Statement of Bob Perciasepe
President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

March 10, 2016

With their joint announcement today, President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau have set the stage for closer cooperation than ever before between the United States and Canada in meeting our shared climate and energy challenges. Given the inextricable links between our economies and our energy systems, it’s in everyone’s interest that our respective efforts are more closely aligned.

We’re especially encouraged by the emphasis placed by the two leaders on the use of market-based approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as cost-effectively as possible. California and Quebec have already formally linked their emissions trading systems, and the recent Paris Agreement can facilitate broader use of market-based policies globally. As the United States and Canada work to strengthen their domestic policies and implement the Paris Agreement, they should explore opportunities to realize the environmental and economic benefits of a more fully developed regional trading system.

In other areas, including the urgent need to reduce short-lived climate forcers such as methane and hydrofluorocarbons, the two leaders have set ambitious goals. In pursuing their common agenda, it is vital the two governments continue work in close partnership with the private sector to ensure that policies aimed at achieving those goals are practical and cost-effective.

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Contact: Laura Rehrmann, press@c2es.org, 703-516-4146

About C2ES: The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization promoting strong policy and action to address the challenges of energy and climate change. Learn more at www.c2es.org.