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EPA’s International Priorities
The Environmental Protection Agency has a long history of international collaboration on a wide range of global environmental issues. In recent years, EPA’s bilateral and multilateral partnerships have taken on new significance in the face of shared environmental and governance challenges, such as global climate change and improving children’s environmental health outcomes.
It is our vision that environmental progress in cooperation with global partners can catalyze even greater progress toward protecting our domestic environment including adapting to climate change, ensuring national security, facilitating commerce, promoting sustainable development, and engaging diplomatically around the world. To advance all of these goals, EPA has identified the following six international priorities.
- Building Strong Environmental Institutions and Legal Structures
- Combating Climate Change by Limiting Pollutants
- Improving Air Quality
- Expanding Access to Clean Water
- Reducing Exposure to Toxic Chemicals
- Cleaning Up E-Waste
Building Strong Environmental Institutions and Legal Structures
Countries need adequate governmental structures to enforce environmental protections. EPA will work with countries such as India, Ghana, Kenya and Brazil to develop and support the promotion of good governance, improve judicial and legal structures and design the regulatory systems necessary for effective environmental protection around the world.
For example, explore our work on:
- Capacity Building under CAFTA-DR
- Environmental Cooperation in Chile
- Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)
- Jordan
- Europe
Combating Climate Change by Limiting Pollutants
EPA has taken important steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home, but the global challenge of climate change requires a global solution. To make significant progress in reducing the effects of climate change, pollution must be cut throughout the world.
EPA will promote global strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants such as methane from landfills and black carbon from cookstoves. These pollutants are damaging especially vulnerable regions such as the Himalayan glaciers and the Arctic.
For example, explore our work on:
- Asian Development Bank
- Air and Energy Programs in China
- Memorandum of Cooperation with China (4pp, 858K, About PDF Files) to strengthen capacities to address climate change. Press Release
- Climate Change Cooperation with India
- Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas
- Climate Change collaboration with Europe
Improving Air Quality
Much of the pollution that contributes to climate change and increases cases of asthma and other respiratory diseases is concentrated in urban areas, which are growing in the U.S. and around the world.
EPA will work with organizations and local and national governments, such as Jakarta, Indonesia, to improve urban air quality in rapidly developing cities and communities.
For example, explore our work on:
- Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles
- Partnership for Clean Indoor Air
- Transportation and Air Quality
- Reducing Air Pollution at Shipping Ports
- Air Quality in Africa
- Air Quality in China
- Clean Air Initiative in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia (CAI)
- International Air
Expanding Access to Clean Water
Water bodies in the United States and throughout the world remain imperiled. EPA will support global partners and regions, such as the Caribbean, in creating safe and efficient drinking water and wastewater treatment systems. The agency also will help in providing long-term, sustainable and high-quality drinking water and sanitation systems for overburdened and underserved communities such as those along the U.S.-Mexican border.
For example, explore our work on:
Reducing Exposure to Toxic Chemicals
Chemicals are prevalent in everything from food to baby bottles. As children develop, they are especially vulnerable to these chemicals, particularly mercury and lead.
While EPA works closely with Congress to strengthen our chemical laws, the agency also will work with our global partners to provide protections for people and consistency for industry. In working with partners like the United Nations Environment Programme, EPA will strive to reduce or eliminate the impact of pesticides and other toxic chemicals.
For example, explore our work on:
- Reducing Mercury Pollution from Artisanal Gold Mining
- International mercury negotiations
- Global Mercury Partnership
- Persistent Organic Pollutants
Collaboration to reduce toxics with Europe
Cleaning Up E-Waste
The electronics that provide us with convenience often end up discarded in developing countries where improper disposal can threaten local people and the environment. EPA recognizes this urgent concern and will work with international partners to address the issues of E-waste. In the near-term, EPA will focus on ways to improve the design, production, handling, reuse, recycling, exporting and disposal of electronics.
For example, explore our work on: