Greening the Trade Corridors in North America: Why Corridors and Why Green

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Greening the Trade Corridors in North America
Why Corridors and Why Green?
Benjamin Teitelbaum CEC, April 22nd
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The Background

• The Emergence of Cross-Border Regions
• North American economic integration has focused
  primarily on national economic environmental
  dimensions
• The Mexico-Canada-US trade agreement or NAFTA
  opened a new era in the way the three countries
  interact with one another with cross-border
  regional linkages playing an instrumental role in
  the process of North American integration.
• A cross-border region often finds that key
  economic activities and clusters cut across
  borders.

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Cross-Border or Trade Corridor Organizations

• There are a large number of Corridor
  organizations along the borders of all three
  countries
• These corridor organizations act as facilitators
• Corridor organizations provide a mechanism for
  regional stakeholders to address regional as
  well as national issues
• Provinces and states recognize that cross-border
  collaborations are important to their future
  prosperity
• Corridor associations provide forums for building
  and enhancing NAFTA relationships and discussing
  issues on a regional basis

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Obstacles

• US, Canada and Mexico have recognized the reality
  and importance of these Corridors
• However, they have not established formal
  policies that are consistent for developing these
  gateways across the continent
• Examplegt there is no transportation policy to
  guide infrastructure developments that would
  facilitate continental economic integration and
  ensure environmental challenges are dealt in a NA
  context

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Greening The Trade Corridors

• In 2001, a report prepared for the CEC examined
  the environmental impact of NAFTA trade on five
  bi-national segments of three primary trade
  corridors. The study found that NAFTA trade
  contributed significantly to air pollution in all
  the corridors.

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What is the situation in 2008 and the future

• NA transportation routes and hubs are becoming
  continental and existing capacity is insufficient
  to accommodate increased trade
• Increasingly cross border regional Corridors
  are becoming National, Bi-National and
  Tri-National partnerships
• TODAY!
• The NA economy can best be visualized in this
  21st Century as a deeply integrated continental
  system of supply chains structured by networks
  linking production centers and distribution hubs
  across the continent

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Governmental Response

• -Establishment of Corridors Gateways based on
  National priorities (Canada gtAsia Pacific
  Gateway, Ontario-Quebec Gateway Trade Corridor
  USgt Alameda Corridor Major Transportation
  capital investment MexicogtCoast Inland Ports ,
  new and improved train infrastructures, etc.)
• -Development of new transportation
  infrastructures (Churchill gt PlainsgtKansasgt
  Corpus-Christi gt LaredogtVeracruz gt Punta Colonet)

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Green Corridors Need (1)

• Recognition of the Corridor framework as part of
  Trade Environment
• The US Government under Equity Act for the 21st
  Century (TEA21) designates High priority
  Corridors gt Canada Mexico have no special
  designation
• Recognition of state provincial cross-border
  regional focus as means of promoting
  establishing National and Tri-national (NA)
  initiatives

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Green Corridors Need (2)

• Recognition of the need for a NA approach to
  support the development of an integrated approach
  to resolving transportation other
  infrastructural challenges
• i.e. Canada, US Mexico could participate
  together in the establish a NA Intelligent
  Highway Program
• Result safer movement of people goods
  energy efficiency reduction of environmental
  and GHG impacts

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Green Corridors Need (3 -CEC)

• Trade Corridors provide a unique opportunity for
  the CEC to pursue trade and environmental
  cooperation issues, and in the process fulfill
  the purpose for which the NAFTA side agreement on
  International Cooperation was drafted
• The principal action required at this stage in
  order to facilitate the CEC involvement in
  Corridor partnerships is for National Governments
  to designate Corridor and Green Corridor
  initiatives a priority of the CEC.

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The Role of the CEC

• Facilitator Help coordinate tri-lateral meetings
  between Corridor Associations and other regional
  stake-holders
• Support Research, scoping be a clearing-house
  (transportation environmental data)
• Assist In fostering inter-regional partnerships
  that include local, regional and national
  stakeholders

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By Working directly with regional interlocutors
both private sector and/or Corridor associations
as well as regional/local governments the CEC
would enhance efforts of National Governments in
finding solution to NA transportation
environmental challenges