The 2030 Agenda as a Driver of Productive Development in Mexico

Mexico is moving to align its productive development strategy with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, framing sustainability not as an aspirational concept but as a guiding structure for economic policy, said Ismael Ortiz, director of the Global Economic Intelligence Unit at the Ministry of Economy.

“The 2030 Agenda is no longer an abstract commitment. It is defining both the present and the future of productive development in Mexico,” Ortiz said. “It is one of our priority axes — a transversal principle of national development.” He added that sustained growth cannot exist without social well-being, long-term profitability and responsible resource management.

Within the Ministry of Economy, this vision is embedded in Plan México, described as an integrated sustainable industrial policy structured around four core principles. The first pillar reframes sustainability as a driver of innovation and competitiveness.

“Sustainability is not limited to decarbonization,” Ortiz explained. “It encompasses technological innovation, applied science, resource conservation and the consolidation of a genuine circular economy.”

This approach is aligned with the Development Poles for Wellbeing — integrated production platforms where strategic infrastructure, energy, logistics, digital connectivity and specialized talent converge. These hubs are designed to strengthen supply chain integration and enhance Mexico’s participation in global value chains, making them “more resilient, more innovative and more competitive.”

For ESG-focused investors, a notable component is the introduction of fiscal incentives directly linked to innovation and workforce development. Ortiz highlighted a 25% additional corporate income tax deduction applicable to workforce training and technological innovation expenditures. “This mechanism stimulates productive investment,” he said, “and reinforces knowledge transfer and regional competitiveness under sustainability criteria.”

Ortiz emphasized that human capital plays a central role in Mexico’s sustainability strategy, aligning upper-secondary and higher education curricula with industry demand — particularly in sectors tied to sustainable industrial growth. “We do not want a bureaucrat defining what industries need,” he said. “We want industries themselves to define what they require from the education system.”

By strengthening collaboration among academia, industry and regional stakeholders, Mexico aims to ensure that technical and professional training responds to the needs of a sustainable economy. In this framework, talent becomes both a transformation enabler and a catalyst for foreign direct investment.

Inclusive Growth and Regional Corridors

The second pillar centers on social and territorial inclusion. “Economic development is only sustainable if it is shared,” Ortiz said.

Mexico’s wellbeing corridors are structured around regional strengths and strategic industries, including electric and electronic manufacturing, semiconductors, automotive and mobility, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, clean energy, information technologies, machinery and metals.

These corridors integrate enabling infrastructure, water access facilitation, investment promotion and federal support mechanisms aimed at expanding exports, increasing domestic value content and deepening financial inclusion.

Inclusion, Ortiz stressed, is operational rather than rhetorical. It extends from large corporations to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and from metropolitan hubs to remote communities. Social innovation policies — including industrial policy incorporating a gender perspective — are embedded within the framework.

This includes the development of childcare and education centers linked to industrial zones, facilitating higher labor participation among women and expanding economic opportunity. For ESG-oriented investors, this represents a structural integration of social policy within industrial competitiveness strategy.

Circular Economy as Risk Management

The third pillar — regulatory facilitation — addresses a core concern for international investors: certainty. “Productive transformation requires legal and financial predictability,” Ortiz said.

A key instrument is the recently enacted General Law of Circular Economy, which establishes policy foundations for sustainable production and consumption patterns. Rather than framing circularity solely as environmental compliance, Ortiz described it as a business optimization strategy.

“It is a tool to optimize costs, secure inputs, reduce supply chain vulnerabilities and open new business models,” he said. In practical terms, circular economy principles aim to mitigate exposure to external shocks, enhance resource efficiency, protect ecosystems and generate green employment across sectors such as manufacturing, energy, construction and agribusiness.

Complementing regulatory clarity is Mexico’s sovereign sustainable finance framework, which channels capital toward eligible projects through green and sustainability-linked bond issuances aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“If we establish transparent criteria and accountability mechanisms, investor uncertainty declines and access to sustainable financing expands under more competitive conditions,” Ortiz explained.

Institutional Coherence and Agenda 2030 Governance

The fourth pillar — institutional coherence — ensures that Plan México is fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda.

Through the Executive Secretariat of the National Council for the 2030 Agenda, chaired by President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico coordinates cross-sector collaboration across four technical committees: social, environmental, economic, and monitoring and evaluation.

Mexico has submitted 31 voluntary local reports to the United Nations, ranking first globally in local reporting participation. An additional 25 voluntary local reports are currently underway, alongside collaboration with civil society and the private sector on a second consolidated national report.

These four pillars — transversal sustainability, territorial inclusion, regulatory facilitation and institutional coherence — are designed to reduce regulatory and financial risks, strengthen international market confidence and ensure that the transition to a low-carbon economy supports long-term productivity growth.

“The 2030 Agenda is a roadmap for Mexico’s productive development,” Ortiz concluded. “Sustainable development is not a distant destination. It is the strategic decision we are taking today to define the Mexico we will build tomorrow.”