Open Statement on NAFTA, Environment and Climate

An open statement by a coalition of environmental, health, labour, and faith organizations urging the Canadian government to address environmental failings during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

• The coalition calls for the removal of NAFTA's Chapter 11 Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions, which allow private investors to sue governments over laws or regulations that result in financial losses for corporations. Canada has been subject to 38 such suits, with two-thirds concerning environmental protection laws, including bans on hazardous PCBs, lawn pesticides, gasoline additives, and a fracking moratorium. Currently, Canada faces nine ISDS claims seeking over $6 billion in damages.
• The statement urges the elimination of NAFTA's energy chapter, specifically the proportional sharing clause. This clause requires Canada to export a fixed percentage of its energy production to the United States, which the authors argue restricts Canada's ability to limit climate-polluting fossil fuels, such as oil sands (tar sands) crude.
• NAFTA's national treatment and procurement rules are identified as barriers to climate solutions. National treatment rules may threaten the implementation of low carbon fuel standards, renewable portfolio standards, and other energy regulations. Procurement rules are cited as limiting the use of "green purchasing" requirements for government contracts regarding sustainable goods, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
• The coalition advocates for trade agreements that prioritize public interest policies over corporate interests. They propose that NAFTA's core text include enforceable environmental and labour standards, and require participating countries to comply with domestic laws and international agreements, specifically mentioning the Paris Climate Agreement and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Open Statement on NAFTA, Environment and Climate. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1.Open-Statement-on-NAFTA-Environment-and-Climate-Sept.-2017.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Open Statement on NAFTA, Environment and Climate. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1.Open-Statement-on-NAFTA-Environment-and-Climate-Sept.-2017.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Open Statement on NAFTA, Environment and Climate |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1.Open-Statement-on-NAFTA-Environment-and-Climate-Sept.-2017.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndopen, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Open Statement on NAFTA, Environment and Climate}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1.Open-Statement-on-NAFTA-Environment-and-Climate-Sept.-2017.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }