Introduction: Climate change and its impacts have created the need for policies that balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. This study focuses on the relationship between economic growth and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the state of Sinaloa, located in northwestern Mexico, during the period 2003–2021.Methods: Using historical energy consumption data and the State Quarterly Economic Activity Indicator, GHG emissions were estimated through an official national tool for emissions calculation. An economic cost was assigned using rates proposed by a center specialized in environmental and economic analysis in Mexico.Results: The findings reveal a strong positive correlation (R=0.893) between the State Quarterly Economic Activity Indicator and emissions, highlighting that Sinaloa's economic growth heavily depends on energy-intensive activities. Over the period analyzed, emissions increased by 83.8%.Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of designing public policies that reduce emissions without hindering economic development, promoting sustainable strategies that contribute to Mexico's commitments under the Paris Agreement.

This study evaluates the relationship between corruption and environmental indicators, specifically tree density and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), in Mexico’s states. A Ridge Cross-Validation (RidgeCV) regression model was applied to mitigatemulticollinearity and correct endogeneity. The dataset includes economic and environmental data from 32 states in Mexico. Results show that tree density is negatively correlated with economic activity, while NDVI has a marginally positive impact. These findings suggest that deforestation may be driven by economic and governance factors, highlighting the role of environmental degradation as a corruption proxy. This work contributes to institutional economics by providing empirical evidence for sustainable public policy design and enhancing corruption measurement through environmental indicators.

Este trabajo analizó la relación entre actividad económica, presión demográfica y ambiental con las emisiones de dióxido de carbono (CO2) en México y Ecuador. A través de un modelo econométrico espacial del tipo Modelo de Error Espacial (Spatial Error Model [SEM] por sus siglas en inglés), se integraron datos de 56 entidades subnacionales de ambos países, incorporando como variables explicativas el Producto Interno Bruto, el logaritmo de la población y el volumen de agua residual. La variable dependiente fue la emisión anual de CO2 por entidad. La matriz de pesos espaciales se construyó bajo el criterio de los cinco vecinos más cercanos utilizando coordenadas geográficas. Los resultados muestran un efecto espacial significativo en los residuos del modelo (λ = –0.144, p < 0.01), lo que justifica el uso del enfoque SEM. Las emisiones se asociaron de forma positiva con la población y el agua residual, mientras que el producto interno bruto (PIB) mostró una relación negativa marginal. Este análisis conjunto permite identificar patrones territoriales comunes de presión ambiental en América Latina, proponiendo una base para el diseño de políticas diferenciadas y sostenibles.

Urban sustainability research has increasingly emphasized the role of environmental conditions in shaping the quality of life; however, the empirical evidence for intermediate cities in developing countries remains limited, particularly from the perspective of citizens’ perceptions. This study examines the relationship between the perceived severity of environmental problems and the perceived quality-of-life deterioration in Culiacán, Mexico, an intermediate city characterized by climatic vulnerability and institutional constraints. Based on 552 face-to-face surveys, of which 546 contained complete information for index construction, a cross-sectional and predominantly quantitative design was employed. The environmental perception and quality-of-life deterioration indices were constructed as simple arithmetic averages from Likert scale items, without assuming a single latent construct. The quality-of-life deterioration index captures the perceived negative conditions affecting well-being rather than the quality of life itself; therefore, higher values indicate a greater perceived deterioration. A bivariate ordinary least squares regression was used to assess the association between both indices. The results show a positive and statistically significant relationship (β = 0.486, p < 0.001), with R² = 0.220, indicating that a greater perceived environmental severity is associated with a greater perceived deterioration of well-being. The water-related issues, particularly drought and water contamination, emerge as the most critical concerns. These findings highlight the relevance of environmental perceptions in urban well-being assessments in intermediate cities.

The present study uses a spatial econometric model to analyze the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions, economic activity, and the state population in Mexico. Official data from 2022 were used, integrating financial, demographic and spatial variables. The results highlight that the Gross State Domestic Product and the population positively and significantly impact emissions. In addition, relevant spatial patterns were identified, highlighting the need to consider economic, demographic, and spatial factors in formulating public policies. This approach allows us to understand the regional interdependence in generating emissions and proposes strategies to design more effective environmental policies. It is concluded that mitigation policies must consider both economic dynamics and spatial interactions to maximize their effectiveness.

Las universidades desempeñan un papel clave al impulsar el desarrollo sostenible desde sus funciones sustantivas. El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar las percepciones, por áreas del conocimiento, sobre las estrategias orientadas a contribuir al desarrollo sostenible de una universidad pública mexicana. Se empleó un diseño descriptivo-comparativo, transversal y no experimental con 739 encuestados (profesores y estudiantes). Los datos se procesaron mediante pruebas de hipótesis para grupos independientes (test Z), ANOVA y la prueba H de Kruskal-Wallis. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas: el área de Química-Biológicas presenta las medias más altas tanto en la percepción sostenible interna como en la externa en ambos grupos. Las percepciones de los docentes presentan medias más altas que las de los estudiantes. Se concluye que la percepción de las estrategias internas y externas implementadas varía según la formación disciplinar, lo que permite proponer políticas con prácticas de integración y de promoción de la sostenibilidad en la universidad.