A shining example of interagency collaboration

Update: Download our policy summary here [PDF]

The Mexican government has published the final proposal (Proyecto) for fuel economy / CO2 standards in the Diario Oficial de la Federación, along with the accompanying regulatory impact assessment (MIR according to the acronym in Spanish) published by COFEMER, the Federal Regulatory Commission. The documents are open for 60 calendar days of public comment, after which time the government will respond to comments and publish the final standard (Norma).

The proposal was published as a joint proposal of the Economy, Energy and Environment Ministries just 12 days after Mexico’s elections. The current government remains in office until December 1, giving them plenty of time to finalize the proposal. In any case, it is likely that the new government will also be supportive of such a measure that reduces Mexico’s climate impacts, saves energy, and benefits consumers and the government—based on the fuel saving predicted in the MIR this proposal will save consumers $50 billion dollars out to 2030 and an additional $10 billion in reduced subsidies for the government (at current fuel prices and subsidy levels). Hopefully the next administration can greatly increase these benefits by extending harmonization out to 2025 with the next round of U.S. standards, expected to be finalized in September.

This proposal demonstrates what government agencies can achieve when they work together, something that happens all too rarely in countries around the world. By highlighting the shared benefits of fuel economy or greenhouse gas standards among various sectors of society and integrating the different points of views inherent in different agencies, the proposal is able to transcend election-year politics and more likely to withstand serious scrutiny and gain widespread support. Another example of interagency collaboration is the the joint proposals of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which will result in an approximate doubling of fuel economy in little more than a decade, after two decades of more-or-less unchanged fuel economy under the watch of just one agency. While working together may be frustrating and feel slow to the agencies involved, it is a real factor in making progress. This proposal by the three Mexico agencies demonstrates that good regulation transcends politics and ideology in order to benefit all of society.

For additional details and context on the proposal, see our policy update, or download the fact sheet below.