In the Spotlight
Join the Monarch Blitz’s 10th Anniversary: Every Observation Matters
Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), 23 July 2026—The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz is just around the corner! From 31 July to 9 August 2026, we invite everyone across North America to head outside and search for monarch butterflies and milkweed plants.
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
Sustainable Living and Economies
Advancing the sustainability of our economic activities and life choices by identifying and fostering alternatives that effectively integrate the environmental, social and economic dimensions for a just and resilient North America. Our work is organized around four main areas:
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.
Indigenous Affairs
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recognizes the essential role that Indigenous Peoples and local communities play in environmental stewardship across Turtle Island, Madre Tierra, also known as North America.
Private Sector Engagement
The private sector plays a critical role in driving economic prosperity, innovation and sustainable development.
Featured Project
Scoping: Uptake of Best Practices for Environmentally Sound Management of Spent Lead-Acid Batteries
Spent lead-acid batteries (SLABs) are one of the largest sources of lead for industrial reuse in North America, but their recycling can release toxic emissions if not managed properly. Previous work by the CEC has helped identify levels of environmental and health protection, as well as regulatory frameworks across the...
Featured Publication
Introduction to Nature-based Solutions
Nature-based Solutions to Address Flood Risks in Coastal Communities
Flood-risk management is a major concern for coastal communities, particularly when considering sea-level rise caused by climate change. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have the potential to meet many flood-risk management objectives while also providing social, environmental, and economic co-benefits.
This series of guidance documents and accompanying briefing notes was designed to support the uptake of NBS in coastal communities across Canada, Mexico and the United States, by providing decision makers and practitioners with practical information and guidance related to NBS co-benefits, retrofitting existing infrastructure using NBS and monitoring NBS.
This series was published as part of the CEC project Nature-based Solutions to Address Flooding in Coastal Cities.
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.