Canada's Continental Action

Canada's economy is integrated with the United States' to the point where it makes absolutely no sense to proceed without harmonizing and aligning a range of principles, policies, regulations and standards.

For this reason, Canada has fully aligned its 2020 emission reduction target to reduce emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels with the United States. This target has been inscribed in the Copenhagen Accord and is subject to adjustment to remain consistent with the U.S. target.

Harmonized Vehicle Regulations

On April 1, 2010 Environment Canada released the proposed Passenger Automobile and Light Truck Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations. These tough new regulations align with the mandatory national standards of the United States beginning with the 2011 model year.

Through the implementation of the proposed standards, it is anticipated that the average greenhouse gas emissions from 2016 Canadian fleet of new cars and light trucks will be reduced by approximately 25 percent from those sold in 2008.

On May 21, 2010 the Government of Canada announced that it will regulate greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. The Government is working with the heavy-duty trucking industry, including manufacturers and users, to develop these regulations, with the final policies being implemented between the 2014 and 2018 model years.

Given our deeply integrated automotive industry, there are significant environmental and economic benefits to a harmonized approach, both nationally and across North America. 

Canada-U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue

Canada and the United States have established the Clean Energy Dialogue, which is enhancing joint collaboration on the development of clean energy science and technologies to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change. 

Canada-U.S. collaboration under the Clean Energy Dialogue is being advanced in three key areas:

• clean energy research and development;
• the development and deployment of clean energy technologies, including carbon capture and storage; and
• building a more efficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable energy.

On Sept. 16, 2009 Environment Minister Jim Prentice and his American counterpart, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, presented their first Report to Leaders on the Clean Energy Dialogue to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama.

Canada will continue to work closely with the U.S. to develop a coordinated approach that will keep advancing our respective environmental and energy objectives.

North American Leaders' Summit

Also, in August 2009 at the North American Leaders' Summit, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Presidents Barack Obama and Felipe Calderon recognized climate change as one of the most daunting and pressing challenges of our time. They agreed to the North American Leaders' Declaration on Climate Change and Clean Energy, which reaffirmed their political commitment to work collaboratively to combat climate change.