RELEASE: 7 Sustainable Infrastructure Winners Announced for TheCityFix Labs México

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (April 5, 2019) ‒ From a competitive pool of 137 projects, WRI México and the Citi Foundation announce 7 projects to participate in the year-long incubation process of TheCityFix Labs México, starting in April 2019.

The projects will benefit from tailored advice from WRI México on structuring viable business models and investment strategies that facilitate their implementation. TheCityFix Labs México invited cities, public institutions, civil society organizations, private companies and people from all over Mexico to register their green infrastructure projects. 

During the application process, TheCityFix Labs México received 137 applications, with 96 fulfilling all requirements, mostly coming from Jalisco, Mexico City, State of Mexico, Coahuila and Guanajuato. Of the 96 projects, 11 were from academia, 46 from the government, 16 from the private sector and 23 from civil society. The projects were evaluated by a prestigious jury on their thematic focus (with priority given to projects that aimed to improve water and waste management and energy efficiency), implementation potential, economic sustainability, environmental impact, technical feasibility and level of development. Ultimately, the jury’s evaluation of the projects resulted in the following seven projects being the top appraised:

• Water Treatment and Reuse Plant in Tlaxcalancingo, Puebla will develop a water treatment facility and recharge a currently dry water table. The plant will be developed by a private firm, Tecnologías Ambientales de México S. de R.L. de CV., and will receive support from the municipality of Cholula.
• Cerro de la Campana Bio-Cultural Park Project in Hermosillo, Sonora State strives to restore a park, develop a public green space, and improve accessibility for recreational use. IMPLAN Hermosillo, a municipal entity, is the project sponsor.
• Biogas to Energy Generation Plant in Los Cabos in Baja California State, which will convert urban bio-waste into a 1.2 MW electricity generation facility, is being developed by AB Energy México Cogeneración S. de RL de CV. The project demonstrated having the support of the Los Cabos municipality as well as other civil society associations.
• The Schools for Climate Program in Guanajuato will install photovoltaic systems in 16 primary and secondary public schools throughout the state. Each photovoltaic system will have a 1,600-watt capacity and will be developed by the Environmental Secretariat of the State Government of Guanajuato.
• Cancún Park Project in Cancun in Quintana Roo strives to transform an abandoned municipal dump into a public park and preserve 4,000 hectares of the Nichupté Mangrove Flora and Fauna Protection Area. The project is being sponsored by the Tourism Secretariat, State Government of Quintana Roo.
• Sustainable Drainage Systems Project in Merida, Yucatán will develop water bioretention areas, runoff management, and stormwater containment in urban parks and roads. It is being led by the Municipal Government of Merida, Yucatán State.
• Restoration and Water Preservation of the Chapultepec Forest Project in Mexico City will support the reconstruction of the Dolores Dam and the recovery of water recharge areas, improve water runoff management from the Dolores River basin, reduce soil erosion and support the reestablishment of vegetation. The project is being sponsored by the private Pro Bosque de Chapultepec Trust in CDMX with support from the Environmental Secretariat of Mexico City.

“TheCityFix Labs México presents an opportunity for cities around the country to strengthen innovative financing mechanisms for green infrastructure projects. The Citi Foundation is proud to partner with WRI to support seven project teams as they develop their ideas for more sustainable, livable and resilient communities,” said Brandee McHale, president of the Citi Foundation.

The distinguished jury for the Labs includes a variety of internationally recognized experts, including Ophelié Chevalier, Senior Housing and Urban Development Specialist of the Inter-American Development Bank; Horacio Terraza, Leader of Specialists in Urban Affairs at the World Bank; María Carolina Torres, Executive in the Environmental and Climate Change Unit at the Development Bank of Latin America; Cecilia Martínez, former Director of New York and Regional Offices of UN-Habitat; Édgar Villaseñor, Regional Secretary for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean of Local Governments for Sustainability; Juan Carlos Jiménez, General Director of the Association of Banks of Mexico; Octavio Lara, Executive Director, Public Sector Mexico, Citibanamex; Jesús Jauregui, Director of Municipal and Government Banking, Citibanamex; and Adriana Lobo, Executive Director of WRI México.

"WRI México is delighted with the response from the cities in this call for projects,” says Adriana Lobo, Executive Director of WRI México. “We received over 130 applications addressing highly relevant issues, such as renewable energy, air quality, green spaces, water management, among others. This is evidence that there is healthy supply of sustainable projects in cities; however, how to finance them remains a challenge. This is where the window of opportunity exists for initiatives like TheCityFix Labs. Thanks to support from the Citi Foundation, WRI México will extend its support to 7 project teams, working closely with the project sponsors throughout the coming year.”

After the announcement, the hands-on incubation period will begin. The first workshop will take place in May, where all the winners will convene and start identifying their specific investment needs. From there, subsequent workshops will be held periodically until April 2020, when the cities will showcase their projects to possible funders.

Through TheCityFix Labs, WRI México aims to help cities create a better understanding of the funding and finance of green infrastructure projects. Each of the project teams aspires to provide sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing urban challenges, but urban decision-makers need to see that they are financially sustainable as well. TheCityFix Labs will fill that knowledge gap and help move these ideas to reality.

To learn more about this initiative, visit thecityfixlabsmexico.org.

TheCityFix Labs build off of the Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative’s work around the world supporting the market transition to sustainable investments by combining knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and direct technical assistance to help cities better define and initiate fundable projects. The FSCI is funded by the Citi Foundation and is a partnership between WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.