Community groups respond enthusiastically to new CEC grant program with innovative proposals
CEC receives more than 500 proposals to address local environmental challenges across North America as part of its new grant program
Montreal, 16 September 2011—Community groups and environmental organizations across North America have responded in large numbers to the call-for-proposals for projects to be funded by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s new grant program, the North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA), launched by the CEC Council at its annual meeting in June.
As of the August deadline for preliminary project proposals, NAPECA received more than 500 proposals outlining innovative plans to tackle environmental issues in communities from the Yukon to Chiapas. Project proposals range from capacity building for rural communities and developing forest carbon-measurement skills, to creating local jobs through organic farming, ecotourism and the use of new energy sources, to reducing exposure to toxic substances and improving water quality.
Each of the proposals is being reviewed now and a short-list of finalists will be contacted in October to submit more-detailed proposals. Grants will be announced in December.
Thanks to all who submitted ideas for actions to improve the environment and make our communities better places to live.
For more information about NAPECA, visit the CEC website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CECweb.
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.