2012 CEC Council Session: Community and Ecosystem Resilience in North America

The CEC wants citizens, NGOs, government and academics to come together to discuss how individual communities across North America are tackling environmental challenges and how policymakers are working to support their efforts.

This year’s meeting will feature three public sessions with Council members on July 11: the first, a discussion with community leaders taking action on environmental issues in their cities and towns; the second, an open dialogue with academics, university students and others interested in North America’s environmental issues; the third, a look at the CEC’s revision to the Citizen Submission on Enforcement Matters process and guidelines. This forum will be open for those who may participate in New Orleans or online via webcast, live blog and social media networks (see right for more details).

Webcast archived Video - July 11 (morning session)

Webcast archived Video - July 11 (afternoon session) 

Program of Public Events -- July 10 (Evening) and July 11

Presentations -- July 10 (Evening) and July 11

CEC Ministerial Statement - 2012

Resilient Communities in North America: Joint Public Advisory Committee Workshop

Prior to these sessions on July 9 and 10, the CEC’s Joint Public Advisory Committee will host a special forum and workshop on community and ecosystem resiliency that will be open to the public. Participants will tackle questions related to environmental justice, ecosystem conservation, urban planning and adaptation to climate change. Your ideas and innovative approaches will provide models for how communities across North America can take action.

Resilient Future

On July 9 and 10, 2012, 80 people from across North America gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA to understand and discuss how to make their communities more resilient in the face of unprecedented economic, cultural and environmental change.

Participants were from diverse regions across the continent and represented a broad spectrum of personal and professional backgrounds. [Read document]

Program of Public Events -- July 9-10

Presentations -- July 9-10

Workshop Background

North American Environment Fair

New this year, the North American Environment Fair will be a chance to meet some of the CEC’s community-based project partners, including grant recipients under the North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA). The fair will be an opportunity to enquire, network, and interact with partners and CEC information, including maps and data from the North American Environmental Atlas. Don’t miss this chance to find out more about cooperative environmental initiatives across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Members of the CEC Council

Canada

Peter Kent
Minister of the Environment

Mexico

Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada
Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources

United States

Lisa P. Jackson
Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency