North American leaders commit to drive down Short-Lived Climate Pollutants

The leaders of Canada, Mexico and the United States have agreed to align climate and energy policies under an ambitious partnership that includes increased cooperation to reduce short-lived climate pollutants and an announcement by Mexico that it would join the USA and Canada to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40% to 45% by 2025.

Meeting in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Enrique Peña Nieto, and President Barack Obama, committed to an ambitious and enduring North American Climate, Clean Energy, and Environment Partnership that sets the three countries “firmly on the path to a more sustainable future”.

The leaders announced five areas of work including driving down short-lived climate pollutants like methane, black carbon (soot), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) through common sense actions that will “deliver significant climate and health benefits in the near term and into the future, supporting our goal to limit global warming this century”.

“North America has the capacity, resources and the moral imperative to show strong leadership building on the Paris Agreement and promoting its early entry into force,” the leaders said in a statement. “We recognize that our highly integrated economies and energy systems afford a tremendous opportunity to harness growth in our continuing transition to a clean energy economy.”

Rita Cerutti,Canadian Co-Chair of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (CCAC) and International Affairs Advisor with Environment and Climate Change, Canada, welcomed the announcement saying it was “yet another example of how CCAC Partners, working together, can make a difference and show that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand”.