On June 29, 2016, President Obama, Prime Minister Trudeau, and President Nieto announced the North American Climate, Clean Energy, and Environment Partnership at the North American Leaders Summit.  According to President Obama, the “ambitious and enduring” Partnership will see the United States, Canada, and Mexico “work toward the common goal of a North America that is competitive, that encourages clean growth, and that protects our shared environment.”[1]

Key features of the Partnership include:

In addition to these overarching goals, the United States also specifically committed to purchase more clean energy for federal facilities and government vehicles and seek to finalize a rule to prohibit the use of certain high-global warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program.

While the White House Climate Advisor called the Partnership targets “achievable continent-wide” and “supported by domestic policies,”[2] only time will tell if all three countries will be able to implement the programs and pass the regulations needed to meet the ambitious Partnership goals.

 


[1]               Katie Reilly, Read the Remarks from the ‘Three Amigos’ Summit Press Conference, available at http://time.com/4388789/three-amigos-summit-transcript-obama-nieto-trudeau/ (June 29, 2016).

[2]               Press Release, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/29/press-gaggle-press-secretary-josh-earnest-and-senior-advisor-president (June 29, 2016).