In the Spotlight
On 8 July, Join Our Webinar, What Businesses Need to Know: Circular Economy for a Sustainable Future in North America
Our conventional models of living, producing and consuming, are placing an unsustainable strain on our planet. A thriving future demands that businesses must transition toward regenerative systems that support long-term, environmental health. In a circular system, products and materials are cycled back into use through maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling, or composting. These approaches foster innovation, drive efficiency, and create new economic opportunities and jobs, ensuring environmental benefits together with numerous economic and competitive advantages.
Topics
Climate Change
Supporting emissions reduction and helping communities adapt to extreme weather events
Environmental Justice
The pursuit of environmental justice (EJ) aims to address historical inequities, marginalization and discrimination in how environmental benefits and burdens are enjoyed or suffered by certain communities.
Ecosystems
Working with communities to conserve and restore North America's terrestrial and marine ecosystems and priority species
Enforcement
Supporting enforcement and compliance with domestic environmental law and with multilateral environmental agreements
Pollutants
Promoting clean air, water and land through prevention, reductions, and sound management of pollutant releases, toxic chemicals and hazardous waste
Youth Engagement
Over the years, the CEC has been committed to youth engagement and the efforts supported have provided youth with opportunities to raise awareness, provide tangible, sustainable, and innovative solutions for environmental issues in their communities, and influence CEC’s strategies, projects, and initiatives.
Featured Project
Community-led Environmental Education Initiative for Biocultural Heritage Protection
2022 Active Sustainable Living and Economies
Featured Publication
CEC’s Work on Stimulating Uptake of ISO 50001 Energy Efficiency Standard (2015–2018)
Long-term Impact Assessment
November 25, 2024 7 pages Climate Change
Between 2015 and 2018, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) implemented two projects aimed to “position ISO 50001 and the Superior Energy Performance (SEP) program as key mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy management, increase energy efficiency, reduce energy costs, and improve competitiveness in select North American industrial sectors” [CEC 2023]. Designed through a CEC-industry partnership cost-sharing strategy, the first project [Accelerating Adoption of ISO 50001 and Superior Energy Performance Program Certification in North America (2015–2016)]—was launched with a budget of C$300,000. The project focused on building capacity in three directions: establishing common requirements for Certified Practitioners in Energy Management Systems (CP EnMS), piloting an end-user cohort-training model, and developing training materials and tools.
Work With Us
Co-development of a Youth Education Framework to Address Environmental Challenges Through Knowledge Dialogue and Community Participation
Consultant Opportunities
Deadline: July 9, 2025 5:00pm (Extended)
Salary/Budget: C$ 700,000
Location: The consultant will work in their own offices.
Public-facing assets and practitioner-tailored toolkits for raising awareness of wasted food issues and solutions during the FIFA World Cup 2026 and other large-scale events
Consultant Opportunities
Deadline: July 25, 2025 5:00pm
Salary/Budget: The maximum budget for this activity is expected to be C$360,000 (three hundred and sixty thousand Canadian dollars).
Location: The consultant will work in its own offices.
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What We Do
We conduct research, provide tools and training, and provide a unique space for decision-makers and the public to engage on environmental policy issues affecting the North American region.