Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program
TRI Around the World
U.S. TRI Program: A Leader in International Chemical Release Reporting
The Environmental Protection Agency’s TRI Program was established in 1986 as the first pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR) in the world. Since then, environmental agencies across the world have been increasingly implementing their own PRTR programs using TRI as a model. Currently, at least 50 countries have fully established PRTRs or have implemented pilot programs. Many more PRTRs are expected to be developed over the coming years, particularly in Central and South American countries.
The TRI Program works closely with international organizations to:- Assist in the development of PRTR programs in other countries
- Encourage other countries to develop initiatives aimed at making existing PRTR data more comparable to allow better analysis of the data on a continental or global scale
- Make the data more useful for assessing progress towards sustainability
Countries that have implemented or are developing PRTRs are shown below in blue. A complete list of these countries is available on the Global PRTR Initiatives webpage .
International Partners
The TRI Program participates in activities to help develop PRTR programs in other countries. These organizations and activities include:![]() |
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Organization for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentThe Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) OECD and PRTRsThe OECD began work to encourage development of PRTRs To help member countries implement efficient and effective PRTR systems, OECD produces documents describing the experiences of countries that have developed PRTRs; current and emerging uses of PRTR data; how PRTRs differ; and the identification, selection, and adaptation of release estimation techniques that industry can use to calculate pollutant releases and transfers. The OECD coordinates PRTR activities between the industrialized nations of Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific through its PRTR Task Force. The goal of the Task Force is to enable the OECD member countries to provide and improve information about implementation of PRTRs. Current PRTR-related priorities underway with the OECD include: developing methods to make PRTR data more comparable among different countries and enable the use of PRTR on a continental and global scale; developing and cataloging techniques for estimating emissions from diffuse and point sources; and promoting the use of PRTR information as a means to assess progress in achieving sustainability. PRTR.net |
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Commission for Environmental CooperationThe North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) CEC and PRTRsThree countries and their respective Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) are affiliated with the CEC: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Canada’s PRTR program is the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and is maintained by Environment Canada. Mexico’s PRTR program is the Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (RETC) and is maintained by Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (La Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT)). The CEC annually publishes its Taking Stock report which presents and analyzes PRTR data from the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory, the U.S. Toxics Release Inventory, and Mexico’s Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes. The report and the integrated North American PRTR dataset can be explored through the CEC's Taking Stock Online website Map layer for Industrial Pollutants on Google Earth
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United Nations Environment ProgramThe United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) UNEP’s International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) |
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United Nations Institute for Training and ResearchThe United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) UNITAR and PRTRsUnder a cooperative agreement established under the Dominican Republic - Central American – United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), development of PRTRs in Central America and the Dominican Republic were identified as primary goals. UNITAR, through funding from the EPA and in coordination with the Comision Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD), is working to facilitate development of PRTRs in two countries in Central America, with technical guidance from the TRI Program. UNITAR has launched an interactive website called PRTR:Learn Likewise, it is possible to access documents on technical aspects of PRTRs, follow e-learning courses, share insights with others in forums and webinars and find about news and events on PRTRs around the world. |