Claudia Sheinbaum: Climate scientist and Mexico's first woman president

Mexico made history by electing its first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist from the governing Morena party who will succeed President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in October.

Despite her close political alignment with López Obrador and shared beliefs about addressing inequality, she is seen as less confrontational and more driven by data than her predecessor and mentor, offering a fresh perspective for Mexico's future.

After her recent victory, many in the country are looking to see how Sheinbaum's distinct personality and background will establish her leadership.

While her focus will fall mainly on curbing the country's rising violence, the 61-year-old former Mexico City mayor with Jewish background will also be tasked with addressing several other issues at home, including electricity and water shortages, during a time when the country is battling one of its worst droughts.

"The question we now have is nobody really knows what kind of Sheinbaum they're going to get once she becomes president. She is extremely close to López Obrador, but will she remain that close? Or will she pursue her own agenda? And if she does, she obviously has an interest and also a lot of experience with the energy industry, and maybe the changes we see are not as drastic as we would have seen under López Obrador," global risk analyst Jimena Blanco told Reuters.

Science-based approach

A daughter to two scientists, Sheinbaum studied physics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), before continuing with her master's and doctorate degrees in energy engineering.

Her government career began in 2000, under the administration of then Mexico City's mayor López Obrador, who entrusted her with the role of environmental minister.

During her tenure as mayor of Mexico City, which began in 2018, Sheinbaum led by example, wearing a face mask during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and urging others to do the same, as the virus took a devastating toll on Mexico. Speaking to The Associated Press in an interview last year, Sheinbaum said, "I believe in science".

Despite falling ill during the pandemic, López Obrador had refused to wear a mask, in line with his government's non-mandatory mask policy, even as the country went on to record the world's fifth-highest COVID-19 death toll.

Sheinbaum's formal scientific education has been a consistent theme throughout her career. In 2007, she served as part of a group of scientists and decision-makers awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their contributions to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Water woes

Water issues, too, have been a primary concern leading up to the election. Mexico City relies on the Cutzamala system, a network of three reservoirs which provides a significant portion of its water supply. However, the system is currently reported to be at a historically low capacity, less than 28 percent, as a result of the drought.

According to experts, the densely populated metropolitan area of 22 million may run out of water as early as June 26, a day also referred to as Day Zero.

In a debate late last month between Sheinbaum and Xóchitl Gálvez, who represents an opposition coalition, Gálvez pointed fingers at Sheinbaum's party for its inaction.

"Right now, we are experiencing one of the worst droughts because the Morena government did absolutely nothing to solve the problem," Gálvez said. "And here, Claudia, you were unable to resolve the water issue. You call yourself a scientist, you boast about your awards, and today, we continue with environmental emergencies."

Water scarcity in Mexico City has tended to affect lower-income neighbourhoods. But, recently, wealthier areas have also faced shortages due to hot weather, low rainfall, and poor infrastructure, creating a city-wide crisis.

Green initiatives

During her campaign, Sheinbaum also pledged to dedicate close to $14 billion to clean energy initiatives and to increase the utilisation of electric buses and trains as she sought votes in a nation of 127 million people affected by drought, heatwave, and smog.

The plan involves increasing wind and solar power generation and updating five hydroelectric plants, signifying a shift from the current president's focus on strengthening the state oil company over renewables.

"We have to speed up the promotion of renewable energies," Sheinbaum told a group of Mexican businessmen in April, specifying that the new projects would add 13.66 gigawatts to the energy grid.

"We are working on the national energy plan not only through 2030, but to 2050," she remarked, referring to the deadline set by international agreements on climate change.

Collaboration not submission

For her part, Sheinbaum has said she is committed to upholding her predecessor's legacy, albeit adopting a new direction focused on prioritising renewable energy.

"They have a collaborative relationship, it is not one of submission," one member of Sheinbaum's team told Reuters anonymously.

"It's very unfair that they say she will be a puppet because in the five years of governing Mexico City, she did totally different things to the president," he added, citing investments in the city's public bus fleet and the installation of solar panels.

Outgoing president López Obrador has allocated substantial funds to bolster Mexico's state energy giants, the oil firm Pemex and power utility CFE, which heavily rely on fossil fuels, which means Sheinbaum's dedication to key areas such as the environment will be put to the test.

As it is, Sheinbaum has mentioned she would maintain her support for state-owned oil firm, Petróleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, and ensure that it remains under state ownership.

Moreover, environmentalists have criticised Sheinbaum for backing one of the country's most controversial projects, a 1,500-kilometre train line by current president López Obrador, alleging environmental devastation. Mexico's Maya Train traverses the Yucatán Peninsula, going through forests and archaeological sites to connect tourist sites like Cancún to rural areas.

"Claudia is an environmental scientist and, unlike her mentor, AMLO, believes in decarbonisation and in boosting renewables," said Shannon O'Neil, a Mexico specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, referring to López Obrador by his initials. "But she is also a statist, wanting Mexico's energy transition to be led and controlled by cash-strapped, state-owned enterprises."