The North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation obliges the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation to “periodically address the state of the environment in the territories of the Parties.”

To meet this obligation, the Secretariat has developed this report—The North American Mosaic: An Overview of Key Environmental Issues—with the support of environmental reporting experts from the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States. This report describes current environmental conditions and trends across North America. The breadth and diversity of the subject are astounding: from tiny invasive zebra mussels to global greenhouse gases measured by the teragram; from the last remaining vaquita porpoises to vast expanses of boreal forests and marine ecosystems; from invisible molecules of toxic chemicals to the all-too-visible smog and haze that blanket our cities from time to time.

• What are the central environmental challenges confronting North America?
• What are the greatest priorities for cooperative action among our three countries to address these environmental challenges?
• How can we measure our progress and create effective feedback mechanisms?
• How can we enhance the relevance of trinational cooperation through the Commission for Environmental Cooperation?