Various environmental taxes are applied in 11 Mexican states to regulate economic activities that generate externalities.Which states are these? Campeche, Zacatecas, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Tamaulipas, Baja California, Coahuila, Queretaro, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon and the State of Mexico. In general, the effects of human activity on global climate change have attracted considerable public, scientific and governmental attention.Going forward, analysts expect North American legislative and regulatory authorities to continue to consider numerous measures related to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.In particular, between 2019 and 2022, several reforms to state legislation were published in Mexico in various states, establishing «environmental taxes» on the generation and final disposal of waste, emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants into the atmosphere, as well as discharges of pollutants into soil and bodies of water. 

Environmental taxes

In addition, according to the company Arca Continental, between 2019 and 2020, several legislative initiatives were presented in Mexico at federal and state level to restrict and even prohibit the use of single-use plastics. In states such as Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Mexico City, Coahuila, Guerrero, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Veracruz, among others, there are already regulations in place to restrict, reduce, control and manage plastic waste. 

Water

In May 2023, the Mexican government reformed the 1992 National Water Law in order to prioritize the use of water for human and domestic consumption. As a result of this reform, Mexico’s National Water Commission (Conagua) is empowered to reduce, partially or totally, the volume of water granted under a concession in the event of a shortage. On January 24, 2023, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with the Mexican Institute of Water Technology launched a geographic information system, Agua y Minería (Water and Mining), focused on determining the appropriate uses of Mexico’s natural resources and strengthening preservation efforts through the implementation of policies that foster economic development. This system provides information on the current regulatory framework governing mining in Mexico, including details on tailings dams and the volume of water used in mining activities. The system also provides an interactive map of Mexico’s mining companies, dams, aquifers and watersheds.