North America Unveils 2030 Green Plan at CEC Meeting

Representatives from Mexico, the United States, and Canada gathered in Mexico City for the 32nd annual Council Session of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), where they endorsed a nine-point regional agenda to steer environmental collaboration through 2030. Held on July 25, the meeting featured Alicia Bárcena, Mexico’s Minister of Environment and Natural Resources; Michael Bonser, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change for Canada; and Lee Zeldin, head of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

A central theme of the Council Session was the circular economy. The three countries jointly launched the eighth cycle of the North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA), which will prioritize the development of circular economy strategies at the local level. In two dedicated panels, government officials, academics, and Indigenous leaders explored innovative approaches to circularity. 

One panel highlighted nature-based solutions that create jobs while regenerating ecosystems; the other explored how circular economy practices are gaining traction in North American businesses, fostering regional sustainability and resilience. Among the Mexican participants were Luís Alain Zúñiga Hernández (President, Ecopil MX), Arturo Rech (President and CEO, MexHub for Circular Economy and Sustainability), and Martín Rincón (Director of Corporate Operations and Sustainability, Bio Pappel).

Bárcena emphasized the relevance of these efforts for all of North America, extending an invitation to US and Canadian companies to invest in Hidalgo’s Circular Economy Park. “We are talking about a new economic model that combines environmental value with productivity and technological innovation,” she noted.

Another major outcome of the session was the announcement of a trilateral wastewater management framework: “WaterWISE – Integrated Water/Wastewater Solutions for Effectiveness.” The system aims to decentralize water treatment and enhance water quality standards across the region. WaterWISE comes shortly after a US-Mexico agreement was reached to address the Tijuana River sewage crisis through a US$93 million investment in border-area wastewater infrastructure.

The Council Session also marked the beginning of a five-year review of the Environmental Cooperation Agreement, which supports the USMCA framework. The review will focus on increasing transparency and ensuring stronger compliance in environmental enforcement—critical issues at a time when trade tensions are testing the durability of the broader USMCA agreement.

Additional agenda items included the formulation of a 2026–2030 strategic plan for regional environmental cooperation, improved data systems for environmental reporting, broader awareness campaigns on shared ecological challenges, and stronger support for community-based capacity building.

Ministers also reviewed progress on ongoing CEC initiatives targeting marine litter, hazardous waste, air quality, and biodiversity conservation. Mexico presented its own environmental priorities, such as expanding protected areas, restoring degraded ecosystems, and tackling illegal logging. The Mexican delegation further proposed trilateral oversight mechanisms in the mining sector—highlighting Canada’s involvement in over 84 active projects—and called for sustainable mining practices, including ecological restoration.