Critics question oil and gas spending in Mexico’s proposed climate budget

MEXICO CITY — President Claudia Sheinbaum this month presented a draft fiscal budget for 2027, outlining the national government’s plans for everything from tax rates and health care to infrastructure, education and defense spending. When it comes to funding for climate policies, Sheinbaum has increased spending in some areas while decreasing it in others, and included projects that appear to have little or nothing to do with the environment. Some parts of the climate budget, which still needs Congressional approval, continue to pump spending into fossil fuels, critics said. They expressed concern about the budget’s lack of detail and how the government will use the money. “The fact that these programs appear [under climate change adaptation] doesn’t, in itself, demonstrate that all their expenditures can be considered mitigation or adaptation measures,” the Mexican Civil Council for Sustainable Forestry (CCMSS) said in Sept. 11 statement. The proposed 252-page budget allocates 20.3 billion pesos ($1.2 billion) to the national energy transition strategy, an increase from the 17.9 billion pesos ($1 billion) allocated for 2026. Around 8.8 billion pesos ($510 million) of that budget would go to strengthening “energy self-sufficiency, sovereignty and security,” as well as “sustainable development.” The Olmeca oil refinery stands at the Dos Bocas port in Paraiso, Tabasco state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Included in that effort is 2.5 million pesos ($145,000) for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources for environmental certification of companies. Another 11.4 billion pesos (664 million) would be allocated to “strategic renewable energy projects” and…This article was originally published on

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