-and-
Virtual meetings to drive public input for state’s environmental future
Source: New Mexico Environment Department
Image: Courtesy
SANTA FE – During public meetings scheduled for May and June, New Mexicans will have an opportunity to meet virtually with representatives from the New Mexico Environment Department and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and provide public input on New Mexico’s Climate Action Plan.
The Climate Action Plan, or CAP, expected to be completed by December 2025, will provide a roadmap to meet New Mexico’s climate pollution reduction targets, and aims to ensure a healthy, secure, and prosperous future for all New Mexicans.
During in-person community meetings in March and April, participants gave insightful feedback to NMED and EMNRD staff, providing direction about forest management as climate solutions, environmentally friendly agricultural techniques, and new technologies to offset oil and gas emissions.
This new round of meetings scheduled now through June — each focusing on a different sector of New Mexico’s economy — builds on that input to develop a CAP that benefits all New Mexicans. These are the last round of meetings before the CAP is finalized.
The virtual meetings are organized by sector and will take place via Zoom:
- May 15, 2025: Industry — Industrial activities, primarily used in oil and gas production, generate 48% of the state’s total emissions.
- May 27, 2025: Transportation — Vehicles burning fossil fuels account for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions.
- May 29, 2025: Agriculture, Forests, and Wilderness — Fertilizer use, manure management, and livestock operations drive most of the emissions in this sector, which contributes about 12% of the total. In contrast, forests act as carbon sinks, helping to clean our air.
- June 3, 2025: Buildings, Waste, and Materials — Heating and cooling systems, landfills, and wastewater treatment facilities produce the bulk of emissions from this sector, which makes up around 6% of the total.
“More than 500 New Mexicans have participated in this effort so far by completing our online survey and attending our public meetings earlier this year, making this a true community-powered effort,” said Becky Smith, Community Engagement Manager for NMED’s Climate Change Bureau. “This next set of meetings is another opportunity to participate in this critical planning effort, and we look forward to even more participation through June.”
The CAP is the culmination of a series of efforts initiated by the Governor’s 2019 executive order directing that state to reduce climate pollution by 45% by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
To register, please visit surveymonkey.com/r/ZBHC3BG. Spanish interpretation and translation will be provided at all meetings. ASL and Diné interpretation is provided upon request via the registration form. Requests must be made at least 5 days in advance. For more information on the CAP, visit climateaction.nm.gov/cap/.
