Politics and Environmental Legislation A.C. (POLEA), is a civil society organization, legally constituted in Mexico City on December 4, 2014, which seeks to promote positive changes in the political and legislative agendas, both national and sub-national, on environmental and social issues.
POLEA is an organization recognized by the federal government, Congress and civil society as a legitimate actor to promote capacity building and multisectoral dialogue, as well as the design of environmental and social processes, particularly in the areas of climate change, forests, biodiversity, water, transport and energy.
The organization is made up of a team of young and talented individuals with more than 20 years of experience in environmental and social issues within civil society, the legislative branch, and the government sector at the federal and subnational levels.
POLEA builds dialogue processes through approach with relevant stakeholders and develops technical research that contributes to informed decisions. With the legislative power, we have worked on the processes of dialogue and construction of the General Law on Climate Change; reforms to the General Law for Sustainable Forest Development (LGDFS) in the area of REDD +; of the General Biodiversity Law proposal and the comprehensive reform of the LGDFS through the organization of different dialogue spaces such as forums, meetings with relevant commissions of both chambers as well as meetings with strategic legislators and also providing relevant technical information to promote discussion of specific topics.
POLEA also collaborates in the development of capacities in both the legislative and executive spheres. With the legislature, in alliance with relevant commissions and strategic legislators, we collaborate in the organization of forums and field visits on specific topics in order to contribute to their discussion among legislators. With the executive, at the federal and subnational level, we support the development of workshops to contribute, for example, to the development of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions in accordance with national obligations under the Paris Agreement.
In Latin America, POLEA works to promote cooperation and dialogues between Mexican legislators and counterparts in the region, to exchange experiences in relation to the development of legislation that contributes to sustainable development. Likewise, we support South-South cooperation through the organization of regional workshops with representatives of the governments of Mexico and the region on the implementation of National Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.
POLEA arises from the need to consolidate a civil society organization capable of bringing together and strengthening multisectoral dialogues and processes between the legislative branch and other relevant actors involved in the design and implementation of legislation and public policies on environmental matters. Within Congress, POLEA is a non-partisan actor that provides advice to members of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies of different relevant committees such as those on the environment and natural resources, climate change, energy, transportation, rural development, and agriculture.
The founding members of POLEA previously collaborated with GLOBE International and GLOBE Mexico, gaining experience in providing advice and support to a group of legislators committed to the environment and climate change agendas. Among the achievements of this previous work are the approval of the General Law on Climate Change (LGCC) and a series of reforms to the General Law of Sustainable Forest Development (LGDFS) to support the implementation of the REDD + mechanism in Mexico.
In 2014, at the request of different members of Congress and other relevant actors, POLEA was legally constituted as an organization that collaborates with the legislature to strengthen the environmental agenda in a cross-cutting framework and to promote the development of legislation and public policies in the matter, through inclusive and plural processes. Likewise, POLEA's work includes collaboration with the federal government and subnational governments in support of capacity development and implementation of public policies on the environmental agenda.
MISSION: Support decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders in the process of developing legislation and public policies that contribute to protecting the environment, achieving sustainable development and achieving inter- and intra-generational equity.
VISION: POLEA will contribute to the consolidation of a Mexico with solid legislation and public policies on the environment and climate change at the national and sub-national level, whose experiences are shared by successful way with other countries.
