Publications

Advice to council 08-02
Public comment period for the proposed Operational Plan for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America for 2009

9/12/2008 |  28 KB
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North American Conservation Action Plan for the Vaquita (Phocoena sinus)

This North American Conservation Action Plan (NACAP), developed for the vaquita (Phocoena sinus), resulted from the advice provided by the Biodiversity Conservation Working Group to the CEC Council, which instructed its Secretariat on 27 June 2007, to initiate collaborative actions to recover the vaquita and promote sustainable local livelihoods. Although the vaquita is found only in Mexican waters, it had been identified by Canada, Mexico and the United States as a species of common conservation concern in North America. As a result, the CEC hosted a trinational workshop in Ensenada, Baja California, in October 2007, and obtained input from an extensive list of experts from diverse backgrounds from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, the content of this NACAP has been cleared for publication by an inter-governmental review process established by the CEC Council to ensure the quality of the Plan.

This NACAP is intended to provide a trinational outlook on the species. It gives an updated account of the species and its current situation, identifies the main risk factors causing the species to suffer an unsustainable level of mortality, and summarizes the current management and actions taken in each country, as well as public and commercial perception of the species and the threats it faces. Against this background, it then offers a list of key trinational collaborative conservation actions, priorities and targets to be considered for adoption by the three countries. The actions identified address the following main objectives: 1. threats prevention, control and mitigation; 2. use of innovative approaches to developing sustainable livelihoods in the communities; 3. research, monitoring and evaluation on the state of the vaquita population; and 4. Increasing awareness of the vaquita, its plight, and importance within its ecosystem.

28/10/2008 |  7 MB
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A Field Guide to Monarch Caterpillars (Danaus plexippus)

27/10/2008 |  2 MB
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Buying Environmentally Preferable Office Equipment: A Buyer's Guide

16/10/2008 |  279 KB
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Environmentally Preferable Cleaning Chemicals: A Buyer's Guide

16/10/2008 |  266 KB
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Green Electricity: A Buyer’s Guide

16/10/2008 |  293 KB
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Pform- Chapala.pdf
Available only in Spanish

19/09/2008 |  43 KB
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Enhancing North American Air Quality Management
Deadline: 29 August 2008

8/08/2008 |  60 KB
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Hazardous Waste E-Learning Course – Request for Proposals
Deadline: August 1, 2008

24/07/2008 |  44 KB
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Sound Management of Chemicals Working Group SMOC Public Meeting, Summary

21/07/2008 |  117 KB
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North American Monarch Conservation Plan

This plan provides an updated account of the species and its current situation, identifies the main risk factors affecting it and its habitat throughout the flyway, and summarizes the current conservation actions taken in each country. Against this background, it offers a list of key trinational collaborative conservation actions, priorities and targets to be considered for adoption by the three countries. The actions identified address the following main objectives: (1) decrease or eliminate deforestation in the overwintering habitat; (2) address threats of habitat loss and degradation in the flyway; (3) address threats of loss, fragmentation and modification of breeding habitat; (4) develop innovative enabling approaches that promote sustainable livelihoods for the local population; and (5) monitor monarchs throughout the flyway. The adoption of measures to address these objectives will help conserve the monarch and its habitats for future generations.

27/06/2008 |  3 MB
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The North American Mosaic
An Overview of Key Environmental Issues

18/06/2008 |  14 MB
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Development and Analysis of a Survey of Small and Medium-size Manufacturers of Electronic Parts, Components and Equipment
Needs Assessment—Assistance Needed to Improve Environmental Performance of Canadian SMEs in the Electronics Sector

18/04/2008 |  124 KB
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Development and Analysis of a Survey of Small and Medium-size Manufacturers of Electronic Parts, Components and Equipment
Needs Assessment—Assistance Needed to Improve Environmental Performance of US SMEs in the Electronics Sector

18/04/2008 |  125 KB
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Greening Supply Chains
Report on Activities and Results

31/03/2008 |  1 MB
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Green Building in North America
Opportunities and Challenges

In this report, the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recommends that North American leaders make green building a foundational driver for environmental, social, and economic improvement in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

What is green building and how can it become such an important instrument for change?

Green building refers to the use of environmentally preferable practices and materials in the design, location, construction, operation and disposal of buildings. It applies to both renovation and retrofitting of existing buildings and construction of new buildings, whether residential or commercial public or private.

By continually improving how we locate, design, build, operate, and retrofit buildings, North American leaders can significantly improve the well-being of North America. Advanced energy-saving technologies applied in buildings can result in enormous reductions in demand for fossil fuels and emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Better design and building practices can also help address environmental challenges such as natural resource depletion, waste disposal, and air, water, and soil pollution. Green building can also help achieve gains in human health and prosperity.

Despite this potential for transformation, green building represents only a small percentage of building in North America. By some estimates, green building currently accounts for about two percent of the new non-residential building market in the United States and 0.3 percent of the residential market. In Canada, green building trends are generally thought to be similar to those in the United States. In Mexico, there are no reliable figures showing the extent to which green building exists in the marketplace. Although the green building market is expected to grow rapidly in all three countries in the coming years, a substantial shift from the status quo is needed to make these high-performance buildings the norm in North America.

13/03/2008 |  2 MB
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PAPER 1: Green Building Energy Scenarios for 2030
Marbek Resource Consultants (Martin Adelaar and Mark Pasini), Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (Stephen Selkowitz), Odón de Buen

13/03/2008 |  2 MB
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PAPER 2a: Toward Sustainable Financing and Strong Markets for Green Building
Green Building Market and Finance in Mexico
Sinergia Capital (Luis Antonio García)

13/03/2008 |  464 KB
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PAPER 2b: Toward Sustainable Financing and Strong Markets for Green Building
US Green Building Finance Review
Malachite LLC (Leanne Tobias)

13/03/2008 |  511 KB
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PAPER 2c: Toward Sustainable Financing and Strong Markets for Green Building
Valuing Sustainability
Chris Corps

13/03/2008 |  919 KB
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PAPER 3a: Institutional Efforts for Green Building
The Case of Mexico
Mario Molina Center

13/03/2008 |  811 KB
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PAPER 3b: Institutional Efforts for Green Building
Approaches in Canada and the United States
Alex Wilson, Jennifer Atlee, Halsall Associates (Doug Webber)

13/03/2008 |  1 MB
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PAPER 4a: Residential Green Building in North America
Working Toward Accessible and Sustainable Housing in Mexico
Fernando Mayagoitia

13/03/2008 |  594 KB
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PAPER 4b: Residential Green Building in North America
Promoting Residential Green Building in North America: A Perspective from the United States
Steven Winter

13/03/2008 |  415 KB
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PAPER 4c: Residential Green Building in North America
The Benefits of a North American Strategy: A Perspective from Canada
The Sheltair Group (Innes Hood)

13/03/2008 |  790 KB
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Advice to Council 07-02
Engaging Indigenous Communities in the Work of the CEC

20/12/2007 |  174 KB
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Practices and Options for Environmentally Sound Management of Spent Lead-acid Batteries within North America

29/11/2007 |  2 MB
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Taking Stock
2004 North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

The Taking Stock report is based on pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) from Canada, Mexico and the United States, which provide detailed information on types, locations and amounts of chemicals released or transferred by industrial facilities. The report supports a key objective of the CEC’s goal to provide information for decision-making at all levels of society.

The publication of the eleventh edition of Taking Stock marks the achievement of a significant milestone in pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR) reporting in North America. For the first time, Taking Stock incorporates PRTR data reported by facilities in Mexico through the new Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (RETC). The Mexican data, reported in 2004 and now publicly available online, allow the annual Taking Stock report to present a more complete picture of industrial releases and transfers of chemicals in North America.

Note

As noted in the disclaimer at the beginning of this report, the national PRTR systems 'lock' their data sets on a specific date and use the 'locked' data for annual summary reports. The CEC follows a similar process: changes submitted by facilities to national PRTR data sets after the data are locked for the purposes of completing Taking Stock, are incorporated in the following year’s report. This approach is an established means to ensure the efficient comparison of national data sets on an annual basis.

The CEC is aware that changes have occurred to the data sets for the 2004 reporting year subsequent to the cut-off date for data used in this report. We wish to draw to readers’ attention a belated, but significant, data correction by Zalev Brothers, a metal recycling facility in Ontario. A September 2007 correction to a unit conversion error by this facility reduces by a thousand-fold its reported off-site releases and transfers to recycling for 2004. This change affects certain rankings presented in the report’s US/Canada analysis. As noted on pages 48 and 65 herein, without reporting by this one facility, Ontario would have ranked second in 2004 for total pollutant releases and transfers.

The CEC calls to readers’ attention this revised information because of the impact of this one facility as cited above. In the absence of an analysis of the magnitude of all data revisions submitted by North American facilities after the cut-off date for 2004, any “revised” ranking in the Taking Stock 2004 report cannot be confirmed. Please note that other key findings of the report are unaffected by this new information.

18/10/2007 |  17 MB
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Toxic Chemicals and Indigenous Communities
Two case studies explore how the CEC’s North American Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Project can better serve indigenous and tribal communities

25/09/2007 |  1 MB
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Improving the Transboundary Tracking of Hazardous Waste in North America
A Regional Approach to a Global Effort

17/09/2007 |  693 KB
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Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America
Executive Summary

27/04/2007 |  2 MB
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Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America
Background Paper

27/04/2007 |  752 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 23
Secretariat Determinations under Articles 14 and 15 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation: September 2004 through August 2006

22/04/2007 |  8 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 22
Factual Record Ontario Logging Submission (SEM-02-001) & Ontario Logging II Submission (SEM-04-006)

5/02/2007 |  9 MB
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Taking Stock
2003 North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

Taking Stock 2003 is the tenth in the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) Taking Stock series on sources, releases and transfers of industrial pollutants in North America. In this report, you can find:

• which industrial sector released the largest amount of pollutants;
• which chemicals are released in the largest amounts;
• how releases and transfers of chemicals from facilities in your community rank in North America;
• the types of chemical releases and amounts shipped across national boundaries for disposal, treatment,energy recovery or recycling; and
• whether chemical releases and transfers are increasing or decreasing over time.

At the Taking Stock Online web page, you can frame customized data enquiries and get answers about releases and transfers of chemicals in North America.

27/07/2006 |  9 MB
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Taking Stock (Overview)
2003 North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

27/07/2006 |  3 MB
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Activity Report June 2006
A message from the Executive Director

27/06/2006 |  538 KB
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Toxic Chemicals and Children’s Health in North America
A Call for Efforts to Determine the Sources, Levels of Exposure, and Risks that Industrial Chemicals Pose to Children’s Health

17/05/2006 |  5 MB
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Children’s Health and the Environment in North America
A First Report on Available Indicators and Measures

As we learn more about the unique vulnerabilities and susceptibilities of children to environmental risks, there is an increasing call for data and information that can be used to improve public policy in this area. This document, Children’s Health and the Environment in North America: A First Report on Available Indicators and Measures, is the first integrated, regional report providing indicators for a series of children’s health and environment issues.

26/01/2006 |  6 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 20
Final Factual Record Tarahumara Submission (SEM-00-006)

9/01/2006 |  2 MB
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Black-tailed Prairie Dog
North American Conservation Action Plan

This NACAP, developed for the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), resulted from a trinational workshop hosted by the CEC in Calgary in July 2004 and benefited from the in-depth review of an extensive list of wildlife experts from diverse backgrounds from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, the content of this NACAP has been shared with diverse government agencies within each country related to the well-being of the species.

30/11/2005 |  6 MB
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Ferruginous Hawk
North American Conservation Action Plan

This NACAP, developed for the ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis), resulted from a trinational workshop hosted by the CEC in Calgary in June 2004 and benefited from the in-depth review of an extensive list of wildlife experts from diverse backgrounds from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, the content of this NACAP has been shared with diverse government agencies within each country related to the well-being of the species.

30/11/2005 |  8 MB
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Humpback Whale
North American Conservation Action Plan

This NACAP, developed for the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), resulted from a trinational workshop hosted by the CEC in San Francisco, California in March 2004 and benefited from the in-depth review of an extensive list of wildlife experts from diverse backgrounds from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, the content of this NACAP has been shared with diverse government agencies within each country that are related to the well-being of the species.

30/11/2005 |  7 MB
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Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle
North American Conservation Action Plan

This NACAP, developed for the Pacific leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea, hereafter "leatherback turtle"), resulted from a trinational workshop hosted by the CEC in San Francisco, California, in March 2004 and benefited from the in-depth review of an extensive list of wildlife experts from diverse backgrounds from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, the content of this NACAP has been shared with diverse government agencies found within each country related to the well-being of the species.

30/11/2005 |  7 MB
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Pink-footed Shearwater
North American Conservation Action Plan

This NACAP, developed for the pink-footed shearwater (Puffinus creatopus), resulted from a trinational workshop hosted by the CEC in San Francisco, California, in March 2004, and benefited from the in-depth review of an extensive list of wildlife experts from diverse backgrounds from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, the content of this NACAP has been shared with diverse government agencies found within each country related to the well-being of the species.

30/11/2005 |  6 MB
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Western Burrowing Owl
North American Conservation Action Plan

This NACAP, developed for the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea, hereafter "burrowing owl"), resulted from a trinational workshop hosted by the CEC in Calgary in July 2004 and benefited from the in-depth review of an extensive list of wildlife experts from diverse backgrounds from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, the content of this NACAP has been shared with diverse government agencies within each country related to the well-being of the species.

30/11/2005 |  7 MB
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Promoting Green Purchasing in North America
Cleaning products, office supplies and equipment, and electricity

19/10/2005 |  1 MB
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Illegal Trade in Wildlife
A North American Perspective

In North America, we share a rich environmental heritage that includes air, oceans and rivers, mountains and forests. Together, these elements form the basis of a complex network of ecosystems that sustains our livelihoods and well-being. If these ecosystems are to continue to be a source of life and prosperity, they must be protected. Doing so is a responsibility shared by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America (CEC) is an international organization created by Canada, Mexico and the United States under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) to address regional environmental concerns, help prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts, and promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. The Agreement complements the environmental provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

30/09/2005 |  2 MB
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Activity Report June 2005
A message from the Executive Director

22/06/2005 |  3 MB
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Looking to the future
Strategic Plan of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation 2005-2010

22/06/2005 |  2 MB
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CEC Strategic Plan on Trade and Environment

17/06/2005 |  1 MB
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B2B: A blueprint for conservation from Baja California to the Bering Sea

7/06/2005 |  6 MB
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Marine Priority Conservation Areas
Baja California to the Bering Sea

From the Gulf of California, with its deep canyons, nutrient-rich upwellings and high levels of endemism, to the 20,000 kilometers of bays, inlets and inland drainage systems of the Pacific Northwest and the high productivity of the Bering Sea, the west coast of North America is home to unique and important shared marine environments.

It is also home to a great number of shared marine species—such as Pacific gray and blue whales, leatherback sea turtles, bluefin tuna, black brant geese and Heermann’s gulls—that migrate thousands of kilometers, moving across national borders without hesitation. Hence, be it through shared species or ecosystems, the marine environments of Canada, Mexico and the United States are intimately linked. Accordingly, action or inaction on one side of a border will have consequences for the shared living organisms occupying ecosystems with no definite boundaries.

Identifying priority conservation areas (PCAs) is one of several marine initiatives sponsored by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America as part of its Strategic Plan for North American Cooperation in the Conservation of Biodiversity. This report describes the process of identifying these PCAs—areas of trinational importance due to their ecological significance, threatened nature and opportunities for conservation—which are in need of biand trinational cooperative action for their successful conservation. Iteratively over the course of this project, the definition of PCAs was refined to reflect the goals of the CEC process, the variable nature of data available in the three nations, and the spatial scale of the Baja California to Bering Sea (B2B) region. Other initiatives advance a common framework for mapping marine ecoregions, identify and help protect species of common conservation concern, and work to provide a common understanding as well as a coordinated and complementary use of institutions, initiatives and tools in each country so as to implement an integrated Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network in North America. This PCA initiative seeks to detail where conservation action is immediately necessary. This identification charts a course for future conservation alliances and action in the B2B region.

7/06/2005 |  9 MB
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Taking Stock
2002 North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

This report is intended to serve as an information source for governments, industry and communities in analyzing such data from a North American perspective and for identifying opportunities for pollution reduction. The analyses are based on 1995–2002 data from the US Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Results from 2002, trends over the eight years from 1995 to 2002, and from 1998 to 2002 are presented here. As data become available from the Mexican Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (voluntary for the 2002 reporting year), they will be included in future reports. This year, for the first time, information on criteria air contaminants from Canada, Mexico and the United States is included, since NPRI has added reporting on criteria air contaminants starting with the 2002 reporting year.

Taking Stock 2002 is the ninth in the CEC’s Taking Stock series on sources, releases and transfers of industrial pollutants in North America.

24/05/2005 |  14 MB
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Taking Stock (Overview)
2002 North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

24/05/2005 |  4 MB
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Americas Sustainability Issues: Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights

15/03/2005 |  119 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 19
Secretariat Determinations under Articles 14 and 15 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation: July 2002 through August 2004

8/02/2005 |  1 MB
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North American Power Plant Air Emissions
2002 Emissions Data

11/01/2005 |  3 MB
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Maize and Biodiversity: The Effects of Transgenic Maize in Mexico: Key Findings and Recommendations

Bound copies of Maize and Biodiversity: The Effects of Transgenic Maize in Mexico: Key Findings and Recommendations are available by request by sending an e-mail to info@cec.org.

8/11/2004 |  4 MB
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Linking Environmental Performance to Business Value
A North American Perspective

5/11/2004 |  555 KB
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Linking Environmental Performance to Business Value
A North American Perspective

5/11/2004 |  653 KB
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Silence is Golden, Leaden and Copper
Financial Disclosure of Material Environmental Information in the North American Hard Rock Mining Industry

5/11/2004 |  599 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 18
Factual Record Molymex II Submission (SEM-00-005)

8/10/2004 |  1 MB
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Moving Forward with Pollution Prevention in North America: A Progress Update

28/09/2004 |  340 KB
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Taking Stock 2001
North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

This report is intended to serve as an information source for governments, industry and communities in analyzing such data from a North American perspective and for identifying opportunities for pollution reduction. The analyses are based on 1995–2001 data from the US Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Results from 2001, trends over the seven years from 1995 to 2001 and from 1998 to 2001 are presented here. As data become available from the Mexican Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (voluntary for the 2001 reporting year), they will be included in future reports.

2/06/2004 |  8 MB
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Taking Stock 2001 (Executive Summary)
North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

This report is intended to serve as an information source for governments, industry and communities in analyzing such data from a North American perspective and for identifying opportunities for pollution reduction. The analyses are based on 1995–2001 data from the US Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Results from 2001, trends over the seven years from 1995 to 2001 and from 1998 to 2001 are presented here. As data become available from the Mexican Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (voluntary for the 2001 reporting year), they will be included in future reports.

2/06/2004 |  1 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 17
Factual Record Río Magdalena Submission (SEM-97-002)

11/12/2003 |  829 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 9
Citizen Submissions on Enforcement Matters, Secretariat Determinations under Articles 14 and 15 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, August 1997 through June 2002

When Canada, Mexico and the United States (the Parties) entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, they also concluded the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC or Agreement). The NAAEC supports the environmental goals and objectives of NAFTA and recognizes the importance of public participation in the conservation, protection and enhancement of the environment. The citizen submission process under NAAEC Articles 14 and 15 is an innovative mechanism allowing the public to take part in the pursuit of NAAEC’s goals. This volume of the North American Environmental Law and Policy (NAELP) series, which follows previous volumes devoted to the citizen submission process, provides an update on the CEC Secretariat’s activity on submissions on enforcement matters under Articles 14 and 15 since August 2000.

23/09/2003 |  3 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 13
Factual Record BC Mining Submission (SEM-98-004)

13/08/2003 |  2 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 15
Factual Record Oldman River II Submission (SEM-97-006)

12/08/2003 |  2 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 14
Factual Record BC Logging Submission (SEM-00-004)

11/08/2003 |  795 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 12
Factual Record Aquanova Submission (SEM-98-006)

23/06/2003 |  1 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 11
Final Factual Record for Submission SEM-99-002 (Migratory Birds)

24/04/2003 |  736 KB
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Taking Stock 2000: Sourcebook
North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

Each year, thousands of facilities across North America publicly report on the amounts of certain hazardous chemicals that they release to the air, water and land, or transfer off-site for further management. This information is compiled in what are internationally known as pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs)— databases managed by governments as a means of ensuring that the public has access to information on chemicals being released and transferred into and through their communities.

Sometimes we hear about these facilities in the news and through reports such as Taking Stock, the CEC’s annual assessment of comparable North American PRTR data. The facilities that are releasing the greatest quantities are usually the ones that catch our attention. In response to this public attention, and through a variety of corporate stewardship initiatives, many of these top polluters are gradually improving their performance. This year’s Taking Stock shows that the top-ranking facilities, as a group, are making progress in reducing their releases and transfers of the some 200 chemicals for which comparable data exist between the Canadian and US reporting systems (comparable Mexican data are not yet available). While these top-ranked facilities still dominate the numbers in terms of amounts of pollutants released and transferred, their total releases have dropped by six percent from 1998–2000.

17/04/2003 |  18 MB
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Taking Stock 2000: Summary
North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

Each year, thousands of facilities across North America publicly report on the amounts of certain hazardous chemicals that they release to the air, water and land, or transfer off-site for further management. This information is compiled in what are internationally known as pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs)— databases managed by governments as a means of ensuring that the public has access to information on chemicals being released and transferred into and through their communities.

Sometimes we hear about these facilities in the news and through reports such as Taking Stock, the CEC’s annual assessment of comparable North American PRTR data. The facilities that are releasing the greatest quantities are usually the ones that catch our attention. In response to this public attention, and through a variety of corporate stewardship initiatives, many of these top polluters are gradually improving their performance. This year’s Taking Stock shows that the top-ranking facilities, as a group, are making progress in reducing their releases and transfers of the some 200 chemicals for which comparable data exist between the Canadian and US reporting systems (comparable Mexican data are not yet available). While these top-ranked facilities still dominate the numbers in terms of amounts of pollutants released and transferred, their total releases have dropped by six percent from 1998–2000.

17/04/2003 |  4 MB
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Understanding and Anticipating Environmental Change in North America
Building Blocks for Better Public Policy

Is the environment we have now better than it was in the past, or have things gotten worse? Are we better off than our parents? Why have things changed? Do we really know? Can we know? What will the future look like? Will present trends continue? What will be the quality of air, water, sea, land and the biosphere as a whole for our children and grandchildren? Will the biodiversity of this continent be richer or poorer? Will our climate be the same or will it change?

The focus of this report, and the background papers and analyses on which it draws, is how best to examine the environmental effects of trade on Canada, Mexico and the United States, the three signatories to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Two broad categories of approaches are examined:

• data-intensive methods for gaining a more detailed and easier-to-communicate understanding of past and present environmental trends and the factors underlying them, and
• techniques for diagnosing and anticipating future environmental problems.

21/02/2003 |  417 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 10
Access to environmental information / The precautionary principle

The North American Environmental Law and Policy series presents some of the most salient recent trends and developments in environmental law and policy in Canada, Mexico and the United States. This volume includes:

Public Access to Government-held Environmental Information – Report on North American Law, Policy and Practice (Second Edition)

This second edition of our report is being released at a time when all three countries are reviewing the ground rules on access to government-held information. In Canada, the 1983 Access to Information Act is undergoing a major reform. In Mexico, federal access to information legislation, briefly described in the Mexico section of this report, came into force on 12 June 2002. In the United States, concern for national security has led to some changes in access-to-information policy. At the same time, in all three countries, environmental laws are being adopted or amended to reflect commitments by governments to foster public participation in decision-making by facilitating access to relevant information.

The Precautionary Principle in North American and International Law

Article 10(6) of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation mandates the Council of the CEC to cooperate with the NAFTA Free Trade Commission in order to achieve the environmental goals and objectives of NAFTA. The CEC Council and the Secretariat’s Environment, Economy and Trade program invested considerable time and effort developing the process by which the Council would undertake its work mandated under Article 10(6). This issue of North American Environmental Law and Policy contains the first two research papers commissioned by the Council as part of its work under Article 10(6). The papers themselves focus on different aspects of the use of precaution in North America.

7/02/2003 |  1 MB
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In Search of a Sustainable Palm Market in North America

3/02/2003 |  2 MB
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Capacity Building Meeting on Environment, Trade and Sustainable Development for the Latin American and Caribbean Region
27-28 March 2003

28/01/2003 |  19 KB
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Free Trade and the Environment
The Picture Becomes Clearer

15/12/2002 |  395 KB
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Letter from Council to JPAC in response to several JPAC Advice and letters

6/12/2002 |  115 KB
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Letter from Council to JPAC responding to Advice to Council 02-08 (Sound Management of Chemicals Program)

6/12/2002 |  113 KB
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Letter from Council to JPAC responding to Advice to Council 02-10 (The CEC and the Management of Freshwater in North America)

6/12/2002 |  78 KB
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Joint Public Advisory Committee
Assuring Public Participation

3/10/2002 |  2 MB
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A Retrospective Review of FERC’s Environmental Impact Statement on Open Transmission Access
Secretariat Report to Council under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  488 KB
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A Review: Environmental Challenges and Opportunities of the North American Electricity Market symposium
Secretariat Report to Council under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  310 KB
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Assessing Barriers and Opportunities for Renewable Energy in North America
Secretariat Report to Council under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  87 KB
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Design and Legal Consideration for North American Emissions Trading
Secretariat Report to Council under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  434 KB
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Environmental Challenges and Opportunities of the Evolving North American Electricity Market
Secretariat Report to Council Under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

The electricity sector across North America is currently experiencing a wave of unprecedented and rapid change. The opening of electricity markets to competition is underway or being considered in Canada, Mexico and the United States, and cross—border trade in electricity is growing, bolstered in part by the long—term stability conferred by NAFTA's trade and investment rules.

As these changes take place, many important questions are being asked about the emerging North American electricity market. One question—the focus of this Article 13 Report—encapsulates a key public policy challenge facing today’s decision-makers. How can we ensure that North Americans have an affordable and abundant supply of electricity without compromising environmental and health objectives? Clearly electricity is vital for the North American economy and is a prerequisite for economic stability and long-term prosperity. Just as clearly, however, some forms of production, transmission and use of electricity may have significant negative impacts on human health and the ecological systems that sustain life, both of which are valued highly by North Americans.

As outlined by the CEC Electricity and Environment Advisory Board in this report, we believe that it is possible to realize the economic opportunities offered by the evolving North American electricity market and at the same time protect human health and the environment. The key to meeting both these goals is increased cooperation and collaboration among the NAFTA partners. Cooperation needs to encompass not only environmental protection policies, but also the collection of emission information, improved impact assessment, the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency, increased technology transfer, and other matters. By working together to a common end, Canada, Mexico and the United States can ensure that the transformation of the North American electricity market contributes to sustainable development by generating economic, social and environmental benefits.

Janine Ferretti
Executive Director
CEC Secretariat

17/06/2002 |  976 KB
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Environmental Challenges and Opportunities of the Evolving North American Electricity Market
Secretariat Report to Council under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  749 KB
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Estimating Future Air Pollution from New Electric Power Generation
Secretariat Report to Council Under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  381 KB
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European Electricity Generating Facilities: An Overview of European Regulatory Requirements and Standardization Efforts
Secretariat Report to Council under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  407 KB
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Government comments on Environmental Challenges and Opportunities of the Evolving North American Electricity Market

17/06/2002 |  252 KB
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Modeling Techniques and Estimating Environmental Outcomes
Secretariat Report to Council under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  275 KB
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NAFTA Provisions and the Electricity Sector
Secretariat Report to Council under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

17/06/2002 |  122 KB
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Progress - A message from the Executive Director of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation
June 2002

17/06/2002 |  2 MB
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Making the Environment Healthier for Our Kids
An overview of environmental challenges to the health of North America’s children

Over the past several years it has become increasingly clear that environmental hazards pose a particular threat to children. At the same time, we have deepened our understanding of how pollutants like mercury, lead, DDT, dioxins and other persistent organic pollutants are transported vast distances by wind, water or commerce. Given that children are increasingly being exposed to environmental contaminants of foreign origin through long-range transport of contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), coupled with the knowledge that children are a more susceptible population to the effects of these and other environmental contaminants, it is clear that there is a strong need for global cooperation and a well-coordinated regional effort in order to truly protect our children. (...)

3/06/2002 |  288 KB
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Taking Stock 1999: Sourcebook
North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

Has North America made progress in reducing industrial releases of chemicals in the five years from 1995 to 1999? How many tonnes of carcinogens are released to air, water and land each year, and what are the trends in these releases? Have the agreements and regulations on chemicals that deplete that ozone layer had any effect on releases of those substances? Information to help answer these questions can be drawn from pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs), which provide detailed information on the types, locations and amounts of chemicals released or transferred by facilities.

This report is intended to serve as an information source for governments, industry and communities in answering such questions and for identifying opportunities for pollution reduction. The analyses are based on 1995–1999 data from the US Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Results from 1999, trends over the five years from 1995–1999 and changes from 1998 to 1999 are presented here. As data become available from the currently voluntary Mexican Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes, they will be included in future reports.

This report is the sixth in the CEC’s Taking Stock series on sources and management of industrial pollutants in North America. This Sourcebook report, the Summary, past volumes of Taking Stock (as PDF files), and searchable access to the data sets used in Taking Stock analyses are all available on the CEC's Taking Stock Online web page.

29/05/2002 |  7 MB
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Taking Stock 1999: Summary
North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

Has North America made progress in reducing industrial releases of chemicals in the five years from 1995 to 1999? How many tonnes of carcinogens are released to air, water and land each year, and what are the trends in these releases? Have the agreements and regulations on chemicals that deplete that ozone layer had any effect on releases of those substances? Information to help answer these questions can be drawn from pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs), which provide detailed information on the types, locations and amounts of chemicals released or transferred by facilities.

This report is intended to serve as an information source for governments, industry and communities in answering such questions and for identifying opportunities for pollution reduction. The analyses are based on 1995–1999 data from the US Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Results from 1999, trends over the five years from 1995–1999 and changes from 1998 to 1999 are presented here. As data become available from the currently voluntary Mexican Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes, they will be included in future reports.

This report is the sixth in the CEC's Taking Stock series on sources and management of industrial pollutants in North America. This Summary report, the more detailed Sourcebook, past volumes of Taking Stock (as PDF files), and searchable access to the data sets used in Taking Stock analyses are all available on the CEC's Taking Stock Online web page.

29/05/2002 |  2 MB
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The Environmental Effects of Free Trade
Papers Presented at the North American Symposium on Assessing the Linkages between Trade and Environment (October 2000)

Among the key issues shaping the free trade and economic globalization debate is the question of how trade liberalization affects environmental quality, either in terms of direct effects on our environment, or indirectly, for instance, the effects that such trade laws as those codified in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have on hard-fought national environmental standards and regulations. Work in assessing the environmental effects of free trade continues to undergo significant improvements: assessment methodologies have improved; environmental data—although still filled with gaps and lack of comparability among trading partners—continue to become more robust; and tools able to draw links between trade-related economic changes and environmental changes continue to be developed.

Among these and many other improvements, perhaps the most important will be establishing the means for ensuring that civil society is engaged early, and engaged meaningfully, in environmental assessments of the free trade agenda. Indeed, of all the grievances leveled by civil society against trade agreements, the lack of transparency and public participation remains perhaps the loudest.

Since the mid-1990s, the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)has examined the effects of NAFTA and other trade commitments on the environment. A guiding assumption of the Commission's work is the central importance of transparency and meaningful participation in assessment work. In late 1999, upon the completion of the CEC Analytical Framework for Assessing the Environmental Effects of NAFTA, the Council of the CEC issued a public call for research papers to be presented at a public forum on trade and environment: in essence, these studies were to translate the methodological or "how to" work into action. (...)

1/03/2002 |  6 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 8
Metales y Derivados Final Factual Record (SEM-98-007)

7/02/2002 |  2 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 7
North American Boundary and Transboundary Inland Water Management Report

Produced by the CEC, the North American Environmental Law and Policy series presents some of the most salient recent trends and developments in environmental law and policy in Canada, Mexico and the United States, including official documents related to the novel citizen submission procedure empowering individuals from the NAFTA countries to allege that a Party to the agreement is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws.

6/02/2002 |  3 MB
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The North American Mosaic
A State of the Environment Report

In North America, as in much of the world, humans are reshaping the environment and using up many parts of it faster than nature can renew itself.

Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The CEC report on the state of the environment, The North American Mosaic, assembles information so that policymakers and private citizens can decide what steps to take to move more rapidly towards sustainability. It examines the economy and our daily lives to show the risks and the damage we are causing, not just to the environment but to ourselves and to our health.

The transition will not be easy. It will require adapting policies, institutions, technologies and lifestyles. It will mean altering deep and enduring attitudes, values and behaviors that underlie our economic and social systems.

7/01/2002 |  8 MB
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Mexico and Emerging Carbon Markets
Investment Opportunities for Small and Medium-size Companies and the Global Climate Agenda

When the environmental agenda began to take shape, many feared that countries that adopted high levels of environmental standards would find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Although the echoes of this debate between strong economic performance or high levels of environmental protection continue, there is a very strong body of empirical evidence suggesting that such a dichotomy between either a strong economy or a strong level of environmental protection is not valid. More and more companies are adopting different kinds of environmental targets and benchmarks within their operations. They are doing this not simply because it makes environmental sense, but because it makes business sense as well.

Among the most exciting areas in which the green agenda is affecting business perceptions and practices is in the financial services sector. Although the traditional focus of environmental policy has been on pollution—intensive sectors alone, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that financial markets—and the array of actors within those markets, from commercial banks to venture capitalists, from equity investors to insurers, from large portfolio investors to producers who support "green" or sustainable objectives—are paying more attention to environmental issues, and are positively affecting the environmental agenda in the process.

Perhaps no single environmental policy challenge is as great as climate change. The purpose of this report—the first in a series of reports intended to provide information to the financial services sector on key environmental issues in North America—is to identify potential financing opportunities in Mexico related to the climate agenda. It is my firm belief that by engaging the private sector in the environmental agenda, in defining cooperative approaches that combine regulatory measures with incentive-based and market-led approaches, innovative and cost effective solutions will be found that meet our shared demand for the highest levels of environmental quality. (...)

6/11/2001 |  609 KB
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1999 Annual Report

1/10/2001 |  1 MB
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Taking Stock 1998: Sourcebook
North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

North Americans are concerned about the effect of chemicals on their health and the environment. Pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) are designed to track the quantities of chemicals that are released into the air, water or land, or that are transferred off-site for further management or disposal; they are a cornerstone in the effort to provide information to the public on the sources and handling of pollutants. Data on releases and transfers of chemicals are submitted by individual facilities. These data are then fed into a national, publicly available database. Many companies, as well as governments and communities, have used PRTR information as a basis for action to prevent and reduce chemical releases and transfers.

This report is the fifth in the annual Taking Stock series prepared by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). It analyzes the amounts of chemicals released and transferred by facilities. It draws from existing publicly available data from the US Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and, to a limited extent, from the Mexican Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (RETC). It contains several new analyses, including data on transfers to recycling and from new industry sectors: electric utilities, hazardous waste treatment and solvent recovery facilities, chemical wholesalers and coal mining. These data have been added to the national databases for 1998 and, therefore, can be included in the North American perspective of Taking Stock.

20/07/2001 |  6 MB
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Taking Stock 1998: Summary
North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers

Are releases of chemicals to air, water and land from industry increasing or decreasing in North America? What chemicals are released in the largest amounts and in what geographical areas? What are the main North American industrial sources for chemical releases and how are these chemicals being managed by different industrial sectors and facilities? Information to help answer these questions can be drawn from pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs), which provide detailed information on the types, locations and amounts of chemicals released or transferred by facilities.

This report is intended to provide answers to these and other such questions and, at the same time, serve as an information source for governments, industry and communities in identifying opportunities for pollution reduction. The analyses upon which this report is based utilize 1995–1998 data from the US Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Data highlights from the 1998 reporting year and trends over the 1995–1998 period are presented here. As data become available from the currently voluntary Mexican Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes, they will be included in future reports.

This report is the fifth in the CEC’s Taking Stock series on sources and management of industrial pollutants in North America.

20/07/2001 |  908 KB
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Special Report on Enforcement Activities (2000)
Prepared by the North American Working Group on Enforcement and Compliance Cooperation

30/06/2001 |  381 KB
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North American Agenda for Action: 2001–2003

1/01/2001 |  446 KB
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Bringing the Facts to Light
A Guide to Articles 14 and 15 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation

NOTE: Council Resolution 01-06, adopted 29 June 2001, amends section 10.2 of the Guidelines for Submissions on Enforcement Matters.

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When Canada, Mexico and the United States established the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), they also agreed on an environmental side accord, the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). One of the principal aims of the NAAEC is the promotion of effective enforcement by the Parties of their domestic environmental legislation. Accordingly, the NAAEC provides, under Articles 14 and 15, a means by which anyone living in any of the three countries of North America may bring the facts to light concerning the enforcement of environmental legislation on the books of any of the three countries.(...)

1/12/2000 |  1 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 6
BC Hydro Factual Record (SEM-97-001)

30/09/2000 |  1 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 5 (Fall 2000)
Secretariat Determinations under Articles 14 and 15 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation: August 1997 through August 2000

CEC Secretariat determinations and other documents issued through 31 August 1997, relating to specific submissions, were compiled in the Winter 1998 (Volume 1) edition of this series. The present volume includes CEC Secretariat documents on specific submissions issued through 31 August 2000.(...)

29/09/2000 |  1 MB
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Final Factual record for Submission SEM-97-001
BC Hydro

11/06/2000 |  1 MB
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Guidance document –Improving Environmental Performance and Compliance
10 Elements of Effective Environmental Management Systems

In recent years the private sector has developed various types of environmental management systems (EMSs) for identifying and managing the impacts that commercial and industrial operations have on the environment. These systems primarily serve internal management purposes; however, when designed and implemented to realize their full potential, they offer opportunities for enhancing environmental protection in both regulated and unregulated areas. The governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States are interested in promoting the use of EMSs that not only assure compliance with environmental laws and regulations but also encourage their users to improve their environmental performance and to move "beyond compliance".(...)

1/06/2000 |  840 KB
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NAWEG
Making a difference for wildlife

When Canada, Mexico, and the United States strengthened economic ties through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), they also pledged to undertake a new environmental partnership. In 1993, the three nations signed the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) and created the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). Among the objectives of the NAAEC is the building of regional cooperation for the conservation, protection and enhancement of the environment.The NAAEC also commits the Parties to the effective enforcement of their respective environmental laws, including those protecting wild flora and fauna.

Responding to these commitments, the CEC, in 1995, established an Enforcement Cooperation Program to provide a forum for regional cooperation, and to exchange expertise, build enforcement capacity and explore alternative approaches to effective enforcement.The Council of the CEC constituted a North American Working Group on Environmental Enforcement and Compliance Cooperation (EWG) to serve as this forum for regional cooperation.The NAWEG participates as a member of the EWG; it provides guidance in identifying priorities for regional cooperation in work to protect wildlife across the continent.(...)

1/06/2000 |  144 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997
Preface - Ch.2

Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The views contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the CEC, or the governments of Canada, Mexico or the United States of America.(...)

1/05/2000 |  607 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997

This publication was prepared by the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The views contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the CEC, or the governments of Canada, Mexico or the United States of America.(...)

1/05/2000 |  4 MB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997
Chapter 3: On-site Releases

This chapter examines reporting of on-site releases of PRTR-listed substances in North America. These releases—to air, water, land, or underground injection wells—occur at the facility.(...)

1/05/2000 |  1 MB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997
Chapter 4: Off-site Transfers

This chapter examines reporting of off-site transfers of PRTR-listed substances in North America. Facilities send—or transfer—PRTR-listed substances in waste to other locations for treatment or disposal. Sites that receive transfers for treatment may be private or public entities.(...)

1/05/2000 |  1 MB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997
Chapter 5: Releases and Transfers

This chapter examines North American total releases and transfers for PRTR-listed substances. Facilities may release—to air, water, land, or underground injection wells—the substances on-site within the boundaries of their facility, or they may send or transfer PRTR-listed substances in waste off-site to other locations for treatment or disposal.(...)

1/05/2000 |  962 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997
Chapter 6: Special Analyses

This chapter examines some of the data common to both Canadian and US PRTRs that can be refined for further analysis.(...)

1/05/2000 |  483 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997
Chapter 7: Primary Metals Industry

This chapter investigates in more detail primary metals industry reporting to NPRI and TRI. (...)

1/05/2000 |  617 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997
Appendix A—C

1/05/2000 |  224 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1997
Appendix D—F

1/05/2000 |  826 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 4 (Spring 2000)

The background papers contained in this volume were prepared by the CEC Secretariat to foster and support governmental discussions and negotiations on the development of two intertwined transboundary issues:

• Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment
• Access to Courts and Administrative Agencies in Transboundary Pollution Matters

30/03/2000 |  1 MB
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Framework for Public Participation in Commission for Environmental Cooperation Activities

1/01/2000 |  34 KB
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North American Agenda for Action: 2000–2002

1/01/2000 |  1 MB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 3 (Winter 1999-00)
Environmental Impact Assessment: Law and Practice in North America; Public Access to Government-Held Environmental Information: Report on North American Law, Policy and Practice

In addition to surveying North American laws and practices in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) field, this volume looks at the laws, policies and practices related to public access to environmental information. Both documents provide useful baseline information on these topics.(...)

31/12/1999 |  975 KB
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North American Important Bird Areas
A Directory of 150 Key Conservation Sites

Some 1,400 species of birds inhabit North America. This is roughly equivalent to one species in six of all the world's avifauna. By country, one finds over 1,000 species in Mexico, over 800 in the United States and over 600 in Canada. More than 250 species in North America are migratory. The spectacular array of bird life found across the continent is supported and created by the varied tapestry of North America's lands and waters.(...)

1/12/1999 |  2 MB
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Supporting Green Markets
Environmental Labeling, Certification and Procurement Schemes in Canada, Mexico and the United States

Among the highlights of this report: There are at least 25 important environmental labeling schemes in place in the United States. These schemes cover 156 product categories and approximately 310 actual products. While diversity of choice—especially in public policy instruments—is welcome, the current state of environmental labels may contribute to a bewildering array of choices for consumers, and the inability of one or two labels to carve a dominant market niche. (Given the trend in US markets toward the predominance of labels within different product categories, this fragmentation may contribute to the somewhat disappointing results of labels in the United States). This diversity of schemes also makes it difficult to determine an overall or aggregated estimate of total expenditures on green labels in the United States at this time.(...)

1/12/1999 |  305 KB
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Measuring Consumer Interest in Mexican Shade-grown Coffee:An Assessment of the Canadian, Mexican and US Markets

The objective of this report is to present the findings of a market analysis measuring consumer interest in, and potential demand for, Mexican shade-grown coffee in North America. This report on the consumer side of shade-grown coffee is complementary to the work of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation in developing environmentally sound and sustainable production criteria. These criteria have been developed in conjunction with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. A synthesis report assessing the implications of the production and consumption side of shade-grown coffee and its implications for various stakeholders in support of sustainable development will be released in late 1999.

19/10/1999 |  837 KB
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Measuring Consumer Interest in Mexican Shade-grown Coffee
An Assessment of the Canadian, Mexican and US Markets

The objective of this report is to present the findings of a market analysis measuring consumer interest in, and potential demand for, Mexican shade-grown coffee in North America. This report on the consumer side of shade-grown coffee is complementary to the work of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation in developing environmentally sound and sustainable production criteria. These criteria have been developed in conjunction with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. A synthesis report assessing the implications of the production and consumption side of shade-grown coffee and its implications for various stakeholders in support of sustainable development will be released in late 1999.(...)

1/10/1999 |  481 KB
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Indicators of Effective Environmental Enforcement
Proceedings of A North American Dialogue

In 1993, Mexico, Canada and the United States signed the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). NAAEC establishes the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) and imposes certain obligations and commitments on the three countries, a number of which relate to environmental enforcement.(...)

1/08/1999 |  937 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996

Pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) can provide important information on pollution management in a country and thus assist policymakers, industry and communities to set priorities and implement appropriate action. As the movement to establish PRTRs gains momentum globally, the North American countries are proud to be in the forefront of those that recognize the value of widespread dissemination of such information.(...)

1/08/1999 |  6 MB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Taking Stock 96 - Appendices

1/08/1999 |  677 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Chapter 3: Overview of PRTR Data for Taking Stock 1996

This chapter describes the NPRI and TRI data used to prepare this report and the methods applied to match compa-rable data from the two PRTR systems.(...)

1/08/1999 |  106 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Chapter 4: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996

This chapter summarizes PRTR data for North America, using publicly available data collected by Canada and the United States for 1996.(...)

1/08/1999 |  3 MB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Chapter 5: Canada and US Data Compared, 1996

This chapter compares the Canadian and US data for 1996 from the matched data set. It notes significant differences and similarities between the two PRTRs, when comparable chemicals and industries are viewed for both systems.(...)

1/08/1999 |  433 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Chapter 6: 1995 and 1996 Canadian and US Data Compared

This chapter examines changes in the Canadian and US data from 1995 to 1996 for the matched set of comparable chemicals and industries in both PRTRs.(...)

1/08/1999 |  502 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Chapter 7: Special Analyses

This chapter examines some of the data common to both Canadian and US PRTRs that can be refined for further comparisons: parent company reporting and chemical groups of particular interest. It also provides a brief look at the common PRTR data in comparison to basic geographic and demographic information.(...)

1/08/1999 |  484 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Chapter 8: Border and Transborder Analyses

Cross-boundary issues that can be examined with PRTR data include transfers of chemicals from facilities in one country to sites in another and releases and transfers reported by facilities located near borders. US TRI data supply information on transfers across the US-Mexican and US-Canadian borders. Beginning with the 1996 reporting year, Canadian NPRI data also specify clearly the amounts of pollutants in waste transferred into the United States.(...)

1/08/1999 |  337 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Chapter 9: Community Case Studies

Communities, industries and govern-ments have used PRTR data for many different purposes. The examples in this chapter profile developments in this area grouped according to country, beginning with the United States. The various sections also highlight some of the tools that groups have used and pro-vide contact information for other groups wishing to investigate the application of these tools in their own communities.(...)

1/08/1999 |  74 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1996
Preface, Introduction, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2

Pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) can provide important information on pollution management in a country and thus assist policymakers, industry and communities to set priorities and implement appropriate action. As the movement to establish PRTRs gains momentum globally, the North American countries are proud to be in the forefront of those that recognize the value of widespread dissemination of such information.(...)

1/08/1999 |  252 KB
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Ribbon of Life
An Agenda for Preserving Transboundary Migratory Bird Habitat on the Upper San Pedro River

Biological diversity is a global asset of incalculable value to present and future generations. The three nations of North America, partners in the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), are fully cognizant of the urgent need to conserve this vital asset and share an avowed commitment to maintain habitat by improving the management of natural resources for the preservation of endangered species. Accomplishing this task of conservation and management in the face of unsustainable human development patterns promises to be one of the most pressing issues of the coming decades.(...)

1/06/1999 |  1 MB
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Ribbon of Life
An Agenda for Preserving Transboundary Migratory Bird Habitat on the Upper San Pedro River

Biological diversity is a global asset of incalculable value to present and future generations. The three nations of North America, partners in the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), are fully cognizant of the urgent need to conserve this vital asset and share an avowed commitment to maintain habitat by improving the management of natural resources for the preservation of endangered species. Accomplishing this task of conservation and management in the face of unsustainable human development patterns promises to be one of the most pressing issues of the coming decades. Ribbon of Life marks the third report that the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has developed for the CEC Council under the authority of Article 13 of the NAAEC. This report puts forth a number of pragmatic actions aimed at balancing human activities with the preservation of important wildlife habitat along the upper San Pedro River. The process that gave rise to this report has been designed to foster cooperative efforts to ensure the continued health of the San Pedro watershed. The complexity of this issue, further exacerbated by the transboundary nature of the upper San Pedro basin, calls for the development of new and innovative mechanisms to manage shared habitat and the natural resources on which it depends. If adopted, the actions proposed here would serve to balance the often conflicting needs of humans and wildlife—meeting basic human water requirements without compromising the viability of important migratory bird habitat along the upper San Pedro River. The process followed in the study provides a concrete example of the CEC's unique capacity to engender constructive dialogue and stimulate meaningful responses at a regional level and beyond. While it is far too early to conclude that the upper San Pedro River and its watershed are on a sustainable course, a growing number of public and private partnerships have come together with a renewed spirit and enthusiasm to find meaningful solutions in the basin. As a result, there is a brighter future on the horizon for one of North America's pre-eminent habitats for migratory songbirds and other species.

1/06/1999 | 
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Silva Reservoir
An Example of Regional Environmental Cooperation in North America

In the winter of 1994-1995 some twenty to forty thousand waterbirds on their migratory route from the northernmost reaches of North America died at Silva Reservoir, a small impoundment in the high plains of central Mexico.

The mass mortality of birds at this site on the outskirts of the municipality of San Francisco del Rincón, Guanajuato, was neither unique nor new. The event was novel, however, because it set in motion an extensive process of research, public participation and the collaboration of different governmental agencies and international organizations to ascertain the causes of the die-off and to search for solutions to the problems that affect migratory waterbirds of the three North American countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States.(...)

1/06/1999 |  576 KB
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Tracing the Paths of Our Shared Environment

1/06/1999 |  106 KB
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The Development of Sustainable Tourism in Natural Areas in North America
Background, Issues and Opportunities

27/05/1999 |  475 KB
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Environment and Trade Series, #6—Assessing Environmental Effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
An Analytic Framework (Phase II) and Issue Studies

Assessing Environmental Effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): An Analytic Framework (Phase II) and Issue Studies is the second draft of a methodology for examining the environmental effects of NAFTA. This methodology represents the ongoing work of a team of more than two dozen people, with advice from dozens of other experts and stakeholders from the three countries.
In addition to the methodology, this report contains three issue studies, taken from the agriculture and energy sectors, that were chosen to test and enrich the framework.(...)

1/03/1999 |  242 KB
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Environment and Trade Series, #6—Issue Study 1
Maize in Mexico: Some Environmental Implications of the North American Free Trade Agreement

The purpose of this study is to consider the environmental implications of expanded North American trade and investment under NAFTA by implementing and developing a general framework being constructed by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s NAFTA Effects Project.¹(...)

1/03/1999 |  1 MB
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Environment and Trade Series, #6—Issue Study 2
Feedlot Production of Cattle in the United States and Canada: Some Environmental Implications of the North American Free Trade Agreement

The purpose of this issue study is to consider some specific environmental implications of expanded North American trade and investment under NAFTA; the analysis was carried out by implementing a general framework developed by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s NAFTA Effects Project. The scope of this issue study is sectoral, focusing on the beef and cattle sectors of North America, particularly the US and Canadian fed-cattle industry.(...)

1/03/1999 |  2 MB
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Environment and Trade Series, #6—Issue Study 2
Feedlot Production of Cattle in the United States and Canada: Some Environmental Implications of the North American Free Trade Agreement

The purpose of this issue study is to consider some specific environmental implications of expanded North American trade and investment under NAFTA; the analysis was carried out by implementing a general framework developed by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s NAFTA Effects Project. The scope of this issue study is sectoral, focusing on the beef and cattle sectors of North America, particularly the US and Canadian fed-cattle industry.(...)

1/03/1999 |  2 MB
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Environment and Trade Series, #6—Issue Study 3
Electricity in Canada, Mexico and the United States: Some Environmental Implications of the North American Free Trade Agreement

The purpose of this study is to consider the environmental implications of expanded North American trade and investment under NAFTA by implementing a general framework developed by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) NAFTA Effects Project. The scope of the study is sectoral, focusing on the generation of electricity by private and publicly owned entities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. It includes the upstream industries that provide the major fuel sources from which electricity is generated in North America, notably coal, natural gas and hydroelectricity. It also considers downstream processes of consumption for industrial, commercial and residential pur-poses, and some relevant industries.(...)

1/03/1999 |  645 KB
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North American Agenda for Action: 1999–2001

1/02/1999 |  629 KB
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1998 Annual Report

1/01/1999 |  4 MB
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Analytic Framework for Assessing the Environmental Effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

The North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) [Article10(6)(d)], directs the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), to consider on an ongoing basis the environmental effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A NAFTA Effects Project Team was assembled to assist the CEC in designing a methodology to fulfill this mandate. The following Analytic Framework is the culmination of the collective work of these North American experts over the course of four years.(...)

1/01/1999 | 
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CEC 1995 Annual Report Annex 1
North American Report on Environmental Enforcement

1/01/1999 |  739 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 2 (Winter 1998-99)
Official Documents (including the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation) and CEC Secretariat Submission Documents

Official Documents

31/12/1998 |  856 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995
Introduction, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2

This second annual Taking Stock report provides a continental picture of pollutant release and transfer (PRTR) data, based on information provided by the three governments from their domestic PRTR inventories.(...)

1/10/1998 |  205 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995

This second annual Taking Stock report provides a continental picture of pollutant release and transfer (PRTR) data, based on information provided by the three governments from their domestic PRTR inventories.(...)

1/10/1998 |  3 MB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995
Chapter 3—Pollutant Releases and Transfers in North America

This chapter provides an overall summary of PRTR data for North America, using publicly available data collected by Canada and the United States for 1995. It analyzes the data for industries and chemicals that must be reported in both countries (a matched data set). (...)

1/10/1998 |  325 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995
Chapter 4—1995 Canada and US Data Compared (Based on Matched Chemical/Industry Data Set)

Canada’s NPRI and the US TRI cover different selections of chemicals and industrial categories. To obtain a better comparison between these databases, the chemicals and industrial groups that appear only in one or the other, but not both, were removed from the analysis. This meant omitting from both databases all forms from non- manufacturing facilities (those that report US SIC codes outside the range of 20 to 39), because TRI covers only manufacturing (plus federal facilities). In contrast, NPRI requires any facility that handles an NPRI chemical (with a few exceptions) to report. TRI will add certain non- manufacturing industry groups for 1998 (metal mining, coal mining, electric utilities, commercial hazardous waste treatment, wholesale chemical products, petroleum bulk stations and solvent recovery services).(...)

1/10/1998 |  290 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995
Chapter 5—1994 and 1995 Canada and US Data Compared (Based on Matched Chemical/Industry Data Set)

PRTR data are collected annually and can be used to show how releases and transfers change from year to year. This chapter examines these changes for both NPRI and TRI and compares them for the two countries. Because some reporting requirements also changed from 1994 to 1995 in both NPRI and TRI, the set of chemicals that represents valid comparisons between these two years, because it excludes ammonia, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, nitric acid, and nitrate compounds, is smaller than in previous chapters where only the data for 1995 were being analyzed. Also, changes noted from 1994 to 1995 in this report may differ from those presented in Canada’s summary report on NPRI and the United States’ summary report on TRI, because the industry and chemical sets compared in their respective reports differ from the industry and chemical set used in this combined report.(...)

1/10/1998 |  350 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995
Chapter 6—Special Analyses

Some data common to both PRTRs can be refined for further comparisons. Parent company reporting and analyses of chemical groups of particular interest are two examples. In addition, differences in the specific data that must be reported in each country support analyses specific to one country or the other. This chapter presents these types of analyses. Some analyses below draw on data from the complete NPRI and TRI databases (see Table 3–4 in Chapter 3). Others examine data from the matched data set, representing chemicals and industries covered in both PRTRs, as presented in Chapters 3 and 4.(...)

1/10/1998 |  113 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995
Chapter 7—Border and Transborder Analyses

Cross-boundary issues that can be examined with PRTR data include transfers of chemicals from facilities in one country to sites in another and releases and transfers reported by facilities located near borders. US TRI data supply information on transfers across the US-Mexican and US-Canadian borders, while Canadian NPRI data give an indication of pollutants in waste transferred into the United States. In addition, this chapter examines data from facilities located within 100 kilometers on either side of the US-Canadian border.(...)

1/10/1998 |  376 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995
Chapter 8—The Pulp and Paper Industry in Canada and the United States

As noted in Chapter 4, in 1995 the pulp and paper industry in Canada had average releases and transfers per reporting form that were one-and-one-half times those reported to TRI. This chapter investigates the differences in paper-industry reporting to NPRI and TRI in more detail.(...)

1/10/1998 |  143 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1995
Appendix A – D

1/10/1998 |  627 KB
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North American Environmental Law and Policy Series, Volume 1 (Fall 1998)
Voluntary Measures to Ensure Environmental Compliance and Environmental Management Systems and Compliance

30/09/1998 |  1 MB
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North American Cooperation for the Sound Management of Chemicals

1/06/1998 |  66 KB
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Voluntary Measures to Ensure Environmental Compliance
A Review and Analysis of North American Initiatives

In North America, we share vital natural resources, including air, oceans and rivers, mountains and forests. Together, these natural resources are the basis of a rich network of ecosystems, which sustain our livelihoods and well-being. If they are to continue being a source of future life and prosperity, these resources must be protected. This stewardship of the North American environment is a responsibility shared by Canada, Mexico and the United States.(...)

1/03/1998 |  2 MB
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1998 Annual Program and Budget

1/01/1998 |  282 KB
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Ecological Regions of North America
Toward a Common Perspective

North America is a continent rich in diversity. Climatic types range from the polar arctic to tropical forests. Topographically, the continent contains a valley with the lowest elevation on earth and also extensive chains of tall mountains. It is blessed with rich natural resources as well as an unmatched variety of scenic natural beauty. Possessed of great variety among its populations of native animals and plants, since before recorded history it has also seen the development of a rich diversity in human cultures.(...)

1/11/1997 |  4 MB
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Environment and Trade Series, # 5—NAFTA's Institutions
The Environmental Potential and Performance of the NAFTA Free Trade Commission and Related Bodies

This study of the environmental potential and performance of the institutions created by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) represents a substantive contribution to Phase II of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation's NAFTA Effects Project. The project responds directly to Article 10(2)(l) of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), as well as to Article 10(6) which calls for cooperation between the Free Trade Commission (FTC) and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) to achieve the environmental objectives of NAFTA and to assess its effects on the environment. The project will design a framework that will permit the ongoing monitoring of the environmental changes occurring throughout North America in the wake of NAFTA and the side agreements negotiated in conjunction with it.(...)

1/11/1997 |  262 KB
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The Demand for Environmental Education and Training in Mexico
A Study on Capacity Building in Environmental Management from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation

The development of environmental education and training programs in North America is a priority for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) and is an important part of its overall objective to encourage regional cooperation and public participation in conservation and environmental protection in North America. The present study's primary goals were to:

• Define the demand for environmental education and training in the Mexican industrial sector by means of an extensive survey;
• Assess the long-term trends in the delivery mechanisms for these services; and
• Analyze opportunities for the promotion of environmental education and training in Mexico's industrial sector, primarily through regional cooperation.

1/09/1997 |  508 KB
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Final Factual Record of the Cruise Ship Pier Project in Cozumel, Quintana Roo

1/08/1997 |  453 KB
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Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers, 1994

Providing the public with information on pollutant sources and risks is recognized by all three countries of North America as an important tool for protecting human health and the environment. In 1995, the CEC’s Council of Ministers decided to create a North American Pollutant Release Inventory to help the public better understand pollutant releases in North America as a whole. This report is the first in a series of annual reports on pollutant releases in North America based on information brought together from existing publicly available information in the three countries.(...)

1/07/1997 |  3 MB
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1997 Annual Report

1/01/1997 |  5 MB
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A Shared Vision
Toward Sustainability in North America

A Shared Vision: Toward Sustainability in North America, describes an approach to environment and development in the context of the North American Free Trade Agreement and places ongoing work of the CEC into the context of international efforts to make economic development compatible with environmental protection. This publications shows how the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation can serve as a model for protecting the environment as more and more countries negotiate regional trading agreements.(...)

1/01/1997 |  2 MB
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Continental Pollutant Pathways
An Agenda for Cooperation to Address Long-Range Transport of Air Pollution in North America

The North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), which went into effect along with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on 1 January 1994, was negotiated to establish a framework for continental environmental cooperation, to address concerns regarding the potential impacts of trade liberalization and increased economic integration on the North American environment, and to promote a cooperative environmental agenda among the three countries on issues of regional importance and mutual concern. The long-range transport through the air of several persistent pollutants of widespread concern throughout North America (continental pollutant pathways) was judged to be such an issue, and at the instigation of the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), an Expert Advisory Panel was convened to study the problem. This document draws upon the report produced by that Expert Panel. The study itself was initiated under the authority of Article 13 of the NAAEC, which allows the Secretariat to prepare a report for the Council on any matter within the scope of the CEC's annual work program. This document is being made available to the public with the hope that the recommendations contained in it will foster trilateral cooperation on the issue of continental pollutant pathways in North America. Major conclusions are that: o Continental pollutants are affecting human health and the environment throughout North America. As the scientific Expert Advisory Panel emphasized: enough is already known on most fronts for us to say, unequivocally, that significant emission reductions from present levels are needed now. o There are populations in all three countries that are more vulnerable to the effects of pollutants. They include children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age, the elderly, people with respiratory problems, and indigenous peoples and others who rely on fish and wildlife as a major part of their diet. Developing embryos and nursing infants are also particularly at risk. o Major sources of continental pollutants include electric power plants, the transportation sector, the combustion of fossil fuels by some industries, municipal and medical waste incinerators, as well as chemicals used in agriculture. Improved emission-reduction technologies and pollution-prevention techniques and processes are available to reduce emissions of many of these pollutants. o North American collaborative action could focus on a small number of important common source categories. This would enhance the capacity of the region as a whole to reduce the risks from continental pollutants, since each country shares many of the same types of sources for these pollutants and many emission sources are responsible for more than one pollutant. o North America will need to work with other regions to address emission sources outside the continent, as well as those from North America affecting other regions. Effective collaboration on this issue could also strengthen an important international leadership role by demonstrating the potential for multilateral action to address an issue of growing concern for many regions in the world. o Comprehensive and up-to-date information and understanding are essential for effective and effi-cient control strategies at the domestic and international levels. The three countries need to coordinate and update emission inventories to make them more comparable and more compre-hensive. There is a similar need for collaboration among those involved in ecological research and monitoring of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the three countries, in the development and adoption of indicators of the status and integrity of these systems, and in the sharing of data and information. These approaches, as well as atmospheric monitoring and modeling efforts, are all essential to understanding and addressing the issue of continental pollutant pathways. A greater effort to combine these different activities into a more integrated ecosystemic approach is war-ranted. o It is apparent that funds and human resources dedicated to research on and monitoring the con-tinental pollutant pathways issue have declined substantially during recent years. Reversing this trend is essential for understanding the problem of transboundary pollution, taking appropriate action, and evaluating the effectiveness of domestic and international efforts. o North American ecosystems and weather patterns link three very different countries. Collaborative action will have to take into account the differences in economic and social situations and levels of development in each country, as well as their financial capacities and technological capabili-ties. In light of the above, it was concluded that a central issue is the need to establish an effective collabora-tive mechanism (or mechanisms) with the authority, expertise, and motivation to develop and take the steps that are needed to ensure that the continental pollutant pathways issue becomes, and remains, a significant trinational priority. This will necessitate a long-term commitment and continuing vigilance in order to reduce gradually human and environmental exposure to pollutants released to, formed within, or transported by environmental media.

1/01/1997 |  742 KB
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In Brief
Protecting the Marine Environment in North America

1/01/1997 |  127 KB
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Environment and Trade Series # 3 - Dispute Avoidance
Weighing the Values of Trade and the Environment under the NAFTA and the NAAEC

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation's Environment and Trade Series is designed to deepen our understanding of environment and trade linkages in the context of North American trade liberalization.
Dispute Avoidance: Weighing the Values of Trade and the Environment Under the NAFTA and the NAAEC closely examines past, present and potential environmental trade disputes in North America in order to identify ways to avoid or resolve such disputes. The report also looks at trade policies and dispute resolution systems already in place under NAFTA and GATT and cites possible improvements.(...)

1/11/1996 |  1 MB
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Environment and Trade Series # 4 - Building a Framework for Assessing NAFTA
Environmental Effects Report of a Workshop held in La Jolla, California, on April 29 and 30, 1996

Building a Framework for Assessing NAFTA Environmental Effects: Report of a Workshop held in La Jolla, California, on April 29 and 30, 1996 makes available in one publication the presentations and supporting documents from the CEC's first public meeting of its NAFTA Effects Project. In addition to presenting original research from top experts in Mexico, the United States and Canada, the La Jolla workshop report includes a summary of the workshop and valuable contact information.(...)

1/11/1996 |  858 KB
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Putting the Pieces Together
The Status of Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers in North America

Pollution inventories have become an important tool for increasing public understanding of the types and quantities of toxic chemicals in the environment while encouraging industry to prevent pollution and to assume responsibility for chemicals they use and manufacture. This paper, the first of two documents on pollutant releases and transfers in North America, looks at regional programs in North America including the U.S. Toxics Release Inventory, Canada’s National Pollutants Release Inventory and a new project in Mexico, the Registry of Emissions and Pollutant Transfer.(...)

1/11/1996 |  405 KB
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Assessing Latin American Markets for North American Environmental Goods and Services

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation's (CEC) report, Assessing Latin American Markets for North American Environmental Goods and Services features such critical information as what makes multinational or North American partnerships successful, where markets are expanding, and where Mexico has been successful in developing clean technologies and adapting proven technologies from the US and Canada for use in its domestic market. The report also highlights how these, and other technologies might expand into new markets with similar needs.(...)

1/08/1996 |  566 KB
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Environment and Trade Series # 1 - Potential NAFTA Environmental Effects
Claims and Arguments, 1991–1994

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation's Environment and Trade Series is designed to deepen our understanding of environment and trade linkages in the context of North American trade liberalization.
NAFTA Effects—Potential NAFTA Environmental Effects: Claims and Arguments, 1991-1994 is designed to identify the major claims and arguments made by governments, academics, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico suggesting that there are potential direct and indirect environmental effects of the NAFTA.(...)

1/08/1996 |  1 MB
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Environment and Trade Series # 2 - NAFTA Effects A Survey of Recent Attempts to Model the Environmental Effects of Trade
An Overview and Selected Sources

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation's Environment and Trade Series is designed to deepen our understanding of environment and trade linkages in the context of North American trade liberalization.
NAFTA Effects—A Survey of Recent Attempts to Model the Environmental Effects of Trade: An Overview and Selected Sources reviews current theoretical understandings about the impact of trade, trade liberalization and trade agreements on the environment, and the state of knowledge about modelling the environmental effects of trade.(...)

1/08/1996 |  188 KB
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Status of PCB Management in North America

Despite risks associated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), these toxics remain in use and continue to build up in the North American environment. In response, NAFTA countries are developing PCB management plans that, to various degrees, have begun to address public health concerns as well as environmental protection. This paper compares current regulations, inventories and disposal services in the three NAFTA countries in order to examine regional incentives and disincentives for PCB management.(...)

1/08/1996 |  857 KB
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Status of Pollution Prevention in North America

As environmental protection becomes increasingly more sophisticated, companies and governments in North America are moving away from traditional "end-of-pipe" pollution control methods in favor of changes to production that eliminate or reduce waste and pollution from the outset. In this report, three experts discuss current strategies and incentives for pollution prevention in Mexico, Canada and the United States. The report is part of CEC efforts to develop specific recommendations on pollution prevention techniques and strategies in North America.(...)

1/08/1996 |  238 KB
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1996 Annual Report

1/01/1996 |  3 MB
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CEC Secretariat Report: Silva Reservoir
CEC Secretariat Report on the Death of Migratory Birds at the Silva Reservoir (1994-95)

The CEC Secretariat Report on the Death of Migratory Birds at the Silva Reservoir (1994-95) was prepared at the request of non-government organizations from the United States and Mexico. The report targets the winter 1994-95 mass mortality of migratory waterbirds in the Presa de Silva (Silva Reservoir), located in Guanajuato State. The report includes recommendations for preventing future mass mortalities and offers lessons for the management of bird habitats in other areas of North America.

1/10/1995 |  18 MB
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1995 Annual Report

1/01/1995 |  487 KB
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