At the current rate, only 12% of the world’s sustainable development goals will be met by 2030, signaling that a fundamental shift in collaborative action and investment is needed to get on track! By working together across borders and sectors, we can achieve sustainability and lead the way in the North American Great Lakes region.
CGLR challenges business-as-usual approaches. Instead, we integrate economic, social, and environmental priorities to address the region’s most complex sustainability challenges.
Our programs are finding common ground and creatinge trusted spaces for dialogue, evidence-based learning, and action, aligning public policy, business strategies, innovation, workforce development, and investment to build a more competitive and sustainable Great Lakes region.
Each Great Lakes initiative led by CGLR is designed to address a critical regional need while supporting systems-level change. Together, these programs advance environmental sustainability, economic growth, and shared prosperity.
As sustainability expectations rise among consumers, policymakers, and investors, the Great Lakes region’s economic systems must evolve. CGLR’s programs put emphasis on the connection point between business and sustainability and convene leaders across sectors to address shared challenges and opportunities.
These programs support:
It is estimated that 22 million pounds of plastic could be entering the Great Lakes each year, threatening ecosystems and local economies. We know we can do better and ensure these valuable materials, especially plastics, don’t pollute our environment. Circular Great Lakes advances a binational circular economy by keeping valuable materials in use and out of landfills and waterways.
This program facilitates cleanup, prevention, innovation, and policy efforts that reduce waste, address marine litter, and strengthen regional supply chains— keeping critical materials in use through a regional circular economy.
The Great Lakes freshwater system is not an infinite resource, and it must be used wisely. Great Lakes WISE (Water Innovation and Stewardship Exchange) is working with businesses committed to responsible water use and stewardship through a collaborative platform focused on innovation, transparency, and shared learning.
Through peer-to-peer engagement and knowledge exchange, this program helps advance corporate water stewardship, protect freshwater resources, and strengthen trust between businesses and communities.
Committed to strengthening the region’s long-term competitiveness, GLHEC focuses on three interconnected priorities essential to the region’s future:
By aligning academic institutions with industry and policy leaders, GLHEC helps strengthen workforce pipelines, accelerate innovation, and enhance the region’s long-term competitiveness.
CGLR is working in partnership with ALUS and the City of Defiance, Ohio to adopt a proven model of working with farmers and landowners to implement nature-based solutions, improving soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat.
Located in the Maumee River watershed that feeds into Lake Erie, ALUS Defiance will implement nature-based solutions that have not been realized through other existing conservation programs, offering new opportunities to provide additive ecosystem services.
Join our growing network to receive updates on programs, events, insights, and opportunities shaping the future of the Great Lakes region.
If you’re committed to sustainability, collaboration, and impact, there’s a place for you in the Council of the Great Lakes Region.
Charitable contributions to the CGLR Foundation in the US and the CGLR Canada Foundation are crucial for helping us integrate environmental considerations into our regional public policy decisions, business strategies, and investment choices.
Supporting CGLR and joining our programs and outreach efforts will help bring sector leaders and stakeholders together to grow the region’s US-Canada economic partnership, transition to a sustainable future, and strengthen our competitiveness in today’s fast pace global marketplace.
