Germany and Mexico expanded bilateral cooperation on climate policy, water management, circular economy and gender-inclusive sustainability initiatives during German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider’s visit to Mexico. The collaboration supports Mexico’s climate adaptation and regulatory agenda through projects tied to biodiversity conservation, water security and implementation of the country’s NDC 3.0 commitments, with participation from SEMARNAT, SEDEMA, CONAGUA and GIZ. The initiatives are relevant for infrastructure, environmental services, ESG, water technology and sustainability-focused investment linked to Mexico’s long-term climate resilience strategy.
Carsten Schneider, Germany’s Minister for the Environment, visited Mexico with the aim of strengthening cooperation in areas such as the circular economy, human rights, gender equity and water supply.
Schneider met with his Mexican counterpart, Alicia Bárcena, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), to discuss several sustainability-related issues, including the circular economy. On May 22, Mexico signed a joint declaration on the circular economy with the European Union (EU). The initiative, which forms part of the Modernized Global Agreement (MGA), is intended to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, including plastic pollution, while also reinforcing economic resilience, competitiveness and sustainable job creation.
Moreover, Schneider attended the presentation of the Strategic Plan on Gender, Human Rights and Climate Change (PEGDHCC), developed by SEMARNAT in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for Women and the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The PEGDHCC recognizes that Mexico is a country highly vulnerable to climate change and that its impacts affect historically excluded populations and communities in vulnerable conditions in differentiated and disproportionate ways. The instrument will support the implementation of Mexico’s NDC 3.0 and strengthen compliance with the country’s international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Lima Work Programme on Gender and its renewed Action Plan, as well as the Escazú Agreement, among others.
Schneider emphasized that women and girls are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, making international collaboration essential in addressing extreme weather events, poverty and water scarcity. “According to United Nations agencies, during climate events, women and girls are 14 times more likely to die than men and boys. This shows that the climate crisis has a highly selective impact. We must do everything possible to stop climate change and, above all, protect the population, especially Indigenous peoples and rural communities,” he said.
He added that Mexico and Germany share values of social justice, equality and environmental protection, and that international cooperation is indispensable in the face of the climate crisis. “There must be no rollback in environmental, climate or feminist policies. We need to unite to confront these challenges. The Strategic Gender Plan positions Mexico as a benchmark for other countries,” Schneider said.
For her part, Bárcena highlighted that Mexico and Germany share the vision that climate action must be built on social justice. “The climate crisis is no longer in the future; it is already here and defining our times (…) when extreme weather events occur, inequalities become explicit, particularly in communities where the effects of biodiversity loss, droughts, hurricanes and wildfires are felt most intensely,” she noted.
During his visit, Schneider also participated in the high-level dialogue Mexico and Germany, Together for Water, where the Water Campaign promoted through funding from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) was presented. The IKI is a German government mechanism focused on international projects for climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity conservation.
During the event, organized by Mexico City’s Ministry of the Environment (SEDEMA) in coordination with the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) and GIZ, authorities toured the canals of Xochimilco aboard trajineras. The visit highlighted the environmental, cultural and historical value of the chinampa system and addressed the ecological importance of the area as a refuge for endemic species, including the axolotl, as well as the environmental services this strategic ecosystem provides to the country’s capital.
Authorities also presented the Goals for Water initiative, through which digital media and social networks during the 2026 FIFA World Cup will broadcast messages aimed at raising awareness among visitors about the responsible use of water during their stay in Mexico City and promoting a shared culture of water conservation.
The campaign recognizes that major sporting events create multiple environmental challenges due, among other factors, to increased carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption. However, it also proposes that the football tournament become an opportunity to generate large-scale behavioral change, especially among young people, thereby strengthening the transition toward sustainable development.
The visit also reaffirmed collaboration between both countries within the project “Nature-Based Solutions for Resilient Water Management in the Valley of Mexico,” which seeks to strengthen climate adaptation strategies, ecosystem restoration and water security through an integrated approach.
Julia Álvarez Icaza, Minister, SEDEMA, underscored that cooperation between Mexico and Germany demonstrates how international partnerships can translate into concrete projects for the protection of water resources and biodiversity. Meanwhile, Schneider stressed that water-related challenges require a global vision and response, noting that what happens in territories such as Xochimilco has impacts beyond national borders. He also emphasized the importance of guaranteeing the universal human right to water and strengthening international cooperation to address environmental and climate challenges.