Mexico Overhauls Environmental Law to Tackle Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss

Mexico's government is advancing a comprehensive reform of the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (LGEEPA). The proposal, presented by Semarnat's subsecretary for Environmental Regulation Iliana Villalobos Estrada, seeks to redesign the entire legal framework rather than make isolated amendments. New instruments such as strategic environmental assessment will be added to evaluate policy impacts before projects are defined, and the reform introduces conservation tools aligned with the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including terrestrial and marine biological corridors, biocultural landscapes, and certified forest areas. It also strengthens the national ecological restoration program launched in 2025, targeting net‑zero deforestation by the end of the decade.

Semarnat head Alicia Bárcena emphasized that the environmental crisis requires collective action. She highlighted the priority of updating LGEEPA, the upcoming National Circular Economy Law, and initiatives like tire‑recycling partnerships with rubber firms. Bárcena announced the 2026 National Reforestation Day, which will be held simultaneously across all 32 states and Mexico City, aiming to plant about 6.7 million trees on roughly 32 000 hectares with the participation of more than 260 000 volunteers.

The reforms are intended to embed restoration and conservation into development projects and to treat nature as essential economic infrastructure, marking a shift from secondary policy to a central pillar of Mexico's climate and biodiversity strategy.