AUGUST 2-3

28 and 29 June 2023

Agenda

NO TRAVEL NEEDED

Hybrid event

Participate from wherever you are

LEARN & NETWORK

Learn and Network

Engage in environmental discussions and meet North American leaders


About the Event

#CEC30, the 30th annual Session of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) Council and Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) Public Forum, will bring together the top environmental officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States, as well as Indigenous groups and local communities, youth, experts, and the public at large. The event will be a hybrid meeting format and will take place in Victoria, Canada, and online, on 28 and 29 June 2023, with the theme “Indigenous and Urban Approaches to Climate Adaptation.”

This year, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, will host his Council counterparts, Secretary María Luisa Albores González of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico (Semarnat) and United States Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe.

This Council Session will reinforce trilateral commitments to preserve, protect and enhance the North American environment, and establish shared priorities and action for environmental cooperation in North America. The Session will also promote dialogue and knowledge-sharing among a diverse and intergenerational group of stakeholders. #CEC30 will also feature an exhibition and networking space, highlighting current and future CEC efforts.

The JPAC Public Forum, on Indigenous Approaches to Climate Adaptation, will serve as a platform to showcase climate adaptation stories from Indigenous communities in the three countries and discussions of the critical role of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in shaping effective climate adaptation policies and planning efforts. During the event, Indigenous Peoples, youth, interested participants and the public will be invited to join the exchange of knowledge as panelists present their experiences and unique perspectives on climate change and highlight case studies where Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous perspectives were integrated into climate adaptation initiatives.

Participation in the 2023 CEC Council Session and Joint Public Advisory Committee forum is open to the public and free of charge. However, virtual registration is encouraged since in-person participation is limited. Simultaneous interpretation and live streaming will be available in English, French and Spanish.

Participants are invited to register for the hybrid event here. Registrants will also be invited to join the conversation by submitting questions and comments for the public sessions via Sli.do, using #CEC30 as the event code.

For more information about CEC initiatives and news, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media.

About
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 parallel to the new Free Trade Agreement of North America. The CEC brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including the general public, Indigenous People, youth, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the business sector, to seek solutions to protect North America’s shared environment while supporting sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations. Find out more at: www.cec.org .

The CEC is governed and funded equally by the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Government of the United States of Mexico through the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, and the Government of the United States of America through the Environmental Protection Agency.

Agenda

Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America 30th Regular Session of the CEC Council and Session of the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC)

9:00-15:00 PST

JPAC Public Forum on Indigenous Approaches to Climate Adaptation

Climate change is impacting communities across North America, giving way to increased events such as flooding, coastal erosion, drought, fires, and heat waves, to name a few. For Indigenous communities, climate change also poses serious threats to their traditional way of life, including to their food, modes of transportation, cultural ways, and sacred sites. As North American communities face the reality of increasing climate variability, reducing vulnerability and building local resilience has become a shared priority for all three countries.

This JPAC hybrid forum will serve as a platform to showcase climate adaptation stories from Indigenous communities in the three countries and discuss the critical role of Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives in shaping effective climate adaptation policies and planning efforts.

The JPAC Public Forum will include a keynote address and two main sessions:

Session 1 – Climate Adaptation in North America: Learning from Indigenous Communities

This session will bring together Indigenous community leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States to showcase climate adaptation stories in the three countries. Invited speakers will share their experience and unique perspectives on climate change, how it is impacting their communities, and how they approach climate adaptation to build community resilience.

The session will also feature a moderated Q&A with the public (in-person and online).

Session 2: Integrating TEK and Indigenous Perspectives into Climate Adaptation Policy and Planning

During this session, invited speakers will discuss the critical role of Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives in shaping effective climate adaptation policies and planning efforts. The session will highlight case studies where Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous perspectives were integrated into climate adaptation initiatives to enhance their effectiveness and promote greater resilience to climate change impacts.

The session will also feature a moderated Q&A with the public (in-person and online).

19:00-19:30

Traditional Ceremony (for technical reasons this event will not be broadcasted)

19:30-21:00

Welcoming reception and Official Opening of the 30th Regular Session of the Council (for technical reasons this event will not be broadcasted)

9:00–11:30

CEC Panel on Nature-based solutions, Environmental Justice and Climate Adaptation in Urban Environments

12:30–13:30

Lunch (provided) and visit to Council Exhibition

14:00–14:03

Welcoming remarks by Master of Ceremony

14:03-14:10

Introduction to the video on CEC accomplishments, by Jorge Daniel Taillant, CEC Executive Director

14:10–15:35

Dialogue with the Council on Indigenous and Urban Approaches to Climate Adaptation

During this session, Council members and invited experts will participate in a public dialogue on Indigenous and Urban Approaches to Climate Adaptation. The session will include moderated exchanges between Council members and invited experts, as well as a moderated question and answer period with registered participants.

Invited experts – tbc

Moderator – tbc

15:35–16:15

Youth Innovation Challenge Winners

The 2023 Youth Innovation Challenge invited North American youth, aged 18 to 30, to propose innovative solutions that address and respond to critical issues related to water. This 7th annual challenge, under the theme "Water Solutions for Sustainable Development," encouraged dynamic and creative young leaders to participate in actions, innovation, and transformation on issues relating to water. Winners will be announced during this session and will be invited to present their innovative solutions to the Council and the public.

16:15–16:40

Council Announcements

16:40–17:00

Council Session Closing

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions


Yes, you need to fill out our registration form to gain access to the event. Please fill in the registration form and indicate if you will join in person or online.
Participants are kindly invited to register via cec.vfairs.com to gain access to the virtual event platform, agenda and further information on modalities for participation. The information provided will allow us to learn more about our audience for the event. If you indicate this preference, the CEC might contact you to share information about other CEC events or efforts (such as call for proposals, grant opportunities, etc.).
Yes, the vFairs platform is compatible with all commonly used devices and browsers. You can join from your computer or through the mobile app.
Yes, this event is completely free of charge.
This platform will be available for 30 days after the conclusion of the Council session. We may make updates and changes to the platform periodically, so make sure to keep checking back.
The sessions will include simultaneous interpretation services in English, Spanish and French.
All public sessions will be recorded and available for viewing on the CEC website and YouTube channel after the event.
Over the course of the two-day session, you will be able to engage with North America’s top environment officials and other leaders in dialogues on pressing regional and global environmental issues and witness how the CEC facilitates effective cooperation and public participation to conserve, protect, and enhance the North American environment. You will also be able to network with professionals and peers in real-time, as well as discuss issues and ideas that focus on topics of mutual concern.
No. You do not need to download or install any software to participate in a virtual conference. You only need to have access to the Internet.
It is not required for participation. However, there may be opportunities for video chatting with other participants, in which case you may want to have a functional webcam and microphone.
Your login information is the email address provided at the time of registration. To login, simply use those details.
You can attend the event but will need to indicate your in person participation at the time of registration.
Your participation is valuable to us and we encourage you to attend the meeting in-person, if possible. However, due to budget constraints and the environmental impacts associated with events involving large geographical-scale participation, there will not be any financial support available for in-person participation. Instead, we are encouraging those who cannot attend in person to take advantage of the hybrid format of the event by participating, asking questions, and sharing comments virtually through our online tools. Thank you for joining this collaborative effort to create more sustainable events!
The online portal, on which this event is hosted, is equipped with screen reader technology, closed-captioning, text-adjustment features and more. For further information please access the accessibility widget.

For in-person attendance, we encourage you to visit the meeting venue websites to obtain complete information about accessibility, including ramp and elevator access, parking and transportation, and other accessibility infrastructure at the building.
You can also learn more about the in-person and online accessibility features of this event by visiting the accessibility page in the menu bar of this webpage.