Mexico Hosts 22 Nations to Advance Regional COP30 Agenda

Ministers and delegates from 22 countries gathered this week in Mexico City for the first Latin America and Caribbean Ministerial Meeting on Regional Climate Action, aiming to develop a unified strategy ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil. The event was inaugurated on Aug. 25 at Mexico’s National Palace by President Claudia Sheinbaum and André Corrêa do Lago, Brazil’s designated COP30 president.

The meeting, held over two-days, brought together over 100 representatives from governments, international organizations, and civil society to craft a shared regional narrative on climate change. The agenda emphasizes accountability for international commitments while advancing regional solutions, including the creation of a Loss and Damage Fund.

Speaking on day 1, COP30 President Corrêa do Lago stressed the urgency of cooperation: “The climate agenda can address many social damages in our countries. We must redouble our efforts to fight climate change fairly and through multilateralism.”

Mexico’s Environment and Natural Resources Minister Alicia Bárcena called the meeting “the starting point for a new era of Latin American climate integration,” urging measurable commitments and monitoring mechanisms. She noted that while some actors are moving away from global climate pledges, the region has a historic responsibility to defend and revitalize multilateralism. Bárcena also highlighted Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s description of COP30 as “the COP of truth,” marking 10 years since the Paris Agreement and 30 years since the UN climate, biodiversity, and desertification conventions.

President Sheinbaum outlined Mexico’s vision for COP30, emphasizing four pillars for sustainable development: social equity, economic inclusion, environmental protection, and defense of sovereignty. “There can be no talk of development if these four pillars are not combined,” she said. She highlighted Mexico’s commitment to generating 35% of electricity from renewables by 2030, expanding nationwide access to electricity, and programs like Sembrando Vida, which invests MX$2 billion (US$107 million) annually to support 400,000 farmers and restore nearly 1 million hectares. Sheinbaum also referenced river cleanups, national irrigation modernization, MX$10 billion (US$536 million) in railway investments to reduce road freight dependence, vehicle emissions regulation, and the launch of locally developed electric vehicles via automaker Olinia.

Delegates then discussed the COP30 Action Agenda, “Climate Solutions for a Great Leap in Sustainable Development,” and the role of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as climate and development plans.

Participants included COP30 Executive Director Ana Toni; Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente; Energy Secretary Luz Elena González; Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez; Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation Secretary Rosaura Ruiz Gutiérrez; and Finance Minister Edgar Amador Zamora.