Mexico

Index rank 50

Energy Sustainability Index Rankings

 2010  2011  2012  Trend
Energy Performance  57  47  52 
Energy Security  48  51  45 
Social Equity  42  34  34 
Environmental Impact Mitigation  73  64  83 
       
Contextual Performance  46  46  46 
Political Strength  50  53  52 
Societal Strength  61  58  57 
Economic Strength  28  27  30 
       
Overall Rank  53  46  50 
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Fossil Fuel Resources

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Key Metrics

Industrial sector (% of GDP) 34.2
TPEP / TPEC  (net energy exporter) 1.23
Emission intensity (kg CO2 per USD) 1.29
Energy affordability (USD per kWh) 0.09
GDP / capita (PPP, USD); GDP Group 13,932 (C)
Energy intensity (million BTU per USD) 0.02
CO2 emissions (metric tons) / capita) 3.95
Population Access to Electricity (%) 100.0
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Index Commentary

Mexico’s overall drop by four places in the Index to rank 50 is mainly driven by a weaker environmental performance. This is caused by increased emissions in the electricity and heat generation and a lower quality of air and water, and could not be offset by improvements achieved in emissions and energy intensity per capita. Environmental impact mitigation is Mexico’s weakest dimension (rank 83) of the energy trilemma. Energy security increases due to a substantial decrease in the energy consumption growth rate. Mexico’s performance in social equity and in the contextual dimensions remains stable. Political stability, rule of law and availability of credits to the private sector are particularly weak indicators.

Trends and Outlook

The most important policy development is the enactment of the General Law on Climate Change in June 2012. México is the second country, after the UK, that has enacted a law that frames the actions to be taken as far as climate change is concerned, both from an emission mitigation point of view as well as measures of adaptation. The three explicit goals are 1) by 2020, there should be a 30% reduction in emissions with respect to a business as usual (BAU) projection; 2) by 2024, 35% of the electricity generation has to be from clean energies (non-GHG emitting technologies); and 3) by 2050, an aspirational goal of a 50% reduction in emissions with respect to a BAU projection. Furthermore, the first issue of the National Energy Strategy (NEA) was submitted and approved by the Congress in 2009, with the provision to be revisited on an annual basis. Among other provisions, NEA establishes the production from ‘clean energy sources’ in line with the General Law on Climate Change and although no concrete projects have been decided, nuclear power is being considered as part of the 35% goal for clean energy technologies. The greatest challenges policymakers ought to focus on in order to meet the above mentioned targets are 1) the continuation of a renewable energy program and the re-initiation of a nuclear program; 2) continued increase of production of both oil and natural gas on and off-shore as well as the development of shale gas resources; and 3) improved energy efficiency and energy conservation including decreasing energy intensity.

Notes

1) Data for shale gas resources not available; 2) As noted by the Mexican WEC member committee available data from national sources might differ from data used to calculate the Energy Sustainability Index and shown under key metrics.