Diagnosis and roadmap of the Voluntary Carbon Market Access Strategy for the State of Yucatan, Mexico

Available languages: Spanish

The Secretariat of Sustainable Development (SDS) of the State of Yucatan, Mexico, with the support of Climate Focus and UNDP, developed a roadmap to maximize opportunities and mitigate risks of the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM). At its core, this roadmap brings capacities and support to communities (ejidos). Aligned with and complemented by the state’s policies on climate change, ecosystem recovery and conservation, the roadmap presents concrete actions to further ensure environmental and social benefits.

Yucatan—an area recognized worldwide for its natural ecosystems, especially tropical rainforests, mangroves, and rich biodiversity—is experiencing high pressures on its forests from human activities such as illegal fishing and logging, land use change, and unregulated tourism. In this context, the VCM, embedded in a portfolio of public policies, is an instrument with the potential to attract additional investments for ecosystem conservation and restoration as well as sustainable development.

In this roadmap, the government defines concrete roles it will play to maximize the opportunities of the VCM, while at the same time identifying and mitigating risks.  These functions focus on addressing the needs of key stakeholders, preserving the rights of communities as well as aligning the VCM’s potential with state policy instruments, strategies, and regulations.

Analyzing opportunities, risks and barriers through research, expert interviews, and training workshops with subnational governments and three ejidos in Yucatan, the roadmap proposes actions focused on three key areas:

• Communication and participation with key stakeholders from the public and private sector, civil society, and communities.
• Analysis of legal competencies and adoption of an internal regulation for the government.
• Creation of a support hub for communities and ejidos, including technical and legal training.

This Strategy is framed under the “VCM Access Strategies”, a work axis of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI).

Spanish Summary

Yucatán – zona reconocida a nivel mundial por sus ecosistemas naturales, especialmente selvas tropicales y manglares, y amplia biodiversidad –  está sujeto a altas presiones sobre sus bosques por actividades humanas como la pesca y la tala ilegales, el cambio de uso del suelo y el turismo no regulado. Bajo este contexto, el Mercado Voluntario de Carbono (MVC), dentro de un portafolio de políticas públicas, es un instrumento con potencial de atraer inversión adicional para la conservación y la restauración de los ecosistemas y el desarrollo sustentable en el Estado.

En esta hoja de ruta, el gobierno define roles concretos que jugará para maximizar estas oportunidades, cuando al mismo tiempo identifica y mitiga riesgos asociados. Estas funciones se enfocan en enfrentar las necesidades de actores clave, salvaguardar los derechos de las comunidades y siempre alineado con las políticas, estrategias y regulaciones estatales.

Analizando riesgos y barreras a través de desk research, entrevistas a expertos, un taller de capacitación a gobiernos estatales y a tres ejidos en Yucatán, las acciones de la hoja de ruta están enfocadas en tres areas principales:

• Comunicación y participación con actores clave del sector público, privado, sociedad civil y comunidades.
• Análisis sobre competencias legales y adopción de un reglamento interno para el gobierno.
• Creación de un hub de apoyo para comunidades y ejidos, incluyendo capacitación técnica y legal.

Esta Estrategia se enmarca bajo las “Estrategias de Acceso al MVC” (VCM Access Strategies, por sus siglas en inglés), un eje de trabajo de la Iniciativa para la Integridad de Mercados Voluntarios de Carbono (Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative – VCMI).