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One of the most likely countries to be negatively impacted by forced climate change is Mexico, says a 2009 report by the World Bank Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. For this reason and for its voluntary reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Mexico is the ideal location for the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun.

Mexico Climate Change

As a developing country that has implemented domestic environmental controls, Mexico shines. It demonstrates that any country can be environmentally responsible to the extent of its abilities.

The Mexican government’s voluntary program for businesses to measure and report GHG emissions reveals the country’s motivation to collaborate. In fact, it has been so successful that the number of businesses using it as a supplement to international protocols has doubled between 2006 and 2009.

From the time experts disclosed the negative impacts of climate change on man and nature, Mexican authorities had established programs to generate a greener economy and reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

The country’s environmental commitment has extended to the international community by its participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1993, signing the Kyoto Protocol* in 1998 and endorsing it in 2000.

UN Climate Change Conference

Mexico continues to be an active contributor on environmental issues as it hosts the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference from November 29th through December 10th in Cancun. This significant event includes the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) and the 6th Conference of the Parties with a meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP6).*

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), says the conference is about “identifying what elements they will be able to agree on in Cancun.” She indicates at least two elements require a consensus:

(1) Providing support to countries having catastrophic events, and

(2) Requiring developed countries to provide developing countrieswith financial and technological support.

Conference Contributions

Recognizing that the potential energy output from this conference could contribute to negative environmental impacts from added greenhouse gas emissions, the Mexican government established recommendations for conference organizers and its attendees to:

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Use renewable energy sources

Neutralize greenhouse gas emissions through soil conservation programs

Participate in reforestation programs worldwide and in Mexico

Support sustainable forest management worldwide and in Mexico

A benefit of holding the climate change conference in Cancun is an agreement to plant 10,000 trees and bushes along Cancun’s main corridor to the Riviera Maya, Luis Donaldo Colosio Boulevard, which will assist with carbon capture, sequestration, and beautification.

Another benefit of the conference is the establishment of a residual waste management program that facilitates processing and elimination of various types of waste. Recycling containers will be placed in official meeting areas of the conference and throughout the city of Cancun.

Sustainable Tourism

As a sustainable tourism resort, Hacienda Tres Ríos’ focuses on preserving the environment while providing luxurious vacation accommodations. Pleased that the U.N. climate change conference is being held in nearby Cancun, the resort company hopes environmental programs will be approved worldwide. This resort is one of various Mexican organizations – but one of the few in tourism – that exceeds environmental regulations, having started with environmental friendly design and construction.

As part of their ongoing environmental friendly practices, Hacienda Tres Ríos offers guests the opportunity to choose a carbon-neutral stay at the resort for just $1 USD per night, which allows guests to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using clean, renewable energy. This is just one of many eco friendly features of this resort.

Click on this link for more information about Hacienda Tres Ríos Resort, Spa & Nature Park’s sustainable tourism model.

* Adopted on December 11, 1997, in Kyoto, Japan, the Kyoto Protocol established customized, legally binding requirements for 37 industrialized countries and the European community to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 2008 and 2012.