The purpose of this review essay is to provide a starting point for the evaluation of the ways in which Canada and the United States approach global environmental policy-making. Each country has its own special place regarding environmental leadership—one tends toward exceptionalism and unilateralism, while the other tends toward participation and multilateralism. Essential to explaining how and why Canada and the United States approach global environmental concerns is understanding their relationship to each other, both as nation-states and countries dedicated to the protection of the environment.