The Current Status of Renewable Energy Certificate Tracking Systems in North America
The need to increase the amount of renewable generation to meet regulatory obligations as well as voluntary purchases of renewable energy by residential and commercial customers has rapidly expanded the marketplace for renewable electricity certificates (RECs). Electronic issuing and tracking systems have been developed in parts of North America, European Union and Australia to support […]
Health Impacts of Air Pollution on Morbidity and Mortality Among Children of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
In this project we evaluated the impact of air pollutants on children’s health in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, focusing on groups that have different living conditions as estimated by their socio-economic status (SES). We studied two major health outcomes, mortality and morbidity, and their relation to ambient air pollutant levels of particulate matter less than 10 µm and ozone.
Land Cover in a Managed Forest Ecosystem
Managed forest ecosystems—agroforestry systems in which crops such as coffee and bananas are planted side-by-side with woody perennials—are being touted as a means of safeguarding forests along with the ecological services they provide. Yet we know little about the determinants of land cover in such systems, information needed to design effective forest conservation policies. This paper presents a first-ever spatial regression analysis of land cover in a managed forest ecosystem—a shade coffee region of coastal Mexico.
Mechanisms for Tracking Canadian Mercury Imports and Exports for Use and Disposal
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) North American Regional Action Plan on Mercury (NARAP) is intended to assist the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States in reducing the exposure of North American ecosystems, fish and wildlife and humans to mercury, through the prevention and reduction of anthropogenic releases of mercury to the North […]
Estimating the Environmental Benefits of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in North America
This paper explores the important methodological issues related to estimating the net air impacts of specific resources in electric systems. In addition, we describe a number of projects undertaken across North America in which the emissions benefits of new resources—both renewable projects and efficiency programs—have been estimated. Finally, we briefly explore different views of the […]
Grasslands
This publication is intended to provide a framework for tri- and binational cooperation between Canada, the United States and Mexico that promotes the conservation and sustainable use of central North American grasslands.
Environmental Disclosure in Financial Reporting
This report summarizes the state of environmental information disclosure in North America, documents the gap in what is being reported and what the market and regulations demand, and proposes concrete steps by which the environmental agencies and ministries in North America could help the securities agencies narrow this gap. One obvious gap is in enforcement […]
Private Investment in Mexico’s Electricity Sector
This report contains an update on Mexico’s electricity sector, specially on its current and projected installed capacity and generation requirements including capital; the market share of private capitals in the national generating pool and the rate of investment flows into the country’s power industry. Also, international trade patterns in electricity are discussed and the relationship […]
Private Investment in Mexico’s Electricity Sector (Technology and Energy Selection)
This paper is supplementary to a report produced recently for the CEC on private-sector investment in Mexico’s electricity sector. Based on the official information of the Mexican power sector authorities, and in particular the register of permits issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission (Comisión Reguladora de Energía – CRE) for electricity production, an overview is […]
Green Procurement in Trade Policy
As interest and consumer demand grows for “green” products, and as producers realize increased market share in food products and consumer goods, public procurement, covering all federal and sub-central purchasing of countries throughout the world, is becoming an increasingly important market force. Just one web service, the Recycling Data Network Information Services, lists a recycled-content […]
Taking Stock 2000
Each year, thousands of facilities across North America publicly report on the amounts of certain hazardous chemicals that they release to the air, water and land, or transfer off-site for further management. This information is compiled in what are internationally known as pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs)— databases managed by governments as a means of ensuring that the public has access to information on chemicals being released and transferred into and through their communities.
Taking Stock 2000
Each year, thousands of facilities across North America publicly report on the amounts of certain hazardous chemicals that they release to the air, water and land, or transfer off-site for further management. This information is compiled in what are internationally known as pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs)— databases managed by governments as a means of ensuring that the public has access to information on chemicals being released and transferred into and through their communities.