TRI Around the World

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organization made up of representatives from 30 industrialized countries in North America, Europe and the Pacific, as well as the European Commission, who regularly meet to coordinate and synchronize policies, discuss issues of mutual concern, and work together to respond to international problems.

OECD and PRTRs

The OECD began work to encourage development of PRTRs in 1993, as a follow-up to a United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. OECD works with governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations to develop practical tools to support efforts of member countries, provide outreach to non-member countries, and coordinate international activities.

To help member countries implement efficient and effective PRTR systems, OECD produces documents describing the experiences of countries that have developed PRTRs; current and emerging uses of PRTR data; how PRTRs differ; and the identification, selection, and adaptation of release estimation techniques that industry can use to calculate pollutant releases and transfers.

The OECD coordinates PRTR activities between the industrialized nations of Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific through its PRTR Task Force.  The goal of the Task Force is to enable the OECD member countries to provide and improve information about implementation of PRTRs.

Current PRTR-related priorities underway with the OECD include: developing methods to make PRTR data more comparable among different countries and enable the use of PRTR on a continental and global scale; developing and cataloging techniques for estimating emissions from diffuse and point sources; and promoting the use of PRTR information as a means to assess progress in achieving sustainability.

PRTR.net : This website provides a global portal to PRTR information and activities from countries and organizations around the world, and aims to assist countries in the development, implementation and improvement of PRTR programs.

Commission for Environmental Cooperation

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), to address regional environmental concerns, help prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts, and to promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. The Agreement compliments the environmental provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

CEC and PRTRs

Three countries and their respective PRTRs are affiliated with the CEC.  These countries are: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Canada’s PRTR program is the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and is maintained by Environment Canada. Mexico’s PRTR program is the Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (RETC) and is maintained by Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (La Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT)).

The CEC annually publishes its Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers report , which is a consolidation of  certain PRTR data from the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory, the U.S. Toxics Release Inventory, and Mexico’s Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes. Only those data common to all three PRTR systems are used.  (There are only about nine industrial sectors and 60 chemicals that are commonly reported to each of these PRTRs.)

Map layer for Industrial Pollutants on Google Earth

The CEC’s new map layer for Google Earth lets users explore pollution data from over 30,000 industrial facilities in North America. Information used in the mapping tool comes from publicly accessible “pollutant release and transfer registers,” or PRTRs, maintained separately by the three North American countries:Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The CEC has created the first seamless, North America-wide map layer connecting citizens with point-specific industrial pollutant data in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

United Nations Environment Program

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UNEP’s International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) is the international clearinghouse for PRTRs and leads the effort to exchange PRTR-related information through its internet site. IRPTC is also helping to develop guidance for emissions estimation and to foster compatibility of PRTR information systems.

United Nations Institute for Training and Research

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) works with developing countries to implement new environmental programs and transfer knowledge and technologies to them from nations with established environmental programs.

UNITAR  and PRTRs

Under a cooperative agreement established under the Dominican Republic - Central American – United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR),  development of PRTRs in Central America and the Dominican Republic were identified as primary goals. UNITAR, through funding from the EPA and in coordination with the Comision Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD), is working to facilitate development of PRTRs in two countries in Central America, with technical guidance from the TRI Program.

UNITAR has launched an interactive website called PRTR:Learn . Its objective is to share insights, information, knowledge and resources on PRTRs. It provides the space for countries implementing and designing PRTRs to share their experiences on reporting pollutants in their territories, enhancing the exchange of lessons learned and facilitating the provision of knowledge to countries that will develop PRTRs in the future. It also provides a space for the public to obtain information on the latest news on PRTRs and to increase its participation on environmental issues.

Likewise, it is possible to access documents on technical aspects of PRTRs, follow e-learning courses, share insights with others in forums and webinars and find about news and events on PRTRs around the world.