Assessing trade: An evaluation of the Commission for Environmental Cooperationʹs analytic framework for assessing the environmental effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement

Over the past 30 years, environmental assessment requirements and practices have become more participative, ambitious, integrative, and comprehensive. Environmental assessments at the strategic level, including those focused on trade agreements, should reflect this progress. This paper applies seven basic principles of best practice in environmental assessment to an evaluation of the Commission for Environmental Cooperationʹs (CEC) framework for assessing the environmental effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It finds that the CECʹs final analytic framework could achieve a higher level of environmental assessment that is more credible, efficient, and appropriately focused on sustainability issues. This would require adopting a purpose that centres on achieving sustainability, ensuring consideration of alternatives, and incorporating and encouraging a more open and participative process.