Topic:
Country: Mexico
Delegate Name: Isabella Rivas Ladino
The increasingly depressive effects of the use of fossil fuels and other carbon-based energy sources have dramatically increased the contributions to worldwide global warming. Due to Mexico’s geographical location, between two oceans and complex topography, Mexico is very vulnerable to natural disasters including floods, heat waves, and tropical cyclones. Mexico has also experienced a temperature increase of 5-6 degrees celsius, adding to normal high temperatures. All of these changes heavily affect agricultural productivity in rural areas, causing significant financial losses for citizens and destructed diverse ecosystems. Additionally, Mexico is the second largest producer of carbon-related emissions in Latin America but has since then improved and strived toward a carbon-free country. As part of the Paris agreement, Mexico hopes to be completely carbon-free by 2030, striving to improve current policies.
Currently, fossil fuels are the main source of energy in Mexico, generating about 70% percent of the energy, leaving renewable energies, nuclear power, and other energy sources at 30%. Mexico has worked towards increased use of renewable resources and moving towards renewable energy. Currently, Mexico’s new solar, geothermal, wind-powered, nuclear energy, and hydroelectric capacity, will go from 30% to 40% in the coming year. Additionally, Mexico has slightly improved in the use of renewable energy, increasing the use of nuclear energy. Currently, Mexico has two nuclear power plants, Laguna Verde 1 and Laguna Verde 2. Since its opening, reliance on nuclear power has significantly increased throughout the past 10-15 years. In 2015, The Energy Transition Law was passed to set a target of 35% of Mexico’s energy to be from clean nuclear resources, while encouraging the peaceful use of nuclear energy. High-level government support has increased carbon-free policies by 35%, encouraging the use of wind-powered and nuclear energy. Mexico plans to build two new 1400 Mwe units, starting at Laguna Verde, supporting the expansion of nuclear capacity by 2026.
Despite all these efforts to increase the use of renewable energy, Mexico recognizes the dependence on fossil fuels and will continue to enforce renewable energy policies. The use of nuclear energy and other renewable would prove to be extremely effective, decreasing the number of fossil fuels used by Mexico. Mexico plans to increase the amount of wind-powered energy, and nuclear-powered energy in hopes of reaching the zero-carbon goal by 2030.
