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AGREEMENT REACHED ON U.S./MEXICO PUBLIC/PRIVATE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE, BORDER IMPROVEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Release Date: 06/11/99
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1999
AGREEMENT REACHED ON U.S./MEXICO PUBLIC/PRIVATE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE, BORDER IMPROVEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
At the U.S./Mexico Binational Commission meeting in Mexico City on June 4, EPA joined with Mexico’s Environmental agency, the Secretariat for Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries, in announcing an historic agreement among the two governments, industry leaders represented by the U.S./Mexico Chamber of Commerce, and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, to promote voluntary implementation of Seven Principles of Environmental Stewardship within the two countries. The Principles call on the business and trade communities to go beyond environmental compliance by voluntarily intensifying pollution prevention, energy efficiency, overall environmental performance, public accountability and investment in local sustainable development, at all operational locations throughout the two countries. Corporate officials and front line managers would commit to these Principles at all levels and employ a range of tools, such as environmental management systems and environmental auditing, with companies having flexibility in how to use these tools. The intention is to ensure that the Principles become integral parts of a company’s culture. The Principles are the cornerstone of a new binational public/private strategic alliance to promote sustainable development throughout both countries, in particular in the border region, as called for in the Border XXI Environmental Framework. The goal is to demonstrate that sustainable development, a clean environment and free trade are consistent and compatible. The U.S. and Mexican environmental agencies and the U.S. Agency for International Development also reached agreement to work cooperatively in areas dealing with global climate change, including updating inventories of U.S. and Mexico’s greenhouse gas sources and sinks (places where such gases collect), analyzing the economics of greenhouse gas mitigation and the potential ancillary benefits, exchanging experts, providing training, enhancing public education and outreach, and making reports on accomplishments and challenges to the binational interagency High-Level Contact Group on Climate Change. The environmental agencies also announced an agreement on participation in the U.S./Mexico Border XXI Program by U.S. and Mexican border states and U.S. tribal nations on the border. The agreement lauded the long tradition of tribal communities throughout the border region in environmental stewardship and set the stage for increased state/tribal/federal collaboration in protecting the border environment. Preparedness and response to environmental emergencies in the border area are the focus of a U.S./Mexico Joint Contingency Plan also signed at the Binational Commission meeting. It establishes mechanisms for rapid response to chemical accidents in the border area. In addition, the achievements of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission and the North American Development Bank were praised by U.S. and Mexican environmental officials. These institutions were established during the NAFTA negotiations to develop environmental infrastructure in the border area. Since 1995, 27 projects have been certified, representing an investment of approximately $625 million, which will benefit seven million border residents. A copy of the Principles and other information on border issues will be available at: https://www.epa.gov/USMEXICOBORDER. Information is also available through EPA’s border offices, 915-533-7273 and 619-235-4765.
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