Collaborative environmental work connecting science, justice, and sustainability

COMMISSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION

Three countries working together to protect our shared environment in support of sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations.

In the Spotlight

International Monarch Monitoring Blitz

Every Observation Matters!

The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz is a community science initiative open to anyone in North America. Each year, the Monarch Blitz takes place over a 10-day period, starting on the last Friday of July and ending on the Sunday of the following week.

International Monarch Monitoring Blitz

Who we are

A unique trinational organization advancing a regional approach to environmental cooperation and creating linkages across Canada, Mexico and the United States to address emerging and complex environmental challenges.

Strengthen the protection of the environment

Foster sustainable development

Facilitate knowledge exchange

Develop tools and resources

Promote inclusive and diverse public engagement

About Us Our Impact

What we do

CEC projects bring together experts, governments and communities to share knowledge, build capacity, pilot scalable solutions and strengthen cooperation, turning shared goals into action for North America’s environment.

Areas of Work

Cross-cutting Themes

All Projects

Featured Project

Community-led Environmental Education Initiative for Biocultural Heritage Protection

2022 Active Sustainable Living and Economies

North America is experiencing a diverse array of socio-environmental and economic challenges due to ecosystem degradation and climate change. These challenges disproportionately affect systemically vulnerable communities, including Indigenous communities and minority groups. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive approach that recognizes the region’s economic, ecological, cultural and social diversity. Sustainable...

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Environmental Education Initiative

Featured Publication

Long-term Impact Assessment of the Sound Management of Hazardous Waste Work (1996–2014)

July 16, 2019 2 pages Pollutants

CEC’s work on hazardous waste management spanned 18 years and included the following initiatives:

  • Training and consolidating information-sharing among customs agencies regarding the illegal trade in environmentally regulated hazardous waste materials;
  • Creating a series of comprehensive documents detailing the laws, regulations, trade patterns and enforcement experiences applicable to particular sectors;
  • Developing technical guidelines and compiling best practices for the environmentally sound management of selected end-of-life vehicle batteries, including spent lead-acid batteries (SLABs).

In 2018, the CEC commissioned a report to assess the long-term impact of the CEC’s hazardous waste management projects implemented between 1996 and 2014. The assessment concluded
that these projects yielded several outcomes

The first series of projects on hazardous waste management were carried out as part of the environmental law enforcement work of the CEC between 1996 and 2009, and were designed to expedite the movement of legal materials across borders. They also included efforts to improve enforcement capacity to counter the illegal shipment of hazardous waste and materials, ozone-depleting substances, protected species and wildlife, or other illegal materials that could threaten human health or the environment in the territories of the NAFTA Parties.

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Sound Management