In the Spotlight
Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), 23 July 2026—The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz is just around the corner! From 31 July to 9 August 2026, we invite everyone across North America to head outside and search for monarch butterflies and milkweed plants.
Supporting emissions reduction and helping communities adapt to extreme weather events
The pursuit of environmental justice (EJ) aims to address historical inequities, marginalization and discrimination in how environmental benefits and burdens are enjoyed or suffered by certain communities.
Working with communities to conserve and restore North America's terrestrial and marine ecosystems and priority species
Supporting enforcement and compliance with domestic environmental law and with multilateral environmental agreements
Advancing the sustainability of our economic activities and life choices by identifying and fostering alternatives that effectively integrate the environmental, social and economic dimensions for a just and resilient North America. Our work is organized around four main areas:
Promoting clean air, water and land through prevention, reductions, and sound management of pollutant releases, toxic chemicals and hazardous waste
Over the years, the CEC has been committed to youth engagement and the efforts supported have provided youth with opportunities to raise awareness, provide tangible, sustainable, and innovative solutions for environmental issues in their communities, and influence CEC’s strategies, projects, and initiatives.
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recognizes the essential role that Indigenous Peoples and local communities play in environmental stewardship across Turtle Island, Madre Tierra, also known as North America.
The private sector plays a critical role in driving economic prosperity, innovation and sustainable development.
Featured Project
Food security is one of the major global challenges facing humanity today. The climate crisis and the depletion of natural resources have put an increased strain on food production. Therefore, promoting and ensuring diverse and sustainable food systems that contribute to human well-being and avoid the deterioration of nature are...
Featured Publication
CEC’s work on hazardous waste management spanned 18 years and included the following initiatives:
In 2018, the CEC commissioned a report to assess the long-term impact of the CEC’s hazardous waste management projects implemented between 1996 and 2014. The assessment concluded
that these projects yielded several outcomes
The first series of projects on hazardous waste management were carried out as part of the environmental law enforcement work of the CEC between 1996 and 2009, and were designed to expedite the movement of legal materials across borders. They also included efforts to improve enforcement capacity to counter the illegal shipment of hazardous waste and materials, ozone-depleting substances, protected species and wildlife, or other illegal materials that could threaten human health or the environment in the territories of the NAFTA Parties.
We conduct research, provide tools and training, and provide a unique space for decision-makers and the public to engage on environmental policy issues affecting the North American region.
