President Claudia Sheinbaum has promised to end the flaring of gas by Pemex and has committed to ensuring that all new energy demand in Mexico is met with renewable energy once current projects are completed.
Additionally, the Southeast Gateway Project, worth $4.5 billion, will deliver up to 300 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from Texas to the Yucatán Peninsula, powering energy plants and a proposed transcontinental railway corridor.
Environmentalists argue that this pipeline threatens the fragile reef ecosystem off the coast of Veracruz, disrupts the livelihoods of indigenous and fishing communities, and endangers the breeding sites of endangered sea turtles.
Oscar Ocampo, an energy analyst at the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, pointed out that access to reliable energy in southeastern Mexico is one of the most critical issues, and while the pipeline may bridge that gap, it also locks Mexico into fossil fuels for generations.
Despite the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Sheinbaum's government has bet on this pipeline to diversify the economy of Yucatán, although it remains a challenge to meet sustainability goals and reduce emissions.
The construction of the pipeline has sparked debate between those who value job creation and the associated economic development, and those who oppose it due to the long-term environmental impacts and continued dependence on fossil fuels. It is a challenge for Sheinbaum to balance these needs and objectives.
There are doubts about whether this pipeline will be the best option to meet Mexico's ambitious climate goals, especially in the long term. While it may initially help reduce emissions by converting power plants to gas instead of oil, in the long run, it may contribute to the increase of carbon emissions in the country.
Ultimately, the construction of this pipeline reflects a dilemma faced by many developing countries: the need for energy to drive economic development vs. the urgency to reduce emissions and protect the environment in the long term. In Mexico, this dilemma is embodied in Sheinbaum and her efforts to find a balance between these two key aspects for the country's future.
