Mexico | National-Level Estimation of Carbon Sinks

Summary

Carbon sinks are all types of land—usually forested—that capture CO₂ emissions. Their existence is essential for addressing climate change, helping to regulate temperature, and serving as habitats for flora and fauna species. They also provide critical resources such as water.

Key points

• Key points:
• Between 2017 and 2021, forest carbon sinks in the country captured around 180 million tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO₂e) annually. With this, Mexico ranks ninth in the world among countries that absorb the most CO2 emissions.
• Forests in Mexico account for 42.8% of the country's forest carbon capture, followed by jungles with 39.5%. Meanwhile, scrublands, characteristic of arid and semi-arid zones, contributed 11.3%.
• Ten states in Mexico concentrate two-thirds of the carbon sinks in forested areas. Among them, Oaxaca, Chihuahua, and Campeche stand out in the top three positions.
• Between 2001 and 2023, Mexico lost 4.8 million hectares of forested land, equivalent to approximately twice the size of the state of Tabasco. The states of Campeche, Oaxaca, and Jalisco stand out as the top three with the highest number of deforested hectares.

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