Based in Seoul, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an intergovernmental organization founded to support and promote a model of economic growth known as "green growth", which targets key aspects of economic performance such a poverty reduction, job creation, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. GGGI works with countries around the world, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions. The organization partners with countries, multilateral institutions, government bodies, and private sector to help build economies that grow strongly and are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change.  

GGGI has a diverse portfolio of programs in developing countries around the world. These in-country programs, together with global products and services, focus on delivering results through an integrated approach of evidence-based green growth planning and implementation aligned to countries’ development priorities. The organization also focuses on knowledge development and management activities which build a strong theoretical and empirical basis for green growth, while providing concrete options and guidance for policymakers; as well as building the conditions for public and private green infrastructure investments.

GGGI’s Work in Mexico

Mexico’s development priorities have evolved in the context of global and domestic changes, resulting in a significant push to transform the public life to achieve a greater benefit for all. This intent is ingrained in the National Development Plan 2019-2024, which serves as an umbrella for the federal sectoral and institutional plans and a key tool for cooperation fostering inclusive development. The ultimate goal of its political, social and economic pillars is to bring the nation toward prosperity, security, sustainability; thus, green growth and a low-carbon society are key development objectives for the country.

Over the last decade, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has consolidated its role as a trusted advisor to Mexico’s federal and subnational governments, actively working shoulder-to-shoulder with key counterparts to establish a strong green growth foundation in the country. In 2014, the Mexican Senate ratified the Agreement for the Establishment of GGGI, which signals Mexico’s commitment to green growth and its recognition of the shared value of this development paradigm in cooperation with GGGI. In 2021, the Country Agreement between GGGI and Mexico was signed between the Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretariat and GGGI; hence, formally recognizing GGGI as one the country’s key partnering international intergovernmental organizations.

Through two offices (a national representation and a regional one for Latin America and the Caribbean, LAC). The Mexico office provides support to federal and subnational governments in line with national goals and the GGGI's own National Planning Framework 2021-2025 (CPF). The CPF was developed hand in hand with the Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources, Foreign Relations, and Finance and Public Credit, prioritizing strategic actions for said institutions and in line with the transition towards green growth. Specifically, the programmatic solutions prioritized in the CPF are: climate action (with a local focus), sustainable financing and investments, sustainable landscapes, resilient agriculture, clean transport and waste.

Sustainable Landscapes Workstream

GGGI’s Mexico Office is developing a new thematic area, starting from 2022, on Sustainable Landscapes in close relationship with the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT for its acronym in Spanish) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER for its acronym in Spanish) and other relevant stakeholders at National and Subnational level.

Sustainable Landscapes centres on sustaining healthy and functioning forests, agrarian landscapes, waterways, coastal and marine ecosystems. Forests, soils, wetlands (including peatlands and mangroves) as well as marine systems are natural assets or natural capital which are interconnected and provide services which are of significant value to sustaining local and global economies. Key economic sectors in agriculture, forestry and other land uses have been key drivers of deforestation. According to CONAFOR, agriculture and livestock accounted for approximately 95% of Mexico’s deforestation from 2001 to 2018. Moreover, 20-24% of global GHGs come from the AFOLU sectors and although mangrove forests represent less than 1% of tropical forest area globally, they account for up to 10% of all emissions from deforestation. Recent studies have also highlighted that tropical peat fires – usually because of agriculture or poor land management – account for at least 25% of the total GHGs from deforestation.

Sustainable management and restoring the functions of these forests, waterways, agrarian, coastal and marine systems is critical for inclusive and sustainable economic growth – green growth. Even though the private sector is financing increasing numbers of projects in these natural resource-based sectors, investment towards landscape restoration falls short by approximately USD 300 billion a year. Private investment in sustainable natural resource use and restoration of landscapes are scarce. Risks remain too high for mainstream investors and regulatory policy uncertain for sustainable and climate resilient investments.

Subnational Workstream

As part of its country portfolio, GGGI has a subnational programme, which assists subnational governments (mainly states) to develop sound policies, financial instruments as well as technical analyses related with a variety of sectors (e.g. green growth strategies, air quality management, clean and efficient mobility schemes, waste-to-energy alternatives). GGGI has partnered with the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), the Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis (CAMe), the States of Oaxaca, Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico City (Metrobus), among others. Moving forward, both GGGI and Mexican government counterparts agree that supporting local initiatives at the state levels is crucial to meet climate and social development targets.