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BORDER 2020:

U.S.-MEXICO ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM

Summary

The Border 2020 Program is the latest environmental program implemented under the 1983 La Paz Agreement. It builds 

on the Border 2012 Environmental Program, emphasizing regional, bottom-up approaches for decision making, priority 

setting, and project implementation to address the environmental and public health problems in the border region. As in 

Border 2012, the new Program encourages meaningful participation 

from communities and local stakeholders.

The Border 2020 Program also strengthens its focus in regional areas

where environmental improvements are needed most: establishing

thematic goals, supporting the implementation of projects, 

considering new fundamental strategies, and encouraging the 

achievement of more ambitious environmental and public health 

goals.

The Guiding Principles support the mission of the Border 2020 

Program and will ensure consistency by continuing the successful 

elements of previous binational environmental programs:

 Reduce the highest public 

health risks and preserve and 

restore the natural 

environment

 Adopt a bottom-up approach

 Address disproportionate 

environmental impacts

 Improve stakeholder 

participation

 Foster transparency, public 

participation, and open 

dialogue

 Strengthen capacity 

 Achieve concrete, 

measurable results

 Measure program 

progress through the

development of 

environmental and public 

health-based indicators

 Recognize tribal 

sovereignty of U.S. Tribes and 

address issues impacting tribes 

on a government-togovernment basis

 Address the specific concerns

and protect and preserve the 

cultural integrity of Mexican 

indigenous communities

Border 2020 has established six fundamental strategies that complement and inform the way we achieve the goals and 

objectives of the program:

1. Working to Improve 

Children’s Health

2. Building Capacity 

towards Climate Change 

Resiliency

3. Protecting 

Disadvantaged & 

Underserved 

Communities

4. Promoting 

Environmental 

Awareness

5. Promoting 

Environmental Health

6. Strengthening Tribal, 

State, Federal and 

International 

Partnerships

Border 2020 has identified five long-term Goals with specific Objectives to address the most serious environmental 

and environmentally-related public health challenges in the border region. Some objectives and sub-objectives targeted 

by these strategic goals are broad and are expected to serve as guidance in the development of biennial action plans. 

MISSION STATEMENT 

As a result of the partnership among 

U.S. Border Tribes and federal, state and 

local governments in the United States 

and Mexico, the mission of the Border 

2020 program is to: Protect the 

environment and public health in the 

U.S.-Mexico border region, consistent 

with the principles of sustainable 

development.

In this program, sustainable development is defined 

as “conservation-oriented social and economic 

development that emphasizes the protection and 

sustainable use of resources while addressing both 

current and future needs and present and future 

impacts of human actions.”
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Key differences between Border 

2012 and 2020

Border 2020 includes:

 An 8-year implementation horizon

 Six Fundamental Strategies

 2-Year Action Plans that account 

for resource and priority changes 

and that consider the particular 

needs of a community or 

geographic area

 Indicators and Communication 

Committees 

 A stronger communication 

component

 Updated goals and objectives

Biennial action plans establish priority and near-term targets that pay attention to the particular needs of a geographic 

area, region, or community, and adapt to emerging issues and/or unanticipated resource constraints.

Goal #1: Reduce Air Pollution

• Continue to focus on air pollution reductions in binational airsheds

• By 2018, maintain effective air quality monitoring networks and timely access to air quality data

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency and alternatives or renewable energy projects

Goal #2: Improve Access to Clean and Safe Water

• By 2015, increase homes connected to safe drinking water (DW) and waste water (WW) treatment

• Help DW and WW utilities become more efficient and sustainable

• Reduce levels of metals, sediment, or bacteria entering rivers and watersheds

Goal #3: Promote Materials and Waste Management and Clean Sites 

• Develop capacity to improve collection and recycling of e-waste, 

plastics, and trash

• Develop scrap tire pile prevention and recycling capacity

• Develop institutional capacity to clean up contaminated sites

• Continue to share information on border area hazardous waste 

facilities

Goal #4: Enhance Joint Preparedness for Environmental Response

• Update eight sister city joint contingency plans with risk identification 

and reduction of all hazards

• Facilitate easier trans-boundary movement of equipment and 

personnel

• Continue updating the U.S.-Mexico Joint Contingency Plan 

Goal #5: Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship

• Improve information sharing between enforcement agencies on the movement of hazardous waste across the 

border

• Use Toxics Release Inventory (in the U.S.) and the Emissions and Contaminant Transfer Registry (RETC, in 

Mexico) to identify top polluters of toxic releases

• Training and information exchange on laws and regulations of respective countries 

To complement and support the goals and objectives, Border 2020 encourages the use of Border 2020 Tools. The tools

are not intended to be all-inclusive. They include:

 Pollution Prevention Techniques

 Public Health Interventions

 Sustainable Management of Water Resources 

 Environmental Information

 Regulation and Policy Development

 Cooperative Enforcement and Compliance Assistance

 Environmental Education and Training

 Infrastructure Planning and Development
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Organizational Structure and Coordinating Bodies (see 

figure) remain similar to the previous Border 

Environmental Program. Consistent with the La Paz 

Agreement, National Coordinators from each country 

manage overall program implementation, and ensure 

cooperation, coordination and communication among all 

coordinating bodies. Policy Fora focus on border-wide

and multi-regional issues (identified as a priority by two 

or more regional workgroups), primarily federal in nature 

(requiring direct, high-level, and sustained leadership by 

federal program partners in the United States and 

Mexico) and that require broad policy considerations. 

Each of the five Policy Fora has a federal co-chair from the 

United States and Mexico. Regional Workgroups are 

multi-media and geographically-focused, and emphasize 

regional public health and environmental issues. They 

coordinate activities at the regional level and support the 

efforts of local Task Forces and coordinate with U.S. 

Tribes and Mexican indigenous communities. Each 

Regional Workgroup has one state and one federal cochair from each country. The Regional Workgroups may 

create Task Forces to identify priority issues and help 

facilitate pilot projects by engaging with local, state and 

tribal governments, academia, NGOs, and the public. 

Communication is an essential element of past and present U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Programs. Border 2020, 

like the previous program, Border 2012, depends on a bottom-up communication approach. In order to ensure effective 

and timely communication and engagement with the public, program partners, and stakeholders, a communication 

strategy has been developed and will be updated regularly to ensure that efforts are streamlined and effective. 

Interagency Cooperation and Leveraging of Resources – In order to maximize interagency cooperation, Border 2020 

considers the relevant activities implemented by other institutions and the input provided by organizations that 

represent a broad spectrum of programs and perspectives from governmental, non-governmental, academic, and 

private sectors. Achievement of the goals of Border 2020 depend on continued availability and efficient utilization of 

funding from federal, state, and local governments as well as from public/private partnerships and collaborations. 

Border 2020 encourages all parties to participate in leveraging resources when developing projects, policies, and 

programs to meet its goals and objectives.