Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda receives 2021 Equator Prize from the United Nations

Grupo Ecológico Sierra (GESG) receives the 2021 Equator Prize from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  The Equator Prize is awarded biennially to recognize outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). 

“A leader in community-based climate change mitigation and adaptation, the organization has driven the establishment of a state-funded carbon footprint mechanism, incentivizing landowners for climate-friendly land use including regenerative agriculture,” the judges wrote. “The group is restoring 40,000 hectares of degraded ecosystems. A network of social enterprises and environmental education complements an integrated approach to fomenting local community ownership,” shared EcoAgriculture Partners.  

The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve is located in the State of Querétaro in Central Mexico.  From semi-desert and dry tropical forest in its deep canyons and temperate forests in the mountains and the cloud forests on the summits; the Sierra Gorda is a rich tapestry of ecosystems with an enormous variety of wildlife.  

Querétaro State Government is a leader in climate change action at the sub-national level, making a case for natural regeneration.  For six years running, they have compensated forest owners for recuperating ecosystem services, assigning a monetary value to carbon footprint reduction services.  Recognizing the urgent need to recuperate ecosystem services, the Secretariat of Sustainable Development formed a strategic partnership with the civil society organization, it´s 34 years of lessons learned, and adopted a public policy in response.

Governor of Querétaro, Mauricio Kuri, celebrated the outstanding work of the organization in the 34 years since its foundation and extended his congratulations on the 2021 Equator Prize. “Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda shows us how you mitigate climate change and address its consequences from the grassroots.  They demonstrate that the fight to address climate change can be won.”

“Querétaro, today, is a living laboratory of regenerative practices, we have a program that focuses on an example of local action to respond to climate change,” declared Martha Isabel Ruiz Corzo, GESG leader. “We are very proud to be part of this collective of planet-loving people who recognize the possibility of a miracle, to let the regenerative energy flow in our soils, in our forests and heal as much as we can on the planet.”

The winners of the Equator Prize are selected by an independent Technical Advisory Committee which evaluates nominations based on criteria of impact, innovation, scalability and/or replicability, resilience, adaptability, and self-sufficiency, social inclusion, and gender equality.

This year there were more than 600 nominations from 126 countries and only 10 winners.  The other winners of the 2021 Equator Prize are community groups from Brazil, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Kyrgyzstan, and Nigeria that stand out for their innovation in the use of nature-based solutions to protect biodiversity, fight climate change, and alleviate poverty.

Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda I.A.P. is a model of entrepreneurship and social participation for the Sierra Gorda, where economic development is reconciled with conservation of biodiversity.  Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda leads a movement of civil society organizations that form the Alliance for the Conservation of the Sierra Gorda.  Together we promote this living laboratory of best cultural practices for our planet with interdisciplinary teams. 

 The GESG has established a model of participatory conservation by working with partners at multiple levels, influencing public policies, and sharing experience through classrooms spearheading its strategy. GESG offers training, support, and technical services in addition to voluntary CO2 offsets through the carbononeutralplanet.org platform.