Center for Environmental Research and Technology

Sharing a 140 mile-border, Mexico and California are deeply connected through geographic proximity, cross-
border trade and commerce, cultural and community ties, and increasingly, a shared workforce. Mexico is a primary destination for California exports, and California is the second-largest trading partner for Mexico to the United States. They also produce goods together through an intricate web of binational supply chains, with production relying on capital, education, and labor from both sides of the border. California has a prominent population of Mexican origin—both immigrants and subsequent generations—and political recognition of this diversity’s value has made it an exemplar of integration. In Mexico, family and cultural exchanges, social networks, and media sustain constant encounters and reveal how life remains deeply interconnected across the border.

Due to their proximity and similar geography, communities in California and Mexico also face similar experiences due to climate change. California has experienced extreme drought while battling record wildfires and flooding that have provoked new migration across the state. Meanwhile, Mexico has suffered extreme heat, water insecurity, and soil degradation that affect agriculture, raising the risks of malnutrition and displacement while contributing to the flow of migrants over the border. As severe weather stresses the energy grid, the risk for disruptive power outages in both places has increased. Many cities have become urban heat islands, with extreme temperatures and pollution that generate negative health effects. Due to the social repercussions of climate change, California and Mexico must also pursue climate justice. They must not only generate more knowledge-based, lower-carbon growth but also protect communities that are most deeply affected by climate change—including those that are home to indigenous, low-income, and/or minority populations.

The interdependence of California and Mexico demands innovative solutions to tackle these shared
environmental, health and social challenges. However, it also presents key opportunities for cooperation in the next century, with a specific focus on addressing the core issues identified in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Purpose and outcomes: 

The first California-Mexico 2030 Summit, to be held in April 2023, will be organized around the transition to a
sustainable and resilient climate economy for California and Mexico. The forum will take place in the context of the recent celebration of the bicentennial in diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico. The objectives of this summit will be to evaluate the current state of the California-Mexico relationship and to
identify key strategic areas for collaboration to address the most relevant bilateral challenges in this decade.

The Summit will showcase existing research projects that UC experts are developing in partnership with their
Mexican peers and help identify existing knowledge gaps. It will also provide opportunities for engagement
between academic experts and other stakeholders—including policymakers from the California and Mexican
state governments as well as the US and Mexican federal governments—to discuss emerging policy challenges
and design research programs that can offer innovative solutions.

The summit will be organized around four tracks: zero-emissions vehicles, sustainable energy, climate justice
and agriculture, and climate justice and urban development. Each track will include a combination of academic presentations and policy dialogues to generate deeper conversations between researchers and non-academic stakeholders. Plenary sessions (“think tanks”) will provide opportunities to discuss cross-cutting issues, such as the demographic transition and green jobs, state- and municipal-level leadership, and the role of U.S. Latino leaders in the California-Mexico relationship.

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