The Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, led by Alicia Bárcena, expressed her concern about the decrease in the budget allocated to the federal agency, which amounts to more than 25 billion pesos according to the Economic Package Project 2025 established by President Claudia Sheinbaum.
In a radio interview, Bárcena mentioned that Sheinbaum committed to addressing this issue, given that Semarnat had already experienced cuts in the previous administration. The official stated that they will seek to be more efficient but acknowledged that this reduction will impact the working capacity of the Secretary.
Regarding resource seeking, Bárcena reported that they are exploring alternatives such as obtaining international funds, like the 40 million dollars secured during the Conference of Parties in Cartagena, Colombia, last month. The goal is to reach the 200 million dollars needed to expand the protected natural areas in Mexico and fulfill the commitments of the 2030 agenda.
Concerning the 2024 budget, Bárcena shared that she is in discussions with President Sheinbaum to address the cut in the agency and seek solutions. She emphasized the importance of maintaining at least last year's budget and mentioned that they are in dialogue with the Treasury to find ways to compensate for it.
Regarding the figures, it is detailed that Semarnat received in the 2025 Federal Expenditure Budget Project an allocation of 44 billion 370 million 522 thousand 371 pesos, while for 2024 a budget of 70 billion 245 million 482 thousand 469 pesos was contemplated, which represents a reduction of 25 billion 874 million 960 thousand 98 pesos, a 36 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
