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Environment and Trade
Regions
Protecting human health and the environment are key to sustainable economic development. EPA participates in a variety of fora to establish and implement environment-related trade provisions. EPA is involved in the negotiation of new free trade agreements, and in implementing existing agreements, such as the environmental provisions under the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
New Free Trade Agreements
Working with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to develop, negotiate, and implement environment-related provisions in all new free trade agreements, EPA helps the U.S. meet its obligations under the Trade Act of 2002. EPA also collaborates with USTR and the President's Council on Environmental Quality to analyze the environmental impacts of new trade agreements, as required under an executive order of the President. In addition, EPA works with the U.S. State Department to help countries address potential environmental impacts of increased trade. EPA promotes sustainable development and helps to build the capacity of U.S. trading partners to develop, implement, and enforce sound environmental standards.
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was a trade pact established between Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1992. EPA partners with a variety of the important organizations set up through the NAFTA process to address environmental issues in the region. The North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) is an environmental side-agreement to NAFTA that complements the NAFTA environmental provisions and which established the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) to address regional environmental concerns.
EPA is the U.S. government lead agency for work with the CEC. Since its establishment in 1994, the CEC has helped intensify regional environmental cooperation and has encouraged accountability and transparency across North America's shared borders. It has also promoted effective environmental law enforcement across the region. CEC has sponsored trilateral action to address problems of common concern, such as Persistent Organic Pollutants instead of using and threats to biodiversity. CEC has facilitated the phase-out of DDT in North America and has contributed to the creation of the first national air emissions inventory for Mexico. Mexico's air inventory will contribute to developing a comprehensive view of North American air emissions.
NAFTA also enabled the creation of the North American Development Bank (NADB) and its sister institution, the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC). A BECC-NADB Agreement has created an environmental infrastructure program that empowers communities on the U.S.-Mexico border to assess their environmental infrastructure needs while incorporating a mix of federal, state, local, and private-sector funding to execute affordable and self-sustaining environmental infrastructure projects. By the end of 2005, the Board of Directors had approved over $700 million in financing for environmental infrastructure projects, such as water treatment and sanitation projects. As a member of the Board, the EPA helps to ensure environmental quality in projects developed, certified, funded, and constructed by the BECC and NADB.
Learn more about Environment and Trade:
- Environment and Trade and Investment provides historical background on efforts in the post World War II era to promote and manage global economic development.
- U.S. Trade and Investment Policy Making Process provides current information about the agencies and steps involved in developing and implementing trade and investment agreements.
- U.S. Trade and Investment Agreements contains information on specific trade and investment agreements that are currently in effect or under development.
- Environmental Reviews of Trade and Investment Agreements links to the Executive Order requirement for reviews, the process for conducting them, and draft and completed reviews.
- International Trade and Environment Organizations links to many of the numerous organizations, both national and international, that work in cooperation with EPA to address aspects of trade and investment and the environment.
Contacts
For additional information on EPA's trade programs, contact:
Joe Ferrante
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International Affairs (2670R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: ferrante.joe@epa.gov
