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In this study we investigate the effectiveness of environmental regulation in a large developing country. We construct a panel of 3,436 major toxics polluters from 2004 to 2015 using detailed plant-specific data on toxics releases, inspections, and fines, across Mexico. Our results show that regulators target polluters who are significantly non-compliant and impose higher fines on them. This has implications for the cost efficiency of monitoring and regulatory enforcement. An additional priority violation increases current toxics inspections, fines, and amount of fines by 7, 5 and 18 per cent, respectively. An additional priority violation followed by fines imposed on the plant results in a reduction in annual toxics releases by more than 50 per cent. Higher fines imposed on other major facilities in the same municipality induce plants to reduce the annual release of toxic pollutants by 0.1 per cent. Finally, inspections and fines increase the likelihood of reporting toxics releases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A critical ecological threshold was determined between simulation years 25 and 50. • Unacceptable risk was reached before the threshold under laissez-faire strategy. • Crossing the threshold increased greatly the risk of reducing the whale abundance. • At simulation year 25 there was an average of 60 whale watching boats. • Establishing a legal maximum below 60 whale watching boats reduced the risk. Policy-making to protect threatened species implies dealing with uncertainty and ignorance. Conservation management of the Eastern gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) population through the regulation of whale watching in the lagoon Ojo de Liebre, Mexico, is a useful example of policy-making challenged by lack of scientific knowledge regarding the negative long-term effects of whale watching. We present a pragmatic approach to provide Mexican authorities the technical information they need to justify the establishment of a maximum number of boats under conditions of deep uncertainty. Operationally, our approach combines system dynamics modelling, to simulate the boats' impact on the breeding habitat, with ecological risk assessment, to determine the probability of crossing a critical ecological threshold, which is associated to a risk of severely reducing the gray whale abundance in the lagoon. Thus, our approach addresses the issue of establishing a legal maximum number of boats to protect threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the perception of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Aguascalientes on the influence of environmental regulations on the competitiveness of enterprises. The results show that if a company has approximately 11 years and planned to continue growing, the likely that the firm felt that the environmental rules do not affect competitiveness is relatively low. This perception would be explained by the poor and inadequate existing environmental regulatory framework. Therefore, reforms are needed to environmental regulations, for example, implement technical and financial mechanisms that encourage the firms to comply with the environmental regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National and local authorities worldwide are facing new forms of industrial organization that impede environmental regulation of industrial activities. After the latest waves of public utility privatizations, accompanied by concentration in diverse economic sectors and the maturation of global manufacturing, it is to be expected that regulators might find themselves with little independence or power to design and enforce regulatory schemes. This is particularly true for the promotion of environmental protection through technological innovation in firms. This article argues that business cycles in the maquiladora industry and the institutional capabilities of regional authorities are direct structural constraints that inhibit the promotion of cleaner production in the Mexican-U. S. Border region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to use the experience of pollution in the Imperial and Baja California Valleys under NAFTA, as a cautionary model to provide recommendations for deterrence of similar ecological degradation effects that could emerge under the newly-approved CAFTA. Design/methodology/approach - Analysis of the region using existing statistical data and content analysis of qualitative data from the Imperial and Baja California Valleys, and Costa Rica. Findings - Economics and ecology have thus far not proved to have a complementary relationship, based on the NAFTA experience in the Imperial and Baja California Valleys. Early data on environmental law suits in the CAFTA region against environmental regulations also point to a negative attitude by business to environmental protections of nation-states. CAFTA's investment rules puts corporate rights over ecosystems by limiting public regulation and granting legal avenues to corporations to sue governments for "barriers to trade", where national environmental laws are seen as these so-called "barriers to trade". Research limitations/implications - CAFTA was promulgated in 2005, but only put into effect, January 1, 2006. Thus, as more data emerges about its impacts, additional and more definitive studies can be undertaken. Practical implications - Looking at the possible environmental effects of CAFTA and NAFTA provides the international community a chance to consider early remediation and prevention measures for the environmental sustainability of the CAFTA region within the context of this large economic market. Originality/value - This is a fresh and early look at a newly-installed international trade policy, and its value to scholars and practitioners lies in its cautionary guidance for the future of CAFTA. These arguments are based on experience with other, more longer-lived, trade policies like NAFTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the U.S. Mexico dispute over the fishing, importation and sale of tuna caught using methods lethal to dolphins. It discusses the international and domestic environmental regulations governing the fishing and marketing of tuna-dolphins. The structure and asset specifity of the tuna industry are examined.

Zinapécuaro is located 50 km of Morelia, capital city of the state of Michoacan, this region has several problems because of domestic solid waste generated by 14 547 people; the actual disposal dump does not have any technical specifications, so it has environmental implications like soil, air and water pollution as well as unpleasant odors, harmful animals and groundwater resources pollution. The final disposition of solid waste in Zinapecuaro is one of the most critical and imperative problems to be solved. This study deals with basic technical proposal to establish the bases to select the suitable place for building a landfill according to the actual environmental regulation. The main criteria followed by this research were the Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM 083-SEMARNAT-2003 and four Mexican Technical Standards (NMX) that contain the procedures to determine the type of materials generated. According to statistical analysis applied to domestic solid waste sampling, the final disposition site at Zinapecuaro is classified as "C" type, the generation average is 0.62 kilograms per inhabitant per each day and the volumetric weight is 252.54 kg/m3. The kinds of rocks identify were basalts and volcanoclastic deposits range from Superior Triasic to Quaternary. Also presented lacustrine deposits and the most recent alluvial sediments are at the top of the stratigraphic column. The municipal authorities were interested in abandoned mine use for landfill, so Francisco Villa site fulfilled technical specifications for "C" type of disposal dump. We strongly recommend some specific studies as a compliment to this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “Pollution Haven Hypothesis” is the prediction that trade liberalization will lead to the movement of polluting industries from high income/stringent environmental regulation countries to low income/lax environmental regulation countries. This prediction has led to concerns that NAFTA would be an environmental disaster for Mexico. The three articles included in this collection investigate the post-NAFTA environmental performance of Mexico using both aggregate data on pollution emissions as well as firm-level data on environmental abatement efforts. In this article, I summarize the contribution in the context of the trade/environmental literature and provide some suggestions for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the adoption of voluntary environmental management programs by firms operating in Mexico. Mexican firms can obtain national certification (Clean Industry) and/or international certification (ISO 14001). Based on institutional entrepreneurship theory, we posit that the role played by first movers as institutional entrepreneurs is crucial if these programs are to become established with sufficient strength and appeal. This understanding is especially important in an environment where more than one program can be adopted. We tested several hypotheses on the behaviors of 1328 facilities operating in Mexico, half of which (664) had certified environmental management programs. Of the 664 certified facilities, 217 were classified as early adopters. Three variables predicted the likelihood of a facility being an early adopter: (1) connected to international market, (2) in the maquila sector, and (3) linked to an industry association that offers free resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal ecosystems are attractive sites for tourism. In the central Pacific coast of Mexico in the La Boquita coastal system (LBCS), consisting of a beach and a coastal lagoon, the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model was implemented for the spatial and temporal analysis of socio environmental indicators, aiming to gather information for decision-making and implementation of management strategies. The spatial occupation (umbrellas and tables) of the beach showed a 50–200% increase during the Easter season relative to the low season, while the area containing restaurants (called "ramadas") increased by 396% in 15 years, representing pressure on land use for tourism purposes. The density of beach users ranged from moderate to high (<10 m2/user) during the holiday seasons in the tourism area. The Trophic index (TRIX), used as an indicator of trophic status, revealed mesotrophic-to-eutrophic conditions in lagoon water due to the limited water exchange with the adjacent ocean and to DIN and DIP inputs from adjacent tourist areas. The analysis of the environmental legislation showed that law enforcement in the LBCS is poor or nil, with most environmental regulations either ignored or having inadequate enforcement monitoring. This has led to the current state of socio environmental disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Salud Pública de México is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the presence of imperfect information, voluntary certification can provide an important complement to mandatory inspections as a basis for environmental regulation in low income countries. Using data from Mexico's Clean Industry Program, we show that patterns of compliance and certification by sector are consistent with a model in which selection into the voluntary program permits more efficient targeting of regulator effort. As expected given the informational role played by certification in the model, we also find evidence, for a sample of publicly traded firms, of positive stock price deviations linked to the announcement of certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the National Environmental Audit Program, a co-regulatory approach established by the Mexican government for the enforcement of its environmental laws. It examines the use and concept of environmental co-regulation. It says that co-regulation in environmental law usually comes forth in industrializing countries for various reasons.

Abstract: This paper reports the results of extending a previous analysis of reductions in ozone exposures resulting from greenhouse gas reduction policies in Mexico, to the case of estimating reductions in premature death and risks of non-fatal diseases following reductions in both ozone and particulate matter exposures. The results show that a policy of greenhouse gas reduction in the Mexican economy by 77% relative to a baseline growth scenario results in reduced mortality loss of almost 3000 lives per year. The benefit in terms of non-fatal disease is 417,000 cases reduced per year, at a savings of $0.6B per year in cost of illness. These reductions in human health risk, stemming from co-benefits of climate change policies, are significant in light of targets of risk reduction typically used in environmental regulatory decisions, and would be considered important drivers of policy choice if climate policy were harmonised with other areas of risk-based environmental policy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hundreds of miles of barriers span the U.S.–Mexico border, not only blocking the migration of people, but also crisscrossing National Parks and Wildlife Refuges and bifurcating important wildlife corridors in the process. Despite their location within federally protected places, the past and present construction of these barriers has progressed unencumbered by federal oversight given the waiver of dozens of environmental regulations. This shift in regulation amid increased border militarization has not been fully evaluated for its environmental effects, as federal conservation agencies tasked with managing public borderlands are increasingly prohibited from studying how barriers will affect the landscape in the long term. This research examines how the state is shaping environmental governance and knowledge politics in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands, an environmentally significant and hyperpoliticized region integral to the maintenance of the United States as an imperial border-making institution. Bringing together theories on political ecologies of the settler colonial state with the racialization of nature, this article demonstrates how (1) the Department of Homeland Security has emerged as an environmental actor produced through a reconfiguration of settler state power; (2) knowledge claims about the environment are produced in ways that elide the ecological consequences of border barriers; and (3) racialized discourses of migrants are codified in environmental governing documents that support increased border militarization. I conclude with a discussion of how settler colonial technologies of environmental governance create new geographies of militarization and conservation in federally protected places along the U.S.–Mexico border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal is to analyze the environmental regulatory protection framework in México in face of the challenges that hydraulic fracturing represents for local drinking water sources. A descriptive methodology approach is applied, using the case of the U.S. as reference. The results indicate that current Mexican regulatory framework presents robust measures that highly restrict hydraulic fracturing however; given the complex nature of the process, an explicit ban hasn't been implemented. Conclusions indicate that the extraction of shale gas presents a high uncertainty level regarding its potential environmental impacts. Therefore efforts to eliminate the uncertainty should be taken to contribute to a socially responsible exploitation of this resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RAE: Revista de Administração de Empresas is the property of Fundacao Getulio Vargas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Most countries, notably those that signed the Paris Climate Agreement, prioritize achieving the zero carbon or carbon neutrality aim. Unlike earlier studies, this one assesses the contribution of environmental policy, clean energy, green innovation, and renewable energy to the E7 economies' achievement of carbon neutrality goals from 1990 to 2019. Findings emanating from the study show that the EKC hypothesis is valid in E7 countries. Implying that emissions in the E7 countries increased with the kick-off of development but declined later due to possible potent environmental regulatory policies put in place. Similarly, across all models, renewable energy (REN), green innovations (GINNO), environmental tax (ETAX), and technological innovations (TECH) were found to exert a negative and significant impact on carbon emissions in the E7 countries both in the short and long run. On the other hand, economic expansion (GDP) positively impacts environmental deterioration. Furthermore, the country-specific result shows that, on average, Brazil, India, China, Russia, Mexico, and Indonesia have significant environmental policies aiding carbon abatement. Except for Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia, the income growth in the rest of the countries does not follow the EKC proposition. Furthermore, the causality result revealed a unidirectional causal relationship between GDP, REN, and GINNO to CO2 emission. No causality was found between ETAX with CO2, while a bi-directional causality exists between technology and CO2 emissions. Based on the finding, policymakers in the E7 countries should move away from fossil fuels because future electricity output will not be sufficient to reduce emissions considerably. Environmental regulations, encouraging technological innovation, adopting green and sustainable technology, and clean energy sources, among other things, demand radical and broad changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing tariff schemes often fail to achieve basic economic objectives. They set prices per unit that either exceed or fall short the social marginal cost and produce unfair distributional outcomes. In many cases, electricity rates also contribute to unsustainable fiscal deficits due to the (almost) generalized electricity subsidies. Moreover, inefficient residential tariffs do not favor the adoption of green technologies and the investment in energy efficiency improvements. We argue that the efficient deployment of green technologies, and more generally, the clean energy transition, will require electricity tariff reforms. In this paper, we use household level data and hourly industry data from Mexico to show how more efficient pricing mechanisms (such as a two-part tariff scheme in the context of efficient nodal pricing), combined with well-design environmental regulations (e.g., net-metering schemes) and correctly targeted transfer programs (e.g., means testing mechanisms) can improve economic, social, and environmental outcomes significantly, all at once. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a model of used vehicle trade between the United States and Mexico, countries with different environmental regulations regarding vehicle emissions. We demonstrate that the United States, with its strict environmental regulations, has a motive to export used vehicles to Mexico, which impacts air pollution emissions from vehicle driving in Mexico. Using unique data on the import and registration of vehicles in Mexico after NAFTA, we find that Mexico's used vehicle imports reduce pollution emissions generated from vehicle driving mainly because of the technique effect, that is, model–age‐comparable vehicles imported from the United States emit less than those originally operated in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents some preliminary results of the research project entitled 'Development of a methodology for conducting the inventory, characterization and verification of sites potentially contaminated with Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) in major agricultural areas of the state of Sonora': First, some approaches that emerge from the risk society regarding environmental issues in general and POPs in particular. Then, an approach to the problem of POPs that gave rise to the Stockholm Convention; the evidence of such a problem in Mexico, in Sonora and the obligations assumed by subscribing to such agreement. Nationally, the emphasis is placed on the analysis of environmental regulations related to toxics, and at state level, evidence shows the presence of POPs and their impact on the environment and on human health. Finally, the paper presents some reflections on the challenges and areas of opportunity for Mexico when dealing with problems associated to the presence of POPS, on the basis of following international guidelines, official regulations and analysis suggestions from the perspective of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is responsible for the protection and management of a large number and variety of aquatic bodies of national and international importance. Environmental pollution by so-called persistent and bioaccumulative toxic substances (PBTS) poses significant risks for all of the world's aquatic ecosystems, especially in countries with emerging economies, where environmental regulations are often poorly implemented. In Mexico, the development of industrial projects and the deficient application of environmental regulations, together with the rapid increase in population and the inefficient disposal of urban waste, have generated a severe problem of water pollution in the country. National environmental protection programs have not included the monitoring of PBTS, even though researchers have been monitoring the main aquatic ecosystems of the country for nearly three decades, generating valuable information that could help improve the protection and exploitation of these ecosystems. The present work reviewed a large portion of the available literature (~150 articles) on aquatic biomonitoring of the main PBTS (Hg, Cd, Pb, POCs, and PCBs) in Mexico. This work aims to collect, synthesize, and facilitate the management and interpretation of the reported data to improve the country's aquatic ecosystems' protection and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land histories originate in multiple disciplines. The corpus of thisresearch, however, does not link well to the science of global environmental change, despite explicit recognition by that science to incorporate land history. History and global change science would both benefit by such linkages, which necessitates the development of 'integrated land history.' This interdisciplinary research subject is identified here, illustrated through the Southern Yucatan Peninsular Regionproject. This project addresses tropical deforestation and agricultural change in a frontier 'hot spot' of biotic diversity. It seeks to inform environmental and global change science, including its human and modeling dimensions. Emphasis is placed on the mutual benefits forboth land history and global change studies created by the integration in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based solely on the personal criteria and experience of the staff, the environmental authorities in Mexico decide if any proposed productive project requires an environmental impact study. If the staff requires one, it can be assigned at three different levels: general, intermediate, and specific. The differences in time and cost to develop each level of study are large. There is no quantitative tool in Mexicoto support, with objective criteria, the decisions of the environmental authority staff. Therefore, final decision is subjected to multiple pressures and interpretations. We propose a new quantitative method to support, objectively, the decision of the environmental authorities. The method is based on ecological criteria with a quantitative scale, and it is directed toward harbor and port projects. Supported by this method, the environmental authorities in Mexico can accuratelydetermine if a new project requires an environmental impact study. If the project requires one, the method determines the level required.This method can be easily adapted to any other productive activity, and to any other country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the cost of environmental regulations that target households instead of firms, partly because of significant methodological and data challenges. We use the contingent valuation method to measure the costs of Mexico City's Day without Driving program, which seeks to stem pollution and traffic congestion by prohibiting vehicles from being driven one day each week. To our knowledge, ours is the first study to focus directly on using stated preference methods to isolate and estimate the private costs of an existing environmental regulation. We find that the Mexican program's costs are substantial: up to US$130 per vehicle per year, which represents 1%-2% of drivers' annual income and implies total costs of US$617 million per year. Recent research questions whether driving restrictions programs like Mexico City's actually have environmental benefits. Our results suggest that whatever benefits these programs may have, they can be quite costly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Deforestation is a complex and multifactorial problem. In Mexico, this phenomenon is exacerbated by urbanization in metropolitan areas. The Sierra de Guadalupe is situated in the Valley of Mexico and is a Protected Natural Area (PNA) that has been continually devastated by encroaching human settlement. In the area of mountain range located in the State of Mexico, attempts have been made to counteract deforestation with reforestation in degraded areas. However, these activities have been modified by the social, economic and political realities of this area. Our aim was to analyze the reforestation process in the Sierra de Guadalupe in the State of Mexico, during the period 2009-2020, by analyzing the social network and the structural phenomenon generated between social actors, reforested places and species used. Results indicated that 416.9 hectares have been reforested, affecting 75 localities, with participation of around 300 social actors, using 50 species, of which only 15 are native to the Sierra de Guadalupe ecosystem. Unequal distribution of resources used for reforestation was apparent, when comparing the municipalities analyzed (Coacalco, Ecatepec, Tlalnepantla and Tultitlán), despite being part of the same ecological corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Current Sociology is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The consolidation of environmental legislation is fundamental for governments that wish to support and promote different actions focused on reducing pollution and protecting natural water resources in order to maintain the present and future benefits that water provides for human beings and wild life. Environmental laws are essential for sustaining human activities and health, preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development. In this context, it is important that environmental regulations concentrate on preventing or reducing the harmful impact of pollutants on organisms and ecosystems. The introduction of toxicity bioassays in environmental regulations is a positive step toward achieving this goal. In Mexico, the development of environmental legislation and the introduction of bioassays in water regulation are part of a very recent and complex journey. This article describes how aquatic ecotoxicology tools, particularly bioassays, have influenced water pollution policies in Mexico. Three scenarios are reviewed: the background of Mexican legislation on water protection and Mexico's participation in the Watertox project; the actual efforts of SEMARNAT to develop bioassay batteries for this country; and, the challenges and perspectives of ecotoxicological bioassays as regulatory instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the extent to which green energy vectoring renewable energy and nuclear energy moderates the effects of natural resource dependence and digitalization on environmental sustainability (measured by carbon emissions per capita and ecological footprint) in selected emerging seven (E7) countries. The study considers the intervening roles of financial development, economic growth, and population growth from 1996 to 2019. The verification of the empirical hypotheses anchors on advanced estimating techniques comprising cross-sectional dependence autoregressive distributed lag and augmented mean group. Results reveal that natural resource dependence and financial development hinder the attainment of environmental sustainability by inducing significant rise in carbon emissions per capita and ecological footprint. Conversely, digitalization promotes the strides toward environmental sustainability by significantly mitigating the surge in both pollutants. The direct and indirect effects of green energy are observed to sufficiently promote environmental sustainability. Moreover, while economic growth in the selected economies displays a significant level of support for sustainability targets, population growth portrays otherwise. Besides, the country-level analyses anchored on Fully Modified OLS show that natural resource dependence significantly hinders sustainability targets in Russia alone. More so, the existence of EKC finds support in Brazil and Mexico. Policy insights emanate from the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is a toxic metal associated with several health disorders. The mining and Pb battery industry are related to Pb increase in air, water, and soil. Mexico is an important worldwide Pb producer; however, reviews on environmental Pb contamination in Mexico are insufficient. Since Pb remains stable in soil and its concentration is an indicator of Pb exposure, this systematic review focused on reports of Pb concentrations in soil from Mexico published in 2010–2023. The retrieved reports were ordered, and contamination grade and health risk were estimated for location. From 36 retrieved reports, 24 were associated with mining Pb pollution, while a unique report mentioned the battery industry. The publications evaluated mining (13), agricultural (11), and residential (16) soils. Pb concentrations in soil were higher than the allowed limits in more than half of the reports. According to the Pb concentrations in soil, the locations evaluated in Mexico presented a contamination grade from heavily contaminated to extremely contaminated and health risks results suggested severe hazards, particularly for children. This work can guide other researchers to identify potentially contaminated but understudied Mexican locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many states have undertaken to green their free trade agreements (FTA). As the pace of this evolution towards greener trade relations continues to accelerate, it has also been met with resistance. The inclusion of environmental commitments in FTAs has sometimes been dismissed as an attempt by high-income countries to level the playing field for their market actors by raising environmental standards abroad. Against this background, this article aims to investigate what underlying motive(s) (high-income) states pursue when they negotiate environmental provisions. Using the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) as a case study, it is argued that it is possible to rely on the legalization of these commitments to unravel treaty parties’ motives for negotiating such rules in the first place. In the case of the USMCA, it is found that the agreement’s environmental commitments could be interpreted as mirroring concern either for the environment or for unfair foreign competition. A closer look at the negotiation process leading to the adoption of the agreement suggests that it was mainly – although certainly not exclusively – out of environmental concerns that stringent environmental commitments were included in the USMCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This viewpoint contends that the Arizona project, aimed at constructing a mega-desalination plant in the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez), in Mexico, with the intention of exporting desalinated water to Arizona, poses an imminent threat to the environment. It points out that this project lacks a necessary environmental impact statement and has not received approval from Mexican authorities. Additionally, there appears to be no sufficient provision for compensating for the potential harm to natural resources, and the approval by the Mexican authorities remains unlikely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical events of the establishment processes of two Swedish companies in the context of cross-culture and cross-border investment and to discuss how and to what extent the networks have changed and how the change has affected the Swedish firms'' establishments and positions in the market. Design/methodology/approach - The paper presents an exploratory study to develop a conceptual framework. A descriptive case study approach is also employed to document the nature of the automotive industry in Mexico and the establishment processes of two Swedish manufacturer companies. Data are collected by means of a number of semi-structured interviews with some key figures of Scania and Volvo in both Mexico and Sweden. Findings - Management of firms that operate or intend to operate in the Mexican market and especially in the Trucks segment, have to consider and take appropriate measures in order to bridge the cultural gap that can be created by the old cabs concept; otherwise their investments are risky and they can easily be swallowed by other suppliers. Not only satisfying customers'' needs but also dealing with the various government authorities adequately is also one of the preconditions for success in the Mexican market. It is recommended here that firms should comply and lobby in accordance with the environmental regulations. Practical implications - The result can be used by the automotive industry to re-engineer and redesign their international business establishment processes and the future direction of their more effective and competitive international investment strategies. Originality/value - In contrast with earlier findings, pricing in the Mexican industrial market is found to be one of the major competitive tools for developing and sustaining a strong market position. Developing strong relationships with the various governmental authorities can help industrial firms to get a certain Act adopted and implemented that can enable them to create a competitive edge that also weakens the position of their rivals in the market. Instead of competing with all firms operating in the market, a firm co-operates with some of them and competes with the rest (co-opetition). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern border of Mexico, a region with great tradition and rooting of the assembly plants industry, outstands by its specialization in the processing of electronic products and automobile parts. Also, this industry outstands by restructuring its techno-productive capabilities derived from its integration with North America, which has aroused the interest about the resulting environmental problems. As depository of direct foreign investment, this region demands to design efficient mechanisms for an environmental management actively involving all the local actors. The deepness of liberalization of the Mexican economy has not been a condition for Mexico to specialize itself in “dirty” industries because since the North America Free Trade Agreement has taken effect, it is favoring less polluting industries as this is compliant of the environmental regulations, which are determined by the cooperation among companies and government through inspection and promotion of voluntary self-management programs and through the environmental policy imposed by the corporation to its affiliates by means of quality and environmental international certifications (ISO 9001, 9002, 14001, and 14002). The objective of this work is to analyze the environmental performance of foreign companies operating under the assembly plants industry regime, considering the relationship between industrial upgrading and environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) liberalized trade policy and reduced tariffs between Mexico, the United States, and Canada, but activists opposed to the treaty predicted an environmental disaster. This article seeks to analyze the dynamics of environmental spending and changes in companies' profiles following NAFTA. Our results suggest that these predictions have not come true. Through an econometric model, we explore how 2,438 industries in the 1994–2002 period made environmental decisions and how much they spent on cleanup. Estimates were made with a dynamic panel model using the generalized method of moments (GMM) method. Our results suggest that environmental investment decisions depended on business size, their technological capabilities, sales performance, and the need to comply with the standards required by customers in the international market. The last section explores policies to improve compliance with Mexico's environmental regulations and to develop sustainable, eco-friendly manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work evaluated the performance of a full-scale system with wetlands for slaughterhouse (abattoir) effluent treatment in the State of Hidalgo, México. The treatment system consisted of a primary sedimentation tank, an anaerobic lagoon, and a constructed subsurface-flow wetland, in series. The wetland accounted for almost 30% of the removal of organic matter. In general, the treatment system achieved satisfactory pollutant removals, but the final effluent could not meet the Mexican environmental regulations for fecal coliform counts, five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and total suspended solids (TSS). Overall, removal levels were 91%, 89%, and 85% for BOD5, chemical oxygen demand, and TSS, respectively. However, BOD5 in the final effluent (137 mg/L) was higher than the maximum level of 30 mg/L allowed by the regulatory agency. Although organic nitrogen removal levels were approximately 80%, the nitrogen persisted in oxidation state -3 as ammonia-nitrogen, the removal of which was only 9% in the wetland stage. On average, phosphorus removal was null, and, on occasion, the phosphorus concentration in the treated effluent was higher than that of the influent. Coliform reductions in the overall system were high (on the order of 5 logs on average), whereas the coliform removal in the wetland was between 2 to 3.5 logs. The treatment system was also effective at removing pathogens (Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella, and Shigella). Further laboratory tests with the wetland effluent suggest that post treatment in a sand filter stage followed by disinfection with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) could help meet the Mexican discharge regulations, particularly the criteria for coliforms and total BOD5. Water Environ. Res., 76, 334 (2004). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]