Thank You for Joining Our 28th Annual Council Session
Montreal, 5 October 2021—First, we want to thank you for your active participation at this year’s Council Session of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). Your involvement in our annual event made it more meaningful and impactful. This year’s theme was Climate Change and Environmental Justice Solutions. Hosted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CEC Council Session on September 9 and 10 was opened by welcoming remarks from US EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who underlined the importance of the role of youth in advancing environmental justice and tackling climate change, to ensure that future generations inherit a livable planet that is safer, healthier, and more equitable.
The Council Session began with the first Youth Roundtable on ‘The Role of Youth in Ensuring Environmental Justice through Responses to Climate Change’ that engaged youth across North America to give their views on some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our day. Click here to learn the approaches advocated by North American youth for building solutions to climate change under the scope of environmental justice and inclusivity.
On the same day, a public forum of the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) focused on gathering public input on climate change and environmental justice issues. The JPAC forum “Leaving no one behind: working together for more equitable solutions to climate change impacts” featured a trilateral expert panel and moderated Q&A. We also received an update from the Secretariat’s Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM) Unit. Click here to watch a recording of this portion of the event.
On day two, the 28th Regular Session of the CEC Council took place and included “A Dialogue with the Council on Climate Change and Environmental Justice,” featuring a Q&A session with Council representatives and invited experts as well as presentations by the North American winners of the CEC’s 5th Youth Innovation Challenge. For a recap of this year’s Council Session, click here.
Thanks again for taking part in our annual Council Session. We invite you to keep spreading the word and hope to see you again next year.
But don’t worry if you missed the virtual event: we have videos you can watch of the Youth Roundtable, the Joint Public Advisory Committee Public Forum, and the 28th Annual Regular Session of the CEC Council.
About the CEC
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established in 1994 by the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States through the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, a parallel environmental agreement to NAFTA. As of 2020, the CEC is recognized and maintained by the Environmental Cooperation Agreement, in parallel with the new Free Trade Agreement of North America. The CEC brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including the general public, Indigenous people, youth, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the business sector, to seek solutions to protect North America’s shared environment while supporting sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations
The CEC is governed and funded equally by the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Government of the United States of Mexico through the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, and the Government of the United States of America through the Environmental Protection Agency.