Council of Great Lakes Region (CGLR)

About
Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) is a bi-national network of organizations comprised of: (1) CGLR USA, an Ohio-based trade association; (2) the CGLR Foundation, an Ohio-based public charity; and (3) CGLR Canada, a not-for-profit corporation. It is dedicated to creating stronger, more dynamic regional collaborations through dialogue, policy research and programs, and advocacy in order to find new ways of harnessing the bi-national Great Lakes region’s economic strengths and assets, improving the well-being and livelihoods of the region’s citizens, and protecting the environment and the Great Lakes for future generations.

Priorities
CGLR serves as a convener and a platform to facilitate knowledge sharing while also leading collaborative programs that are engaging businesses to help drive sustainable solutions in the Great Lakes region. Programs that fall under CGLR’s Business and Sustainability umbrella, all of which are bi-national and collaborative by design, address key topic areas important to the region and include: 

• Circular Great Lakes: An initiative that seeks to end plastic waste by closing the loop and accelerating a circular economy for plastics across the region. 
• Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup: A joint program with Pollution Probe that focuses on cleaning up the Great Lakes and connecting waterways while working to identify the sources and pathways of the plastic pollution problem.
• Great Lakes Carbon Collaborative: A joint program with the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development that works across industries to advance the collective interests of businesses to reduce carbon emissions. 
• Great Lakes WISE (Water Innovation and Stewardship Exchange): A program that brings together industry peers to share knowledge and information on water stewardship best practices.

Managing Director
Mark P. Fisher, President and CEO, Council of the Great Lakes Region

Chair
Brian Ames