Quarterly Report: Mexico Low Emissions Development Program

Agency for International Development (USAID). The program aims to assist the Mexican government, businesses, and other stakeholders in reducing the country's contribution to global climate change and global greenhouse gas emissions. The MLED Program works to strengthen human and institutional capacity for low-emissions development at the federal and subnational levels. The program is divided into four tasks: Task 1: Development and implementation of national Low Emissions Development Strategies (LEDS) and subnational climate change action plans; Task 2: Strengthening Mexico's systems to inventory, register, and conduct Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) of GHG emissions; Task 3: Implementation of Clean Energy Interventions supporting LEDS; and Task 4: USAID/Mexico Global Climate Change Program Coordination. Task 1 involves working with stakeholders to develop and implement national and subnational climate change action plans. The program provides technical support to adapt analytical tools and methods, including emissions inventory development, economic and environmental modeling, and sector-specific analysis. Task 2 focuses on developing and expanding Mexico's GHG inventory and monitoring systems to register, monitor, report, and verify GHG emissions. Task 3 aims to enhance the adoption of clean energy and energy-efficient technologies by designing and carrying out high-potential clean energy projects and promoting best practices. Task 4 involves coordinating the results of the program with other USAID/Mexico Global Climate Change Program implementers. During the first quarter of the program, several accomplishments were made. In Task 1, the program supported the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INE) in producing a leaflet highlighting the approach of the National LEDS and the policies to be implemented. The program also agreed to an updated collaboration plan with INE. In Task 2, the program focused on planning activities and meeting with counterparts to define goals. In Task 3, the program prepared agreements of collaboration with various stakeholders, including Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) on flaring reduction and the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) on renewable energy capacity auctions and power purchase agreements. The program also made progress in developing tools, methodologies, and systems for low-emissions development, clean energy, and financial mechanisms for investment in clean energy. The program is working with various stakeholders to develop a series of workshops for capacity building on emissions baseline, cost-benefit analysis of mitigation measures, and cost curve construction. The program's accomplishments during the first quarter include the development of several tools, methodologies, and systems for low-emissions development, clean energy, and financial mechanisms for investment in clean energy. The program also made progress in strengthening policies, plans, and regulations for low-emissions development, enhancing institutional and technical capacities, and developing agreements of collaboration with various stakeholders. The program's next steps include the implementation of clean energy interventions, the development of a series of workshops for capacity building, and the coordination of results with other USAID/Mexico Global Climate Change Program implementers.