MEXICO WARMING FASTER THAN THE GLOBAL AVERAGE

Francisco Estrada Porrúa, Head of UNAM’s Climate Change Research Program, has warned that the steady rise in global temperatures over the past 18 months has raised serious concerns among researchers. Scientists are now questioning whether global warming is accelerating or whether the planet’s capacity to regulate its temperature has been underestimated.

Estrada, affiliated with the University’s Institute for Environmental and Climate Change Sciences, noted that global temperatures have exceeded the 1.5°C threshold since 2023. A cooling trend was expected following the El Niño and La Niña climate events, but it has yet to materialize.

In his talk titled Tendencias actuales del cambio climático en México (Current Climate Change Trends in Mexico), delivered during the working sessions in preparation for the Cumbre de Rectoras y Rectores de Universidades Mexicanas por la Acción Climática 2025 (2025 Summit of Mexican University Presidents for Climate Action), he stated:

“In Mexico’s case, the average temperature has risen by 1.8°C from the pre-industrial period to 2024. That means our country is warming at a faster rate than the global average. While global temperatures are increasing at roughly 2°C per century, Mexico’s rate is closer to 3.2°C per century.”

Also speaking at the event, which was held in the annex auditorium of the Atlántida Coll Building at the School of Geography, the Coordinator of UNAM’s University Sustainability Office emphasized that the gathering was part of the preparatory work for the upcoming summit. The event will bring together 25 public and private Mexican universities and higher education institutions.