For some the sexennium that comes in is something totally predictablebecause they assure that the government of Claudia Sheinbaum it will not be more than continuity of the López Obrador governmentthe second season. But others assure that first female president of Mexico will rule in its own way and we can expect many surprises from his administration.
This week that ended Sheinbaum Pardo announced a small, but important part of his cabinetand it turns out that the new guardian of the Mexican environment be Alicia Barcena.
Certainly the current Secretary of Foreign Affairshas a vast career that positions her as a figure who could be the right one to face the many environmental challenges that the country is going through, to begin with. inherits a weakened Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and with countless environmental conflicts and structural that, although they have wanted to ignore them, are there.
Alicia Barcena is a Mexican diplomat and biologist, with outstanding academic training and extensive experience in environmental and sustainable development issues. Before assuming the position of Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Bárcena was executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), where she stood out for her focus on inclusive and sustainable development policies.
His experience also includes the coordination of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in Latin America and the Caribbean. In such a way that it has technical knowledge, diplomatic experience and a commitment to the environmental agenda, characteristics that we cannot disdain at such a critical moment in environmental matters that we are all suffering.
They say that unlike Andrés Manuel, Sheinbaum and Bárcena share a vision of sustainable development and the urgency of addressing everything that climate change is bringing with it. So this decision may be good news, as it appears to be a strategic appointment to strengthen the country’s environmental agenda, providing Semarnat with a leader with international experience and a comprehensive approach to sustainable development.
But decisions and good intentions are not enough. There must be recognition of the many mistakes made, and much, much will and rigor to transform current environmental policy, and to do so Bárcena will face enormous challenges.
The severe budget cuts that Semarnat suffered this six-year period severely limited its operational capacity and range of action. Furthermore, environmental conflicts have intensified, from the growing invasion and predation of habitats, to the critical situation of species such as the vaquita porpoise, whose extinction, in my opinion, is already imminent.
The use of fossil fuels and the resistance of the current government itself to moving towards clean energy is, without a doubt, another great challenge that it will encounter. Added to this is the need to comply with international commitments, such as the Paris Agreements and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, goals that seem difficult to achieve given the country’s current policies and environmental conditions.
In this context, Bárcena must prioritize and demand the recovery of the budget and operational capacity of Semarnat. It must also promote an energy transition agenda that reduces dependence on fossil fuels and promotes renewable energy.
The protection of biodiversity and the implementation of conservation and sustainable wildlife management policies without so much bureaucracy and corruption will be crucial, as will the development of effective strategies to combat deforestation and ecosystem degradation.
Another challenge will be to strengthen international cooperation. Perhaps Sheinbaum is relying on his global experience and contacts to attract financing and technical support to support national efforts. Bárcena must also promote the forgotten collaboration with non-governmental organizations and local communities, essential for the success of environmental policies.
The arrival of Alicia Bárcena to Semarnat could represent a great opportunity to rescue Mexico’s environmental policy. Her work, knowledge and relationship with sustainability will be vital to face current challenges and move towards a greener future and less color to concrete from invasive mega projects.
We know that former environmental secretaries of the current six-year term had to leave their dreams, good intentions and projects on the road because they did not coincide with AMLO’s environmental agenda. Hopefully the trust that Sheinbaum is placing in her is real and she does not want, like her predecessor, to be the specialist in everything, the everything specialist who does not listen to the true experts in each subject, hopefully not only her cracklings will thunder.
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