North America’s Environmental Leaders to Convene in Mexico City on 24-25 July for CEC’s 32nd Council Session and JPAC Public Forum (#CEC32)
Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), 29 May 2025 — The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) will hold its 32nd annual Council Session and Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) Public Forum on 24-25 July 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico, under the theme “Nexus Between Circular Economy and Nature-based Solutions in North America.”
The event will bring together the top environmental officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States, Indigenous and community leaders, subject matter experts, business leaders, youth and members of the public. Together, they will discuss priorities and collaborative solutions addressing how Circular Economy and Nature-based Solutions can converge into a comprehensive sustainability approach that seeks to ensure that the way we use resources promotes the restoration and protection of the natural environment.
#CEC32 offers a unique platform for both in-person and virtual participants to engage in dynamic conversations on North America’s most pressing environmental issues. “Humanity is facing some of the most urgent environmental challenges that we have ever encountered. The decisions and actions we take, or fail to take today, and how quickly we act to tackle pollution, biodiversity loss and changes in climate will determine the livability and sustainability of future generations.” said Jorge Daniel Taillant, CEC Executive Director. “We need all hands on-deck to tackle these three important issues and your opinion and engagement matters. Together we can help build climate resiliency, reduce pollution and better protect our biodiversity, our land, our air and our water, while ensuring the health and safety of our most vulnerable communities. Join us in Mexico City!”
The JPAC Public Forum on 24 July will kick off the two-day event. Titled “Building Sustainable Economies: Circular Models and Nature-based Solutions for a Resilient North America,” the forum will provide participants with the opportunity to engage in an open dialogue and share their experiences on how these approaches are being applied across the region, and how their integration can accelerate the transition to more sustainable and more equitable economic systems. Insights gathered will help the CEC identify critical and emerging environmental priorities at the local and regional levels.
On 25 July, Secretary Alicia Bárcena of Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) will host her counterparts from Canada and the United States during the Council Public Session. This session will present an opportunity for participants to engage with the top environmental officials in the region on the theme for the Council Session.
Agenda
#CEC32 is a two-day event that is open to the public, with live-streamed events featuring simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Spanish. #CEC32 events can be attended in person or virtually at no cost.
JPAC Public Forum. Building Sustainable Economies: Circular Models and Nature-based Solutions for a Resilient North America
24 July 2025
Time zone: Central Standard Time (UTC−6)
| 8:30–9:00 | Welcoming ceremony, opening and welcoming remarks |
| 9:00–9:20 | Keynote Presentation. Building Sustainable Economies: Unlocking the Potential of Circular Economy and Nature-based Solutions |
| 9:20–10:50 | Session 1. Nature-based Solutions: Ecological Regeneration and Economic Opportunities |
| 11:00–12:30 | Session 2. Circular Economy: Closing Material Cycles and Creating Sustainable Systems |
| 12:30–13:00 | Report from the U.S. National and Governmental Advisory Committee Representatives and Overview of the Submission on Enforcement Matters (SEM) Process |
| 14:00–14:20 | Traditional Ecological Knowledge Expert Group (TEKEG) Intervention |
| 14:20–16:00 | Session 3. Multi-actor Facilitated Dialogue – From Vision to Action: Building Sustainable Economies Together for a Resilient North America |
| 16:00–16:15 | Closing remarks |
32nd Annual Council Session. Nexus Between Circular Economy and Nature-based Solutions in North America
25 July 2025
Time zone: Central Standard Time (UTC−6)
| 9:30–11:00 | CEC Presentation Panel. From Design to Action: Exploring CEC’s Trinational Work on Environmental Sustainability |
| 14:30–14:50 | Welcoming remarks and video presentations |
| 14:50–15:30 | Generation of Environmental Leaders Program (GELP) 2025 Cohort |
| 15:30–16:40 | Dialogue with the Council on “Nexus Between Circular Economy and Nature-based Solutions” |
| 16:50–17:10 | Council Announcements |
| 17:10–17:30 | Council Session Closing |
Click below to register for in-person or virtual participation, download the full agenda and learn more about #CEC32.
Financial assistance
If you are interested in attending the event in person, you may apply for financial assistance to cover travel and accommodation. However, financial assistance is limited and available only to non-profit organizations and individuals currently residing in Canada, Mexico or the United States. Government representatives are not eligible for financial assistance, and funding will be limited to one representative per organization. To apply for financial assistance, please follow the in-person registration link. Please note that participants are responsible for obtaining the necessary travel documents, such as a valid passport and travel visa (if applicable), as well as for covering any related expenses. The deadline to apply for financial assistance is 15 June 2025.
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Members of the media are encouraged to register for access and coverage opportunities.
For any media inquiries or more information about the event, please contact cec32@cec.org.
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.