proposals to develop an ecological and recycling park in either Tlaxcala or Puebla, following a consultation in Hidalgo that saw residents oppose its installation in Tula. According to SEMARNAT, the park will integrate multiple recycling and reuse processes, including repurposing discarded tires for road construction, recycling damaged clothing to recover textile fibers, converting plastics into fuels or new products, and processing construction debris into cement for urban works. 

In an effort to boost air quality across the country, SEMARNAT is also preparing a new Air Quality Improvement Program for the state of Jalisco and plans to update the “Hoy No Circula” vehicle restriction programs in Mexico City and Monterrey. In parallel, the ministry will revise industrial and mobile source emissions standards, including updates to NOM-163, which addresses vehicle electrification. According to the World Bank, air pollution kills nearly 33,000 Mexicans every year, causing one in 17 (5.9%) of all deaths in the country. About 20,000 of these deaths are due to outdoor air pollution, driven by outdated, gasoline-powered public transport and freight vehicles.

Two new Mexican Official Standards (NOM) are also under review: one covering management plans for mining waste and another setting maximum permissible emissions limits for non-road mobile machinery engines. Bárcena says SEMARNAT will also begin work to update the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection, which she said has not been adjusted in several years to reflect current environmental needs.

On the international front, Bárcena says Mexico will continue advancing its environmental agenda within multilateral climate and biodiversity forums. Priorities include implementation of the country’s updated nationally determined contribution (NDC 3.0) and continued participation in ongoing negotiations to reduce plastic pollution, which reached an impasse in August when a legally-binding Global Plastics Treaty failed to gain approval at the United Nations. She also committed to continue engagement on climate change, biodiversity, and the Escazu Agreement, which guarantees access to environmental information and justice.

“I think 2026 opens with many opportunities that I hope we know how to seize,” Bárcena says. “We have a highly qualified team and institutions that we have continued to strengthen, and that gives me confidence.”