Update from CEC Executive Director Richard A. Morgan
Dear friend of the CEC:
During the first two years of my term as Executive Director of the CEC, the effects of environmental impacts have become more tangible than ever. As the need to become more resilient and adaptive is clear, we are confident that the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s role as a facilitator of collaboration will help North America rise to the challenge.
I am pleased to share some key updates with you as the CEC builds momentum toward the 2021 Council Session, which will be held virtually on 9-10 September:
- The CEC Council Session (#CEC28) will convene North America’s environment officials, the CEC Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC), the Traditional Ecological Knowledge Expert Group (TEKEG), young innovators, and the public at large, and offer numerous opportunities for public participation throughout the two-day session.
#CEC28 will focus on ‘Climate Change and Environmental Justice Solutions.’
To register, please visit www.cec.org/Council2021.
- Read more about our renewed trilateral commitment in this IISD article published in Trade and Sustainability, which highlights the state of trilateral environmental cooperation and the ambitious CEC agenda on the horizon.
- Public participation is a critical element of our work, bridging the gap between decision-makers and local voices and perspectives on critical environmental issues. We encourage you to read the most recent JPAC Advice to Council, after an online public consultation on the CEC’s five new trilateral projects.
- Our commitment to youth engagement was strengthened by launching the fifth annual Youth Innovation Challenge. This year, youth entrepreneurs were challenged to submit their ambitious climate, environmental justice, and community resilience solutions. Learn more about the four winning solutions of the 2021 Youth Innovation Challenge.
With a freshly renewed mandate after more than 25 years of fostering trilateral environmental cooperation, the CEC is better positioned than ever to implement an ambitious agenda for sustainable development in North America.
As a conduit for cooperation under the 2021-25 Strategic Plan, the CEC will help conserve, protect, and enhance the North American environment through projects in six key areas:
- clean air, land, and water
- preventing and reducing pollution in the marine environment
- circular economy and sustainable materials management
- shared ecosystems and species
- resilient economies and communities
- effective enforcement of environmental laws
Our project work in these six areas will yield innovative and effective solutions for the North American environment, as well as offering diverse, inclusive stakeholder engagement and public participation.
As North America forges a new era of trilateral environmental cooperation, it is my pleasure to invite you and the many engaged North American stakeholders to participate virtually in #CEC28, as this will be an important milestone on the way to addressing the most pressing environmental issues of our era.
But don’t worry if you missed the virtual event: we have videos you can watch of the Youth Roundtable, the Joint Public Advisory Committee Public Forum, and the 28th Annual Regular Session of the CEC Council.
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.