This project develops an integrated modeling, policy assessment, and participatory framework to evaluate how targeted climate mitigation strategies—with a focus on public transport electromobility—can drastically cut air pollution and deliver measurable public health and equity benefits in the Greater Mexico City region.
The project aims to inform policy design and implementation by assessing health impacts of mitigation actions reducing greenhouse gases (GHG), short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), and criteria pollutants. It develops a framework to evaluate the health impacts of realistic regional and city-specific GHG and air quality mitigation policies, focusing on Mexico City. Different measures and strategies will be incorporated, considering the relevant jurisdictions: Mexico City, Mexico City Metropolitan Area, the megalopolis region, and the national level. While a wide portfolio of interventions will be evaluated, the case study will specifically focus on electrifying public transport corridors and hubs in Mexico City as a scalable climate mitigation strategy.
To support the aims and objectives of this project, an integrated assessment framework will be developed, relying on the GAINS model developed by the Pollution Management Research Group at IIASA, and uEMP/EMEP models developed by MET Norway. GAINS estimates the costs and benefits of emission control strategies by modeling their impacts on air quality, health, and climate at multiple scales. The uEMEP model (urban EMEP) is a high-resolution downscaling tool designed to enhance the regional EMEP chemical transport model.
This project is one of eleven projects selected globally (from over 400 applications) for the Wellcome Trust’s Climate & Health Award for low- and middle-income countries, and one of only two in Mexico.
The project will run for three years, from 2026 to 2028,and is led by World Resources Institute (WRI México), with a consortium that includes IIASA, MET Norway, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (INER), and external specialists from various disciplines, including public health, environmental economics, and monitoring.
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