By Sirse Rosas

This year, the implementation of green taxes began; firms may benefit

Querétaro seeks to reduce or offset about 2 million tons of CO2 emissions through the implementation of environmental taxes that came into effect this year, announced the Secretary of Sustainable Development (Sedesu), Marco Antonio del Prete Tercero.

This reduction is in comparison to the 12 million tons recorded in 2020 when the baseline for this measurement was established. “This year is when we will begin to observe the reduction because it is this year when the tax begins to be collected, when the low-carbon seal is launched, and when companies that were generating emissions will have to reduce them. Our goal is to reduce or offset about two million tons this first year.”

He explained that as part of these “green taxes,” companies can access the Low Carbon Seal program, for which they must present an environmental project seeking to reduce their emissions and register according to the rules published in the official newspaper La Sombra de Arteaga.

“We have been talking with practically the 400 companies that we detected as generating direct emissions into the atmosphere. We have constantly approached them, every day, once or twice a week we have had meetings to train them. Last week we had a seminar with Japanese companies and we are constantly informing them of the procedures to access these compensation mechanisms.”

He specified that with the Sierra Gorda Ecological Group, there are about three thousand hectares that may be eligible for the seal.

Del Prete has reiterated on several occasions that these taxes aim, beyond being a revenue strategy, at decarbonizing the economy.

In the case of the tax for emissions into the atmosphere, the productive processes that emit directly or indirectly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride are subject to this payment, either individually or in any combination thereof affecting air quality, atmospheric components, and constituting greenhouse gases.

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