North American Environment Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Strengthen Environmental Cooperation

MEXICO CITY, Mexico, July 25, 2025 /CNW/ - The top environmental officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States met in Mexico City this week for the 32nd annual Council Session and Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) Public Forum of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). Hosted under the theme "Nexus Between Circular Economy and Nature-based Solutions in North America," the session marked a strong reaffirmation of trilateral cooperation on urgent environmental priorities.

From left to right: Andria Sherstone, Director of Environment and Climate Change Canada; Camila Zepeda, Head of the International Affairs Unit, Semarnat; Michael Bonser, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada; Secretary Alicia Bárcena of Mexico’s Semarnat; United States EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin; Usha-Maria Turner, Senior Advisor to the EPA Admistrator; Jorge Daniel Taillant, CEC Executive Director. (CNW Group/Commission for Environmental Cooperation)

The two-day event brought together members of the Council—Secretary Alicia Bárcena of Mexico's Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), Michael Bonser, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada and the United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin —alongside Indigenous and community leaders, subject matter experts, business leaders, youth and members of the public.

The members of the CEC Council agreed to:

1. Promote approaches to conservation and recycling in the region through the trilateral project "WaterWISE: Integrated Water/Wastewater Integrated Solutions for Effectiveness," aimed at developing strategies for the decentralized wastewater treatment, in order to treat water based on quality standards.
2. Launch the eighth cycle of the North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA), under the theme "Community-based Circular Economy Strategies to Improve Local Well-being and the Environment," to promote conservation and recycling.
3. Initiate the five-year review of the Environmental Cooperation Agreement with the goals of improving the effectiveness of the CEC.
4. Ensure the Submission of Enforcement Matters (SEM) process continues to promote transparency, efficiency and accountability among the Parties and upholds the principles of objectivity, neutrality and impartiality.
5. Develop a 2026–2030 Strategic Plan to modernize and enhance the effectiveness of our regional cooperation initiatives, ensuring a greater, measurable positive impact for our communities.
6. Continue strengthening environmental information systems, as well as joint monitoring systems and the generation of open, reliable, and comparable data on the state of the environment in North America.
7. Facilitate the participation of Indigenous Peoples, civil society, academia, youth, the private sector and communities of North America in CEC activities.
8. Promote greater awareness of shared environmental challenges and identify collaborative solutions.
9. Continue fostering collaborative work to support institutional and community capacity-building across North America.

Alongside the Council Session, the JPAC Public Forum provided a space for open dialogue between the public and government representatives. Under the theme, "Building Sustainable Economies: Circular Models and Nature-based Solutions for a Resilient North America," the forum explored how circular economy practices and nature-based solutions can work together to restore ecosystems, reduce waste and build resilience in communities most affected by environmental change.

The event recognized that over the past three decades, the CEC has become a vital  trilateral platform for environmental cooperation; one that continues to adapt to emerging needs and challenges while remaining grounded in transparency, public engagement, and mutual respect.

To consult the #CEC32 Ministerial statement, click here. For background information, speaker bios and the Session's full agenda, visit: https://www.cec.org/events/cec32.

Engage with us!

If you would like to know more about CEC initiatives, opportunities and efforts, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media.

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.

SOURCE Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Media Contacts: Canada & U.S. - Christian Ahuet | [email protected] | [phone]; Mexico - Martín Sierra | [email protected] | [phone]; Regional / General - Georgina O'Farrill | [email protected] | [phone]