La Paz acting mayor Amor Fenech Montaño convened a working session with representatives from eight environmental organizations to develop a short-term municipal environmental agenda. The meeting brought together some of the region’s most prominent conservation groups, including Niparajá, WWF, Pronatura Noroeste, and CEMDA (Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental).
The session produced commitments that the city plans to formalize into trackable agreements between the municipal government and civil society. The most tangible outcome: La Paz’s Environmental Preservation and Protection Regulation is now in an advanced revision stage and could go to public consultation as early as July.
Plastic Bag Ban and Citizen Council on the Table
The updated regulation includes two notable provisions. First, a long-delayed plastic bag replacement program would finally move forward. La Paz has been part of the broader “Desplastifícate La Paz” alliance, a coalition of more than 35 organizations working to reduce single-use plastics in Baja California Sur. But a binding municipal regulation with enforcement mechanisms has been missing.
Second, the revision proposes creating a citizen and intergovernmental participation council. That body would give environmental organizations formal voting power in municipal environmental decisions. If approved, it would mark a structural shift in how La Paz governs its coastline and natural areas, moving from informal consultation to codified participation.
La Paz as an Environmental Hub
La Paz serves as the main base of operations for environmental work across the Baja Peninsula. Groups like the Environmental Defense Fund, Niparajá, and Pronatura Noroeste all maintain offices in the state capital. The city’s Bay of La Paz, Isla Espíritu Santo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and Balandra beach are among the region’s most ecologically sensitive areas.
The La Paz City Council recently approved new regulations to protect public beach access, developed in coordination with civil society groups. That June vote was unanimous. The environmental agenda now under development appears to follow a similar collaborative model between city hall and conservation organizations.
What Comes Next
Residents and environmental groups will have a chance to weigh in during the public consultation period expected in July. The city has committed to converting the session’s outcomes into formal, trackable agreements, though no specific timeline for the full agenda has been announced.
Originally reported by BCS Noticias.