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
The CEC Council has acknowledged the importance to further build upon the success of past CEC FLW projects, and continue to demonstrate CEC leadership and visibility to support FLW reduction in North America. Given this, the CEC continues its work on a new project with a focus on developing new...
Featured Publication
A Retrospective Review of Performance
This report assesses the performance and impact of the Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM) process from 1994 through 2021. The SEM process allows persons and nongovernmental organizations to file submissions with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation asserting that Canada, the United States of America, or Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws and provides procedures for developing information concerning the asserted enforcement matters. The SEM process operated under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) from 1994 to June 2020 and now operates under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA/CUSMA) since July 2020. This report considers the objectives of the SEM process, its legal foundations, its implementation over time, and its results. The report considers the role of the process in promoting transparency, accountability, and public participation, as well as whether it has met its expected environmental objectives.
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.
