Proyecto Administración Ambiental Monterrey (PAAM)

PAAM was a supply chain environmental management project targeting small business suppliers to large Mexican companies in Monterrey. Its primary objective was to train the SMEs in the use and application of a modified environmental management system (EMS) based on the ISO 14001 model.

Americas Sustainability Issues

The current Americas integration process is embarked on trade, environmental and social issues, as manifested in the declaration of principles of 1994 Miami Summit, where sustainability assumes an important role. However, this attempt has essentially been pushed for a free trade agenda as the focal way to reach hemispheric integration, beyond NAFTA, and other important sustainable elements have been its importance reduced.

From the Farm to the Table

What is the impact of the North American food processing system on the environment? This study examines that issue, employing the analytical framework developed at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. By looking at the entire industry value chain, this framework enables the researcher to develop a broad understanding of the linkages among the economy, trade […]

Identifying Environmentally Preferable Uses for Biomass Resources

This report presents the results of the Stage 2 research carried out to determine “Environmentally Preferable Uses of Biomass”. Stage 1 identified existing and emerging technologies and pathways to transform various biomass feedstocks into an energy or nonenergy product. Each pathway is called a “thread” in this study. This updated version includes corrections suggested by […]

North American Power Plant Air Emissions

This report represents a milestone in promoting cooperation in North America through the collection, exchange, and public dissemination of comparable environmental information by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The report presents, for the first time, specific air pollutant information from 2002 for individual fossil fuel–fired power plants across North America.

An Examination of Trade in Environmental Goods and Services in the NAFTA Region

The CEC conducts policy and research work on environmental goods and services (EGS) in eleven different activities. One specific activity is to “Identify changes/trends in trade in green goods and services in the NAFTA region.”

Implementation of Quality Management Systems Under MIF’s ISO Cluster

This report summarizes the results of an analysis of the impact of the cluster projects on firm management. The analysis was conducted by The Lexington Group in 2004 based on data gathered from the companies in 2003-2004.

Silence Is Golden, Leaden and Copper

Building on a decade of work by UNEP and OECD, among others, the CEC’s work on finance and the environment focuses on exploring established and innovative ways of involving the financial service sector in the environmental agenda. Such involvement takes various forms. It can include greater awareness among credit-risk managers about environment risks and liabilities, interest among investors about opportunities in the environmental area, and more specific project finance opportunities involving the environment.

Evaluating Simplified Methods of Estimating Displaced Emissions in Electric Power Systems

This paper expands on a paper written for the Commission on Environmental Cooperation in 2003, titled . That paper explored the important methodological issues related to estimating the net air impacts of new resources in electric power systems.

Linking Environmental Performance to Business Value

This report communicates the findings of a study undertaken to review and analyze international research examining the linkages between environmental performance and business performance, with an emphasis on the North American context.

Payments for Environmental Services

As part of its Environment, Economy, and Trade program, the CEC has explored in recent years new avenues for trade in environmental goods and services with the objective of informing the North American public on opportunities to green trade in North America. In 2003, it published a document, entitled Market-based Mechanisms for Carbon Sequestration, Energy […]

Moving Forward With Pollution Prevention in North America

In 2002, the three North American pollution prevention round tables formed the North American Pollution Prevention Partnership (NAP3), in association with the Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The mission of the NAP3 is to collaborate on pollution prevention policy development, capacity building, stakeholder involvement and environmental leadership, through a unified and coordinated effort.