Mexico's Congress reviews overhaul of 1988 environmental law

Lawmakers gathered at the National Forum for Modernizing the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (LGEEPA) to examine a draft reform of the 1988 statute that has governed Mexico's environmental policy for 38 years. Deputy Jesús Martín Cuanalo Araujo, secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources Commission and member of the PVEM parliamentary group, led the working tables.

The proposal seeks to update the legal framework to address four critical threats—global climate change, biodiversity loss, water‑body pollution and soil degradation—by incorporating circular‑economy schemes, measurable restoration indicators, and adaptive mechanisms for severe weather events. It also aims to shift from punitive measures toward objective metrics, raise financial penalties, and make remediation mandatory, aligning sanctions with international carbon‑capture and water‑conservation standards. The draft will be submitted to the full Chamber for consideration in the upcoming ordinary session.