Acronyms Guide

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

AAFC — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
ADM — Assistant Deputy Minister
AEP — Atmospheric Environment Prediction/Environment Canada
AES — Atmospheric Environment Service/Environment Canada
AIJ — Activities Implemented Jointly
AMAP — Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programs
AOSIS — Alliance of Small Island States
APEC — Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
APPD — Air Pollution Prevention Directorate/Environment Canada
ARET — Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics Program
ASAP — Automatic Shipboard Aerological Program
ASEAN — Association of South East Asian Nations

B

BAPMoN — Background Air Pollution Monitoring Network
BC — British Columbia
BWT — Boundary Waters Treaty

C

CAFF — Contribution to Arctic Fauna and Flora
CANBII — Canadian Biodiversity Information Initiative
CANSCET — Canada-Southern Cone Environmental Technology
CAP — Common Agricultural Policy/EU
CCAF — Climate Change Action Fund
CBD — Convention on Biological Diversity
CCIW — Canada Centre for Inland Waters
CCME — Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment
CCMS — Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society/NATO
CDM — Clean Development Mechanism
CEAA — Canadian Environment Assessment Agency
CEC — Commission on Environmental Cooperation
CEECs — Central and Eastern Europe Countries
CEN — Canadian Environmental Network
CEP — Committee on Environmental Policy/UN ECE
CEPA — Canadian Environmental Protection Act
CETACs — Canadian Environmental Technology Advancement Centres
CFC — Chlorofluorocarbon
CIDA — Canadian International Development Agency
CITES — Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CMC — Canadian Meteorological Centre
CoP — Conference of the Parties
CPR — Committee of Permanent Representatives/UNEP
CS — Corporate Services/Environment Canada
CSD — Commission on Sustainable Development/UN
CTE — Committee on Trade and Environment/WTO
CWS — Canadian Wildlife Service/Environment Canada
CZM — Coastal Zone Management
CZMP — Coastal Zone Management Plan

D

DAC — Development Assistance Committee/OECD
DCM — Dichloromethane
DFO — Department of Fisheries and Oceans
DM — Deputy Minister
DSL — Domestic Substance List

E

EB — Executive Body for the Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution/UNECE
EBRD — European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EC — Environment Canada
ECA — Economic Commission for Africa/UN
ECE — Economic Commission for Europe/UN
ECLAC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean/UN
ECOSOC — Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
ECS — Environmental Conservation Service/Environment Canada
ECSS — Executive Committee in Special Session/OECD
EDCs — Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
EEA — European Environment Agency
EEB — European Environment Bureau
EEZ — Exclusive Economic Zones
EFE — Environment for Europe/UN ECE
EFTA — European Free Trade Association
EIA — Environmental Impact Assessment
EMEP — European Monitoring and Evaluation Program
EMS — Environmental Management System
EMU — European Monetary Union
ENGO — Environmental Non-governmental Organization
ENRICH — European Network for Research in Global Change
EPOC — Environment Policy Committee/OECD
EPS — Environmental Protection Service/Environment Canada
ERA — Economic and Regulatory Affairs/Environment Canada
ESCAP — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific/UN
ESCWA — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia/UN
ETAD — Environmental Technology Advancement Directorate/Environment Canada
ETV — Environmental Technology Verification
EVRI — Environmental Valuation Reference Inventory

F

FAC — Foreign Affairs Canada (formely known as Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade)
FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FCCC — Framework Convention on Climate Change
FDI — Foreign Direct Investment
FoE — Friends of the Earth
FTA — Free Trade Agreement

G

GATT — General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GBEI — Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative/
GC — Governing Council/UNEP
GCOS — Global Climate Observing System
GDP — Gross Domestic Product
GEF — Global Environmental Facility
GEMS — Global Environmental Monitoring System/UNEP
GEO — Global Environmental Outlook/UNEP
GESAMP — Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution
GHG — Greenhouse Gas
GIS — Geographic Information Systems
GL — Green Lane/Environment Canada
GLWQA — Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
GLWQP — Great Lakes Water Quality Program
GOES — Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
GRID — Global Resource Information Database/UNEP

H

HAPs — Hazardous Air Pollutants
HCFCs — Hydro-chlorofluorocarbons
HFCs — Hydrofluorocarbons
HLCOMO — High Level Committee of Ministers and Officials/UNEP

I

IAEA — International Atomic Energy Agency
IAHR — International Association for Hydraulic Research
IAHS — International Association of Hydrological Sciences
IAI — Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
IAMAP — International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics
IATA — International Air Transport Association
IAWPR — International Association on Water Pollution Research
IBRD — International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICCROM — International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
ICES — International Council for Exploration of the Sea
ICID — International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage
ICLEI — International Council for Local Initiatives
ICOLD — International Commission on Large Dams
ICOMOS — International Council of Monuments and Sites
ICSI — International Commission on Snow and Ice
ICSU — International Council for Science
ICUMA — International Commission on Meteorology of the Upper Atmosphere
IDNDR — International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
IDRC — International Development Research Centre
IEA — International Energy Agency
IFF — Intergovernmental Forum on Forests
IFIs — International Financial Institutions
IGBP — International Geosphere/Biosphere Programme/ICSU IGS International Glaciological Society
IHDP — International Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Program
IIASA — International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
IJC — International Joint Commission/Canada-U.S.
ILO — International Labour Organization
IMF — International Monetary Fund
IMO — International Maritime Organization
INAC — Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
INC — Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee
IOC — Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission/UNESCO
IPCB — International Policy and Cooperation Branch/Environment Canada
IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IPR — Intellectual Property Rights
IRD — International Relations Directorate/Environment Canada
IRPTC — International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals
ISO — International Organization for Standardization
ITCan — International Trade Canada (formely known as Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade)
IUCN — World Conservation Union
IUGG — International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
IWC — International Whaling Commission
IWRA — International Water Resources Association
IWRB — International Waterfowl Research Bureau

J

JCC — Joint Cooperation Committee (Canada/EU)
JI — Joint Implementation
JMM — Joint Ministers' Meeting
JRC — Joint Research Centre/EU

K

KM — Kyoto Mechanisms

L

LBMSP — Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution
LDC — London Dumping Convention
LRTAP — Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution

M

MAP — Microwave-Assisted Processing
MEAs — Multilateral Environmental Agreements
MEC — Millennium Eco-Communities/Environment Canada initiative
MEPC — Marine Environment Protection Committee/IMO
MIACC — Major Industrial Accidents Councils of Canada
MOU — Memorandum of Understanding
MVSA — Motor Vehicle Safety Act

N

NAAEC — North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation
NAICC — National Air Issues Coordinating Committee
NAFTA — North American Free Trade Agreement
NAPCC — National Action Program on Climate Change
NASA — National Aeronautic and Space Administration/USA
NATO — North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NAWMP — North American Wildlife Management Plan
NCR — National Capital Region
NHRC — National Hydrology Research Centre/Environment Canada
NMHS — National Meteorological and Hydrological Service/Atmospheric Environment Service
NGO — Non-governmental Organization
NOAA — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/USA
NORAD — North American Organization for Radar Advanced Defence
NOx — Nitrogen Oxides
NPRI — National Pollutant Release Inventory
NRCan — Natural Resources Canada
NRTEE — National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy
NSCAT — NASA Scatterometer
NWRC — National Wildlife Research Centre/Environment Canada
NWRI — National Water Research Institute/Environment Canada

O

OAS — Organization of American States
OAU — Organization for African Unity
OCHA — Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs/UN
ODA — Official Development Assistance
ODCA — Ocean Dumping Control Act
ODS — Ozone Depleting Substance
OECD — Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OSCE — Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

P

P&C — Policy and Communications/Environment Canada
PCB — Polychlorinated Biphenyl
PEI — Prince Edward Island
PIC — Prior Informed Consent
POPs — Persistent Organic Pollutants
PV — Photovoltaics

R

RCMP — Royal Canadian Mounted Police
RSMC — Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre

S

SBSTTA — Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
SD — Sustainable Development
SDPC — Strategic Directions and Policy Coordination/Environment Canada
SEMARNAP — Secretariat for the Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries/Mexico
SIDS — Small Island Developing States
SLAP — St. Lawrence Action Plan
SME — Solar Mesosphere Explorer
S&T — Science and Technology

T

TC — Transport Canada
TRIPS — Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
TSRI — Toxic Substances Research Initiative

U

UN — United Nations
UNCED — United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
UNCHS — United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
UNCLOS — United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea
UNCTAD — United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDP — United Nations Development Programme
UNDRO — United Nations Disaster Relief Office
UNEP — United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO — United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNFCCC — United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNICEF — United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
UNIDO — United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNITAR — United Nations Institute for Training and Research
UNU — United Nations University
USEPA — United States Environmental Protection Agency
USGS — United States Geological Survey

V

VOCs — Volatile Organic Compounds

W

WAPPRIITA — Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act
WCO — World Customs Organization
WCP — World Climate Programme/WMO
WCRP — World Climate Research Program
WEOG — Western European and Other Group/UN
WEP — Weather and Environmental Predictions Program
WEU — Western European Union
WFC — World Food Council
WFP — World Food Programme
WHO — World Health Organization
WHP — World Heritage Program/UNESCO
WIPO — World Intellectual Property Organization
WMCC — Wildlife Ministers' Council of Canada
WMO — World Meteorological Organization
WTO — World Trade Organization
WWF — World Wildlife Fund
WWW — World Weather Watch/WMO