Mexico City obtains first place in the World Green City Awards 2022

• The city was recognized for actions such as the incorporation of more vegetation that increases social and economic well-being and environmental resilience, as well as the establishment and rehabilitation of 16 large parks with green areas and sports, recreational, educational and cultural infrastructure, contemplated in the Environmental and Climate Change Program of Mexico City 2019-2024.

The Secretariat of the Environment (Sedema) in the capital informs that Mexico City won first place in the “World Green City, 2022” awards, in the category “Living Green to combat Climate Change”, awarded by the International Association of Producers Horticulture (AIPH), within the framework of the Forum of Leaders of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The award recognizes the actions carried out in the city as part of the “Revegetation of the countryside and the city” axis of the Environmental and Climate Change Program of Mexico City 2019-2024, which was presented and launched since 2019 by the Head of Government, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. It should be noted that to guide this series of actions, a diagnostic and planning work was carried out that is integrated into the first Special Green Infrastructure Program of Mexico City.

The measures of this axis contribute to conserving the biocultural wealth of the City, reducing the impacts of climate change and improving air quality, mitigating the urban heat island effect, recovering public space for people and creating jobs green and a fair economy for the producers of the Conservation Land. In sum, all the actions of the axis “Revegetation of the countryside and the city” have allowed the capture of more than 4 thousand 635 tons of CO2 equivalent, from 2019 to 2022.

In Mexico City, more than 34 million trees and other types of plants have been planted, both in urban areas and in the Conservation Land and its rural areas. This was achieved thanks to the increase in the annual production of the Yecapixtla, Nezahualcóyotl and San Luis Tlaxialtemalco nurseries, belonging to the Government of Mexico City, which went from producing 308 thousand plants in 2018 to 10.6 million in 2022.

To date, more than 700 gardens have been created for pollinators and more than 1,500 hectares have been intervened to establish and rehabilitate 16 large parks with green areas and sports, recreational, educational and cultural infrastructure, located mainly in peripheral areas of the city. that historically lacked public spaces with green areas, through the “Sembrando Parques” program.

World Green City Awards 2022 is an initiative that distinguishes the most ambitious actions focused on building better environmental conditions in cities, based on solutions based on nature and, particularly, the incorporation of vegetation as an element to increase well-being social, economic and environmental resilience.

With an investment of more than 4 billion pesos in the city for these purposes, it has been possible to revegetate extensive areas of Conservation Land, as well as parks, streets, avenues, median strips, urban forests, ravines, Protected Natural Areas, and The conditions of rivers and canals have been improved, with a social vision that builds public spaces, strengthens food security and increases social welfare, in addition to recovering biodiversity and contributing to combating climate change.

It is worth mentioning that from all the participating cities, the best three were selected in each of six categories, making up a list of 18 cities from all over the world. Mexico City was selected in the “Living Green to Combat Climate Change” Category, obtaining one of the three best scores for addressing the root causes and effects of climate change to build a more livable and resilient city.

The Ministry of the Environment congratulates the winning cities in the other five categories: Bogotá, Colombia; Fortaleza, Brazil; Montréal, Canada; Paris France; and Hyderabad, India; as well as all those who participated and with whom the ambition of building cities that walk the path of sustainability and well-being is shared.