Mexican voters elected Andrés Manuel López Obrador president on July 1 largely based on his promises to solve the country’s most devastating domestic problems: rampant violence, economic inequality and widespread corruption. Mr. López Obrador, however, also has the chance to catapult his country into a leadership role on an issue that will benefit both Mexico and the rest of the globe: climate change.

Specifically, the president-elect can capitalize on Mexico’s huge potential for renewable energy. But while he has made promising proposals for expanding renewables, he will confront several obstacles.

Renewable energy accounts for less than a quarter of Mexico’s installed power capacity, well below the Latin American average of about 50 percent; most electricity is generated from oil, coal and natural gas. Expanding renewable energy would not only cut Mexico’s greenhouse gas emissions, but also reduce air pollution and diversify fuel sources, strengthening energy security. Mexico’s wind potential is more than eight times its current level of installed wind capacity. It has among the largest solar resources in the world — 75 times the country’s current total installed capacity.

Mr. López Obrador has announced ambitious plans to increase renewable power generation from both large-scale projects, such as hydroelectric dams, and small energy systems, like solar rooftops for residences and businesses, in a bid to cut natural gas imports from the United States. He’s vowed to encourage local industries to produce parts for renewable energy plants through tax incentives and access to credit. And by the end of his six-year term he wants to see 100,000 electric cars on Mexican streets powered by solar energy. Over the course of his presidency, his proposals are estimated to reduce Mexico’s emissions by 6.8 percent per year.