Summary
On 18 July 2024, Mexico City enacted a new Environmental Law that recognizes the rights of nature and puts ecological balance and public health at the center of urban policy. The objective of the law is to regulates the provisions contained in Article 13 and 16 of the Constitution of Mexico City adopted in 2017, which refers to the right to a healthy environment and “the broadest protection of the rights of nature, comprised of all its ecosystems and species, as a collective entity subject to rights.”
Background
In 2016, the former Federal District officially transitioned to Ciudad de México (CDMX) and became the 32nd federal entity of Mexico, giving it autonomy comparable to that of a state. The transition included Mexico City creating its own constitution and legislature, in line with the other Mexican federal states.
The 2024 law replaces the 2013 reform of the Environmental Law of the Federal District, which had regulated the city’s environmental governance since 2000. That law focused primarily on land conservation, pollution control, and the management of natural resources within the urban territory, but it did not incorporate the 2017 constitutional recognition of nature as a rights-bearing entity. The 2024 law builds directly on the previous legislative framework, but restructures it to align with the Constitution of Mexico City.
Legal Provisions
The law establishes the legal basis for local environmental policy and management within Mexico City’s jurisdiction.
Article 1. codifies the constitutional requirement that city authorities must guarantee the preservation, protection, and restoration of ecological systems and recognize the rights of ecosystems, communities and individuals to a healthy environment, as well as:
III. To guarantee the maintenance and recovery of the functionality of natural ecosystems, as well as the conservation, sustainable management and valuation of biodiversity and environmental services, their protection and preservation, as fundamental factors for the sustainable development of Mexico City and the well-being of its inhabitants;
VI. To prevent, and where appropriate, mitigate and reverse damage to the environment, as well as to conserve and restore the ecological balance;
XVI. To contribute to the fulfillment of international commitments and national goals regarding the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development.
Article 2. outlines commitments on wetland preservation, sustainable water use, and water treatment and distribution. It also introduces a reporting instrument known as the Manifestación Ambiental Única, which requires regulated facilities to submit environmental compliance information on emissions, water use, discharges, and waste management.
Additional provisions require consultation with affected communities for certain development projects and establish rules for ecological compensation when construction affects urban green spaces.
Ecological Context
Mexico city is the largest city in North America with a population of 21 million people. It sits in a high altitude valley of 2,240 meters that was once the lake bed of Lake Texcoco, a system of interconnected salt and freshwater lakes, that was drained in the 17th century. Drainage of the lake has led to significant ecological and human consequences: the over-extraction of groundwater means the soft land base under much of the city is collapsing; the city is highly vulnerable to both water shortage and flooding; native species endemic to the lake region, such as the axolotl, have become severely endangered or extinct due to ecosystem change.
Related Initiatives
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2026. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/mexico-city-environmental-law-2024-legislative-provisions-for-the-constitutional-rights-of-nature/.
When using our data, please follow the FAIR and CARE Principles for data governance outlined in our Ethics Statement. We are doing our best to be correct in the information we provide, but if you notice any omission or inaccuracy, please report this to us immediately at info@ecojurisprudence.org so we can correct it.
Eco Jurisprudence Tracker is licensed under CC BY 4.0
