North American Environment Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Strengthen 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:
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.
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.
Initiate the five-year review of the Environmental Cooperation Agreement with the goals of improving the effectiveness of the CEC.
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.
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.
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.
Facilitate the participation of Indigenous Peoples, civil society, academia, youth, the private sector and communities of North America in CEC activities.
Promote greater awareness of shared environmental challenges and identify collaborative solutions.
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.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-american-environment-ministers-reaffirm-commitment-to-strengthen-environmental-cooperation-302514324.html
SOURCE Commission for Environmental Cooperation
View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2025/25/c4148.html
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bitcoin, crypto stocks rally ahead of Trump order opening 401(k)'s to alternative assets
Major cryptocurrencies and crypto-related stock were rallying early Thursday ahead of President Trump's expected signing of an executive order that would allow alternative assets like cryptocurrencies and private equity into the retirement amounts of millions of Americans. Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose more than 2% near 9:00 a.m. ET trading on Thursday, while ether (ETH-USD) and XRP (XRP-USD) were both up more than 4%. Shares of Coinbase (COIN), the biggest publicly-traded crypto exchange, were up as much as 3%. Robinhood and Strategy shares each rose more than 1.5%. President Trump's executive order, expected to be signed around 12:00 p.m. ET on Thursday according to Reuters, will direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to facilitate the use of alternative assets in 401(k)s and other retirement accounts. The order would mark a major shift in retirement investments, opening up the traditionally staid industry to more speculative and, sometimes illiquid, investments. Typically, most 401(k) participants are offered a mix of stock or bond funds or index products in which to invest. Large-scale alternatives assets firms, including BlackRock and KKR, have expressed support for the move, which would open up the multi-trillion dollar retirement account industry to a broader mix of the alternative assets these firms manage. "Private assets like real estate and infrastructure can lift returns and protect investors during market downturns," BlackRock chairman Larry Fink wrote in his latest annual investor letter. "We need to make it clear: Private assets are legal in retirement accounts. They're beneficial. And they're becoming increasingly transparent." The executive order builds on recent crypto momentum in Washington coming off Congress' "Crypto Week" in July, where the two chambers worked to get the CLARITY, GENIUS and Anti-CBDC Acts past their respective votes. The GENIUS Act, signed into law by President Trump on July 18, establishes a regulatory framework for the use of stablecoins like Tether. The CLARITY Act, which seeks to define regulatory oversight of cryptocurrencies, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which seeks to block the Federal Reserve from establishing central bank cryptocurrencies, have both passed in the House of Representatives and are now awaiting votes in the Senate. Jake Conley is a breaking news reporter covering US equities for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on X at @byjakeconley or email him at Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen.
Gizmodo
19 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Pranksters Interrupt Education Secretary Linda McMahon With Circus Music
Pranksters were able to play disruptive audio clips, including the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme and circus music, during an interview with Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the Young America's Foundation student conference in Washington D.C., on Wednesday. And Trump supporters would like you to know that they aren't bothered by it at all. Not one little bit. McMahon, who previously worked as a professional wrestling promoter, was appointed by Trump to dismantle the Department of Education and has been doing her best to accomplish that task piece by piece. And she sat down with the former governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, to talk about the way she's been destroying things. Walker and McMahon, who recently referred to AI technology as 'A1' (yes, like the steak sauce), talked about the typical right-wing grievances you might expect, including the existence of trans people in society (they're against it) and the fact that college students have opposed Israel's war on Gaza. Walker even suggested that college students who protested against the war must be financed by George Soros, a boring trope that seeks to delegitimize the concerns people have about a war that has killed at least 60,000 people. But the talk was interrupted several times by noises, many of which were hard to decipher based on the livestream, which is available in its entirety on YouTube. Linda McMahon's talk at a conservative conference was interrupted by audio of someone calling her a 'corrupt billionaire' [image or embed] — Aaron Rupar (@ August 6, 2025 at 10:35 AMIt's unclear if someone actually 'hacked' the audio system for the venue. Some reports suggest someone simply set up a soundboard nearby that was difficult to find. But whatever actually happened, it's clear people in the room were very flustered. someone has apparently hacked the audio system used for Linda McMahon's talk lol [image or embed] — Aaron Rupar (@ August 6, 2025 at 10:39 AMThe funniest moments seemed to occur when the Curb Your Enthusiasm music played very briefly, and the distinct sound of circus music started to play. this is getting better and better 😆 [image or embed] — Aaron Rupar (@ August 6, 2025 at 10:41 AM The organizers of the conference were undeterred by the disruptions. At least that's what they said. 'This afternoon a joyless, sore-loser leftist sought to silence the 13th Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, during her fireside chat with YAF President Governor Scott Walker at our National Conservative Student Conference,' YAF communications chief Spencer Brown wrote on X. 'Just as on college campuses, the left's noise failed to delay or stop YAF and its students from spreading freedom's principles or celebrating the many conservative wins being achieved by Sec. McMahon and the Trump administration.' Sure, guys. You're definitely the ones on the side of freedom. Remind us who has been arresting student protesters like Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk for the crime of saying the wrong things?
CNN
20 minutes ago
- CNN
Former Superman actor says he's joining ICE, backs Trump's immigration crackdown
Former Superman actor Dean Cain has revealed that he's joining the ranks of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, showing his support for US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. The comic book hero that Cain portrayed in the 1990s television show 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman' might have been an immigrant himself, but it seems the actor has a more hardline view on foreign arrivals to the United States. In an interview with Fox News Wednesday, Cain revealed that he decided to join the agency after sharing one of ICE's recruitment videos on social media the day before. 'I'm actually… a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer – I wasn't part of ICE, but once I put that (the recruitment video) out there and you put a little blurb on your show, it went crazy,' Cain told Fox News host Jesse Watters. 'So now I've spoken with some officials over at ICE and I will be sworn in as an ICE agent ASAP.' Asked what motivated the move, Cain, who is a well known conservative in Hollywood, said: 'This country was built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not, and doing the right thing. I truly believe this is the right thing.' Cain described the US's immigration system as 'broken,' saying, 'Congress needs to fix it, but in the interim, President Trump ran on this. He is delivering on this. This is what people voted for. It's what I voted for and he's going to see it through, and I'll do my part and help make sure it happens.' Cain's public pledge to join ICE comes amid a significant acceleration in immigration enforcement, as the Trump administration is apprehending hundreds of immigrants every day across the country. But a CNN analysis of agency data revealed a stark split in where ICE makes those arrests in blue states and red states. In states that voted for Trump, ICE agents are most likely to arrest immigrants directly from prisons and jails. By contract, in Democratic-leaning states ICE is frequently arresting immigrants from worksites, streets and mass roundups that have sparked protests and intense backlash in cities such as Los Angeles. Most of those arrested don't have a criminal record. Overall, ICE is making more arrests in red states than blue states – both in the community and, especially, in prisons and jails – the ICE data shows. CNN's Casey Tolan and Isabelle Chapman contributed reporting.
