- The North American Climate, Clean Energy, And Environment Partnership was announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, and U.S. President Barack Obama while meeting at the North American Leaders Summit in Ottawa.
- The plan contains a range of measures aimed at curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and spurring the growth of low-carbon energy technologies.
- In addition to the clean energy goal, the countries have committed to phasing out “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and drawing down methane emissions from the oil and gas industry 40 to 45 percent by 2025, among other initiatives.
Canada, Mexico, and the United States have pledged to generate 50 percent of their electricity using clean energy technologies by 2025, according to a joint climate plan unveiled today.
The North American Climate, Clean Energy, And Environment Partnership was announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, and U.S. President Barack Obama while meeting at the North American Leaders Summit in Ottawa.
The plan contains a range of measures aimed at curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and spurring the growth of low-carbon energy technologies. In addition to the clean energy goal, the countries have committed to phasing out “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, reducing GHG emissions and other pollutants from light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and drawing down methane emissions from the oil and gas industry 40 to 45 percent by 2025, among other initiatives.
The 50 percent clean energy goal allows for renewable, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage technologies to be used, which leaves open the possibility for some carbon-based energy sources to remain in the mix. Based on that definition, North America is already getting 37 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources, Bloomberg noted.
In order to achieve the 50 percent clean power generation goal, the three countries plan a variety of supporting measures, the White House said in a statement, “including cutting power waste by aligning ten appliance efficiency standards or test procedures by 2019, 5,000 megawatts of cross-border transmission projects to facilitate deployment of clean power, a joint study of the opportunities and impacts of adding more renewables to the electric grid on a continental basis, and the greening of government operations to 100 percent clean energy by 2025.” The countries also said they will strengthen and align their energy efficiency standards.
The plan is clearly aimed at making North America a leader on tackling global warming in the wake of the Paris Climate Agreement, which the leaders called “a turning point for our planet” in a statement detailing the partnership.
“Canada, the U.S., and Mexico will work together to implement the historic Paris Agreement, supporting our goal to limit temperature rise this century to well below 2oC, and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5oC,” according to the statement. “We reaffirm our commitment to join the Agreement this year, and call on all nations to support its entry into force in 2016.”
The Paris Climate Agreement was signed last December by nearly 200 countries, but will not enter into force until 55 countries accounting for 55 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions have ratified it.
Many environmentalists were quick to praise the collaborative efforts announced by the “Three Amigos” in Ottawa. Sam Adams, U.S. Director for the World Resources Institute, for instance, said that the plan sets a powerful example for other countries and is another sign that a low-carbon economy is well on its way.
“The bold pledge to power half of North America with clean electricity within 10 years sets a marker that should accelerate investment in renewable energy,” Adams said. “The continent-wide goal to slash methane emissions 40 to 45 percent by 2025 represents one of the greatest near-term opportunities to slow global warming. Sharing a common vision for the future, these leaders recognize the importance of providing economic stability and greater climate security for the long term.”