Mexico Approves US$10 Billion in Renewables, Logs Mangrove Loss

This week in sustainability: Mexico approved 55 new private wind and solar power projects representing a combined installed capacity of 10,883 megawatts (MW). Meanwhile, CONABIO reported the loss of 27,622ha of mangroves between 2020 and 2025, with real estate development, irregular clearing, agriculture, and aquaculture among the main pressures. Separately, Starbucks Mexico is introducing a three-category separation system for organic, inorganic, and compostable waste across 260 stores in Mexico City.

More news below:

Mexico Approves US$10.6 Billion in Private Green Energy Projects

Mexico approved 55 new private wind and solar power projects representing a combined installed capacity of 10,883 megawatts (MW). The total private investment associated with these developments is estimated at US$10.6 billion. The total newly approved generation capacity represents 11% of Mexico's current overall electricity generation capacity across all energy technologies. Under the authorized regulatory framework, project developers will sell their power directly to the wholesale electricity market or enter into joint public-private power agreements with state utility Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) under a "Mixed Development Scheme" (Esquema de Desarrollo Mixto).

Mexico Loses 27,622Ha of Mangroves in Five Years

Mexico lost 27,622ha of mangrove between 2020 and 2025, with real estate development, irregular clearing, agriculture, and aquaculture among the main pressures on these coastal ecosystems, according to the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO). Mangrove coverage declined from 905,086ha in 2020 to 877,464ha in 2025. Despite the decline, Mexico remains the world’s fourth-largest country in terms of mangrove coverage, accounting for 6% of the global total, behind Indonesia at 19%, Australia at 9% and Brazil at 7%. Mangroves are present across Mexico’s 17 coastal states and cover about 0.4% of the country’s territory.

Starbucks Expands Waste Management Plan to 260 Stores

Starbucks Mexico is implementing a Waste Management Plan across 260 stores in Mexico City, introducing a three-category separation system for organic, inorganic, and compostable waste as part of the company’s broader efforts to reduce waste and advance circular economy practices. The Mexico initiative forms part of Starbucks’ global packaging strategy, which focuses on designing containers that are reusable, recyclable or compostable where adequate infrastructure exists. The company has set a goal for 100% of its customer-facing packaging to meet one of these criteria by the end of 2030.

Mexico’s New Fracking Plan Inhibited by Costs, Not Environment

Mexico’s proposal to evaluate conditional hydraulic fracturing seeks to reduce the country’s 75% dependence on US natural gas imports through strict environmental and geographic safeguards. While environmental groups have rejected the concept of “sustainable fracking,” critics overlook a central challenge facing the government’s initiative: tight regulatory constraints, high capital requirements, and lengthy development timelines could limit the commercial scalability of shale production in the short to medium term. Experts therefore argue that Mexico should prioritize investments in gas-flaring reduction, underground storage, conventional gas development, and utility-scale renewable energy to strengthen energy security.