If enacted, the proposed General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection proposed by President Claudia Sheinbaum (above) would mark the most significant reform of the country’s framework environmental law in nearly 40 years. (Photo by Octavio Hoyos/Shutterstock)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has moved to replace the country’s foundational environmental statute, attempting what is described as the most significant reshaping of the country’s green-regulation framework in nearly four decades. The Sheinbaum administration’s proposed General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (LGEEPA), unveiled on May 14 and submitted to the Senate six days later, would replace the country’s existing LGEEPA, which was enacted in 1988 and subsequently amended over 50 times. While the new legislation would retain elements of the existing framework, it would reorganize the country’s environmental-law framework, apply new tools for planning and assessment, and strengthen inspection and sanctions, experts say. Green advocates applaud provisions to strengthen land-use planning through the use of ecosystem services, restoration, and water-body-protection criteria; biological corridors and pollinator protection as conservation tools; and a “pro-nature” directive that officials resolve close regulatory questions in favor of... [Log in to read more]
