Open Statement on NAFTA, Environment and Climate

The statement argues that NAFTA's current structure prioritizes corporate interests over the planet and calls for the removal of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions and the energy chapter to allow Canada to implement climate-friendly regulations and restrict fossil fuel exports.

• The authors call 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 NAFTA Chapter 11 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 advocates for the elimination of NAFTA's energy chapter, specifically the proportional sharing clause, which mandates that Canada export a fixed percentage of energy production to the U.S. and thus restricts Canada's ability to limit fossil fuels like tar sands crude.
• NAFTA's national treatment and procurement rules are identified as barriers to climate solutions, potentially impeding renewable portfolio standards, low carbon fuel standards, and 'green purchasing' requirements for government contracts.

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} }