- President Claudia Sheinbaum and Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena pledged to double or triple renewable power by 2035 under Plan México.
- Environmental groups accused the government of funnelling far more money into fossil fuels than clean energy.
Mexico’s government launched new measures to speed its energy transition after Climate Week 2025 in New York. President Claudia Sheinbaum and Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena pledged to expand renewables, electrified rail, and electric vehicle production.
At Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, Sheinbaum and Bárcena unveiled Plan México, a US$277 billion development strategy. Bárcena said renewables supply 22% of México’s electricity and vowed to double or triple the share by 2035. She said 70% of thermal plants run on natural gas instead of fuel oil.
The government presented new rail projects, including the Queretaro-Irapuato and Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo electrified passenger lines, and announced that tenders will open this fall.
Furthermore, Bárcena said Plan México will raise domestic vehicle output by 10% through a low-cost electric car built entirely in Mexico. She added that the plan will boost local content by 15% by replacing imported components, expanding aluminium production and developing domestic battery cell manufacturing. In addition, she listed other initiatives, including public transport electrification in nine states and México City, expanded dual education programmes, and local train and component production.
She pointed to conservation efforts such as the Biocultural Corridor of the Great Mayan Forest, which México launched with Guatemala and Belize on August 16 to protect 5.7 million hectares of rainforest. She said México will seek to integrate the corridor into Brazil’s Tropical Forests Forever Facility, a blended-finance mechanism that rewards conservation.
Sheinbaum promoted the Sembrando Vida programme, which supports rural agroforestry. She said the programme received MX$39 billion (US$2.13 billion) in 2025 and claimed it surpassed the combined contributions of all countries to international green funds.
Environmental groups rejected the claim. A coalition including Greenpeace, CEMDA, Oceana México and Fundar said Sembrando Vida has not cut emissions since its 2023 launch. They argued that fossil fuel spending dwarfs climate investments.
Budget data supported their view. The proposed 2026 federal budget allocates US$28.2 billion to state oil company PEMEX and increases the Energy Ministry’s funding by 86.8% to US$14.5 billion, with only 1.4% earmarked for clean energy. SEMARNAT will receive just US$103 million, CONANP about US$52 million, its lowest in 21 years, and PROFEPA only US$1.5 million to enforce environmental laws in protected areas.