Q: How does the México por el Clima 2025 event help the country advance its sustainability targets?

Erica Valencia: México por el Clima — Semana de Acción was born out of a collective need: to articulate, highlight, and accelerate the climate actions already taking place in the country, but which remain fragmented. We are a group of multisectoral leaders — young people, entrepreneurs, academics, activists, scientists, and public officials — united by the conviction that Mexico has the potential to become a regional benchmark for sustainability and regeneration.

It was essential for Mexico to have its own Climate Week, not merely as an event, but as a living platform for cross-sector collaboration. By bringing together over 200 organizations and stakeholders from government, business, civil society, and academia, we seek to align efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals and the country’s decarbonization, biodiversity, and resilience targets. Our purpose is clear: to translate commitments into tangible actions, fundable projects, and replicable public policies. 

Ángela Barranco: We see every year at Climate Week NYC and The Leaders’ Forum in Washington DC how important it is to get climate leaders and decision makers together in person. This inaugural México por el Clima will set in stone how Mexico and Latin America deliver on climate action. 

Q: The Climate Group is behind Climate Week NYC, the largest climate summit outside of COP. How has that experience helped in the organization of México por el Clima 2025? 

EV: Climate Group has been an extraordinary ally. Its decades-long experience organizing Climate Week NYC has guided us in structure, governance, and global outreach. We are adopting their multi-hub model — with events led by hundreds of partners under a shared framework — but giving it a distinctly Mexican and Latin American identity. While NYC is centered on high-level finance and policy, México por el Clima 2025 seeks to add something unique: connection with nature, culture, and community. We are combining the rigor of international climate dialogue with the emotional and cultural depth of Mexico. 

Q: México por el Clima 2025 is organized under three key axes: Planetary Awakening, Catalytic Innovation, and Resilient Ecosystems. How do these axes address Mexico’s climate challenges?

EV: These three axes represent the pillars of transformation the country needs. Planetary Awakening focuses on consciousness, education, and inclusion. We believe climate action begins with awareness from schools to boardrooms. Catalytic Innovation drives systemic change through finance, technology, entrepreneurship, and circular economy, connecting investors with regenerative and scalable solutions. Resilient Ecosystems grounds everything in nature, including restoration of biodiversity, water systems, and the protection of indigenous and local territories.

Each axis has working groups led by representatives from the public sector, private sector, and civil society. This structure ensures that every voice — from a CEO to a youth leader — has a seat at the same table to co-create tangible pathways forward. 

Q: What role do you envision for the private sector during México por el Clima 2025, and how do you approach collaboration with private sector partners and sponsors?

EV: The private sector has both a responsibility and a large opportunity. It represents the innovation engine and the capital needed to scale sustainable transitions. In México por el Clima, companies are more than sponsors; they are co-creators of solutions. We have designed business dialogues, investment roundtables, and working groups where companies can align their ESG goals with Mexico’s national sustainability agenda, connect with regenerative entrepreneurs, and generate shared value. 

ÁB: The private sector is the single largest contributor to climate change, but it also holds some of the most powerful levers for change through innovation, investment, and scalable action. At Climate Group, we see businesses not as bystanders but as strategic partners in building a resilient, low-carbon future. The private sector can play a transformative role by driving technological innovation, setting ambitious renewable energy and net-zero targets, and mobilizing finance toward just and inclusive transitions. Through initiatives such as RE100, which brings together companies committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity, and EV100, which accelerates the shift to electric vehicle fleets, Climate Group is helping position Mexico as a key country for corporate climate action.

Mexico’s vast renewable potential, strong industrial base, and growing corporate climate awareness make it a natural hub for expanding these global initiatives. Many multinational and local companies operating here have both the capacity and the influence to drive systemic change, not only decarbonizing their own operations but also shaping demand signals that accelerate the broader energy transition. We partner with companies and sponsors that demonstrate a clear, long-term commitment to climate action. 

Q: How will you effectively engage local, state, and federal authorities attending to affect real change? 

EV: Public leadership is essential for systemic transformation. We are working closely with the Government of Mexico City, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), and multiple state and federal institutions to ensure that the outcomes of México por el Clima translate into public policy recommendations and investment pipelines.

The participation of figures like Minister of the Environment Alicia Bárcena and Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada will help bridge federal and local agendas. Our approach is constructive: we seek to build bridges, not criticism, by showing that multisectoral collaboration can deliver results. 

Q: What role will civil society groups play during the summit, and why are their perspectives, experiences, and practices crucial to the fight against climate change in Mexico?

EV: These organizations, particularly young and indigenous groups, embody the future and the ancestral wisdom we need to guide the transformation. Youth movements bring the urgency and creativity that push decision-makers to act faster. Indigenous communities hold the ancestral knowledge that has preserved ecosystems for centuries. At México por el Clima, these groups are not invited as observers; they are co-leaders. Their art, rituals, and testimonies will be interwoven throughout the summit to remind us that climate action is not just technical, but deeply cultural and human. 

Q: What do you think is still needed to kickstart a true environmental mindset among private and public players?

EV: Our goal is to achieve measurable impact. We will do this by launching a National Route of Action with clear follow-up commitments, connecting working groups to ongoing projects, investment mechanisms, and government programs. To create a true environmental mindset, we must move from fear to possibility. When companies, citizens, and governments understand that climate action is the smartest economic, social, and moral investment they can make, change accelerates exponentially. 

ÁB: Not all convenings are equal. It is important to have people meet in person so you can tangibly see who is at the table, who is not at the table, and how to build consensus.

Q: Why is it important for Latin America to be a locus of global climate action, and how will México por el Clima 2025 position the country as a regional climate leader? 

EV: Latin America is home to 40% of the planet’s biodiversity and some of the most important natural carbon sinks on Earth. Yet it is also among the most vulnerable regions to climate change. We need to lead not as victims, but as visionaries. México por el Clima seeks to position the country as a bridge, connecting the North and South, finance and nature, innovation and tradition. Hosting this summit one month before COP30 in Brazil allows us to consolidate a Latin American voice grounded in solutions, regeneration, and shared prosperity. 

ÁB: Climate Group has more Under2 members in Latin America than in any other region. Under2 is the largest global network of states and regions committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Hosting climate events highlights the region’s critical role in global climate solutions. México por el Clima will position the country as a regional climate leader by showcasing its climate initiatives, fostering collaboration, and building momentum ahead of COP30 to drive ambitious action across Latin America. 

Q: What specific targets do you have for the event in terms of levels of investment and numbers or types of projects financed? 

EV: Our goal is to catalyze at least US$100 million in new financing over the next 18 months for green and regenerative projects in Mexico. We are building partnerships with banks, investment funds, and corporate foundations to match projects with capital, particularly in sectors like renewable energy, ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture, and urban resilience. 

Q: What metrics are you using to evaluate the success of México por el Clima and what are your expectations regarding attendance and resulting actions?

EV: We will measure success in three layers: participation, commitments, and continuity. We hope to host over 10,000 attendees (in-person and online) and more than 300 participating organizations. In terms of commitments, we seek to close a number of cross-sectoral agreements, investment deals, and policy recommendations. Finally, we will track how working groups evolve post-event. For us, success is not in the applause during the summit, but in the continuity of collaboration after it. 

Q: What are your medium and long-term plans for México por el Clima, and what impact do you hope the summit achieves, both within Mexico and abroad?

EV: This is just the beginning. Our vision is for México por el Clima to become the largest climate action platform in Latin America. By 2030, we aim to have catalyzed hundreds of projects, built regional alliances, and contributed significantly to Mexico’s national climate and biodiversity targets. Ultimately, we want to help rewrite Mexico’s story from a country vulnerable to climate change, to one that regenerates its ecosystems, empowers its people, and inspires the world.

ÁB: From the Climate Group’s standpoint we want to support our partners in Mexico and make this the best, most impactful event that it can be. That is why we signed on early to support the work and outcomes to follow. Supporting efforts around the world leads to resilience and action.