Montreal, 16 May 2013 —The Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is requesting public input on the CEC's draft cooperative work program for 2013-2014.

Montreal, 9 May 2013 — Join the discussion in person or live via webcast this summer with Mexican Environment Secretary Juan José Guerra, Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent, and Acting US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Bob Perciasepe when they meet on July 10-11 in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Montreal, 2 May 2013 —The Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation has issued a series of practical recommendations to the top environment officials of Canada, Mexico and the United States to do more to move North America toward a truly sustainable energy economy.  The recommendations were sent following a public consultation in Calgary, Alberta, on April 24 and 25. To read the advice, click here.

Montreal, 25 April 2013—January 2014 will mark 20 years since NAFTA and its environmental side agreement, the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), went into effect. The NAAEC and the environmental provisions of NAFTA were intended to foster the protection and improvement of the environment throughout North America and as such, broke new ground. For the first time, trading partners addressed concerns that free trade might harm the environment by encouraging countries to create pollution havens with lax environmental standards or enforce their own environmental laws ineffectively. Members of the public were also concerned that increased economic activity associated with NAFTA might lead to increased environmental impacts and harm. To implement and oversee the NAAEC, the NAFTA partners included provisions creating the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).¹ Many subsequent trade agreements entered into by Canada, Mexico or the US have been modeled substantially on NAFTA and aspects of the NAAEC.

Montreal, 22 April 2013—The North American energy sector is expanding rapidly and presents a key policy challenge for North American governments, especially with respect to environmentally responsible development. The Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) will be broadcasting live as a host of experts on this issue gather in Calgary, Alberta, on 24–25 April 2013, to share their views and interact with the public through panels and workshop sessions.

Montreal, 16 April 2013—The Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) Joint Public Advisory Committee welcomes members of the public to attend Greening North America’s Energy Economy, 24-25 April, in Calgary, to participate in discussions with thought leaders from industry, NGOs and academia on the subject of energy and environment in North America. There is no cost to register.

Montreal, 15 April 2013—On Monday, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation Secretariat released its final independent report: Hazardous Trade? An Examination of US-generated Spent Lead-acid Battery Exports and Secondary Lead Recycling in Mexico, the United States and Canada. The report analyzes the reported cross-border trade in lead-acid batteries and presents recommendations on how to better monitor their handling to the CEC Council, composed of Canada’s Environment Minister, Mexico's Secretary of the Environment, and the US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. To download the report, visit www.cec.org/slabs.

Montreal, 26 March 2013—Maintaining reliable, diverse and environmentally sustainable sources of energy is one of the most pressing issues facing North America. It has an impact on everything from global economic growth to individual household finance.

Montreal, 28 January 2013—Along North America’s southern Atlantic Coast, lobster fisheries are collapsing as lobsters become virtually non-existent due to warmer ocean temperatures that are forcing the lobster northward. Similarly, off the coast of San Francisco, the warming effects of climate change have brought in a new predator: Humboldt squid. These creatures normally reside in warm waters, but are moving into more temperate waters and eating up lots of juvenile rock fish, an important fish for the area’s commercial fishery.

Montreal, 25 January 2013—On 22 January 2013, the Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) voted, in Council Resolution 13-01 (PDF), to make public the factual record (PDF) concerning submission SEM-03-003 (Lake Chapala II), which was filed by NGOs and local residents of Jalisco, Mexico.

Montreal, 24 January 2013—On January 28 the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) invites all who care about the future health of our oceans to join us for CECTalks: Marine Protected Area Networks in a Changing Climate. The one-hour webcast will take place on Monday, January 28 at 2 p.m. EST.

Montreal, 17 January 2013—On January 28 the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) invites all who care about the future health of our oceans to join us for CECTalks: Marine Protected Area Networks in a Changing Climate. The one-hour webcast will take place on Monday, January 28 at 2 p.m. EST.