Paper short abstract:

Why did Mexico pass a Climate Change Law? International negotiations have tended to divide between industrialized and developing countries. However, peculiarities of countries may affect their policy options. This paper examines why Mexico having no formal international commitment decided to act.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the unexpected: why a developing country with no formal international commitment to act in the area of climate change actually acts in unpredicted way to the point of becoming the second country in the world to pass a climate change law that limits its capacity to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The starting point of this paper is the recognition that not all developing countries are the same. Some peculiarities of countries may affect their policy drive for change. By looking at the relationship between domestic policy making and the role of different 'clubs,' such as the G-20 and the OECD, jointly with the multilateral development banks, as sources of funding for climate actions this paper seeks to trace the process by which Mexico made significant progress. It suggest that Mexico's changes in the domestic political structure in the last decade, as well as its positioning within the international negotiations on climate created a unique interplay where Mexico is not a simple recipient of resources under donors' conditions. Rather, it's a multi-level negotiation where Mexico uses its membership in selected groups as a bargaining position to get resources in the best conditions possible for its development in exchange for specific actions, and those action have become viable in the post-PRI arena.