A New Mechanism for Hemispheric Cooperation on Environmental Sustainability and Trade?

The document argues that the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) requires a dedicated hemispheric framework to ensure trade liberalization supports sustainable development. It reviews sub-regional models—including Mercosur, CARICOM, the Andean Community, the Central American Alliance for Sustainable Development, and NAFTA—to identify best practices in environmental management and civil society participation. The authors propose a new Americas Environmental Accord (AEA) based on the 2001 Mercosur Framework Agreement on the Environment, suggesting it include shared objectives for environmental protection, dispute settlement mechanisms, and protocols for natural resource management. Additionally, the paper recommends conducting ex-ante sustainability impact assessments (SIA) for the FTAA and establishing a Public Advisory Committee to foster inclusive dialogue between governments and civil society.

• The authors propose a new, stand-alone Americas Environmental Accord (AEA) to provide a coherent ecological cooperation agenda and financing for the Western Hemisphere, using the 2001 Mercosur Framework Agreement on the Environment as a substantive starting point.
• To prevent policy inconsistency in the FTAA, the document recommends using sustainability impact assessments (SIA) ex-ante to identify negative environmental effects and develop liberalization sequencing options.
• The 2001 Mercosur Framework Agreement on the Environment is highlighted as an integrated instrument that seeks sustainable development through economic, social, and environmental dimensions, including provisions for upward harmonization of management systems.
• The North American Agreement for Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) is cited as a strong model for openness due to its mandates for public reports on the state of the environment and requirements for the Council to hold public meetings.
• The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is noted for its advanced formal mechanisms for civil society participation, specifically through the ratification of a Civil Society Charter in 1997.
• The document suggests establishing a Standing Conference or Public Advisory Committee to facilitate dialogue between senior government officials, NGOs, and the private sector to build consensus on a trade and sustainability agenda.

APA

Segger, M.-C. C., Reynal, M. L., Borregaard, N., & González, A. K. (n.d.). A New Mechanism for Hemispheric Cooperation on Environmental Sustainability and Trade? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_aea_draft_proposal.pdf

Chicago

Segger, Marie-Claire Cordonier, Maria Leichner Reynal, Nicola Borregaard, and Ana Karina González. A New Mechanism for Hemispheric Cooperation on Environmental Sustainability and Trade? International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_aea_draft_proposal.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Segger |first1=Marie-Claire Cordonier |last2=Reynal |first2=Maria Leichner |last3=Borregaard |first3=Nicola |last4=González |first4=Ana Karina |title=A New Mechanism for Hemispheric Cooperation on Environmental Sustainability and Trade? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_aea_draft_proposal.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{seggerndnew, author = {Segger, Marie-Claire Cordonier and Reynal, Maria Leichner and Borregaard, Nicola and González, Ana Karina}, title = {{A New Mechanism for Hemispheric Cooperation on Environmental Sustainability and Trade?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_aea_draft_proposal.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }