{"id":264789,"date":"2017-02-13T14:06:10","date_gmt":"2017-02-13T19:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/issues\/a-test-for-trudeaus-climate-credibility\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T21:28:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T01:28:26","slug":"a-test-for-trudeaus-climate-credibility","status":"publish","type":"issues","link":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2017\/02\/a-test-for-trudeaus-climate-credibility\/","title":{"rendered":"A test for Trudeau\u2019s climate credibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Prime Minister Trudeau meets with President Trump for the first time today, there is little doubt that their nascent relationship represents a study in contrasts. Trudeau is a quarter century Trump\u2019s junior and champions a \u201cnew-world\u201d set of political ideas anchored in internationalism and cooperation<\/a>. Trump\u2019s methods are rooted in \u201cold-world\u201d thinking \u2013 closed and protectionist<\/a>, driven by fossil fuel interests<\/a>, and decoupled from science and evidence<\/a> \u2013 a style of working that no doubt makes Trudeau and his team nervous.<\/p>\n

Despite their significant differences, it\u2019s worth considering the substantial interests that Canada and the United States share. Both nations have a strong clean energy foundation from which they can build. The North American Leaders\u2019 Summit last June delivered significant commitments<\/a>, including expanding clean energy to generate half of the continent\u2019s power, reducing oil and gas methane pollution, and accelerating continental clean energy innovation. And, thankfully for both leaders, the case for climate action is inching beyond partisan politics. The dramatic expansion of non-hydro renewable energy in the United States \u2013 now exceeding 10 per cent<\/a> of the nation\u2019s power sector \u2013 has been driven in part by growing clean energy sectors in typically conservative states like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota and Arizona.<\/p>\n

While this path offers clear environmental benefits, it also presents enormous economic advantages for both Canada and the United States. In addition to reducing carbon pollution, building an integrated clean energy economy will increase the availability of clean energy jobs on both sides of the border, driving economic growth and creating new business opportunities across North America. Continued support for policies fostering the development and deployment of clean technologies will build our nations\u2019 competitive advantage in a global economy transitioning away from fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

But while Trudeau might prefer to quietly hope that Trump doesn\u2019t derail climate progress, it would be a profound mistake to be silent on this issue. This is an important moment for the U.S. and Canadian climate partnership, one in which Trudeau has an opportunity to exert pressure as the new U.S. administration determines its direction. Trudeau\u2019s team appears convinced it should handle Trump with kid gloves rather than overtly criticize \u2013 but they should also recognize that this cautious approach doesn\u2019t need to exclude strategic diplomacy on climate issues.<\/p>\n

Canadians are proud of the country\u2019s new approach to climate change, and Trudeau should protect that emerging legacy by doubling down.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In this vein, Trudeau must ask today about Trump\u2019s intention to follow through on implementation of the Paris Agreement, a landmark global climate deal. Further, he should probe for assurances that the U.S. administration will remain engaged in bilateral cooperation on climate and clean energy \u2013 especially areas of harmonized regulation, like vehicle efficiency and oil and gas methane. Going forward, Prime Minister Trudeau should ensure his front bench \u2013 especially Ministers Chrystia Freeland, Catherine McKenna and Jim Carr \u2013 raise international and bilateral climate policy implementation at every opportunity with their counterparts.<\/p>\n

With this approach, Trudeau can reinforce that climate action is a high global priority and that there will be international consequences if the U.S. backslides. Trudeau\u2019s public statements following his meeting with Trump should re-affirm Canada\u2019s interest in working with both federal and state-level partners to implement existing commitments and expand North America\u2019s clean energy economy.\u00a0Highlighting climate action during this visit will solidify Trudeau\u2019s domestic climate agenda by reducing speculation that Canada will roll back policy commitments in light of the U.S. administration\u2019s stance on climate change.<\/p>\n

Canadians are proud<\/a> of the country\u2019s new approach to climate change, and Trudeau should protect that emerging legacy by doubling down. This requires he affirm Canada\u2019s commitment to the Paris Agreement and articulate a hope for continued partnership with the United States on low carbon economic development.<\/p>\n

Conservatives and progressives alike have many reasons to support a clean growth agenda. While Trudeau and Trump undoubtedly have policy points on which they will disagree, the clean growth agenda does not need to be one of them.\u00a0But climate partnership isn\u2019t a guaranteed outcome: to make it so, Trudeau must use today\u2019s meeting to set an early expectation of continued bilateral progress and to be a strategic (if cautious) ambassador for global climate cooperation.<\/p>\n

Photo: Canadian Press<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Do you have something to say about the article you just read? Be part of the\u00a0<\/em>Policy Options\u00a0discussion, and send in your own submission.\u00a0Here is a\u00a0<\/em>link<\/em><\/a>\u00a0on how to do it. <\/em>|\u00a0Souhaitez-vous r\u00e9agir \u00e0 cet article ? <\/em>Joignez-vous aux d\u00e9bats d\u2019<\/em>Options politiques\u00a0et soumettez-nous votre texte en suivant ces\u00a0<\/em>directives<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Prime Minister Trudeau meets with President Trump for the first time today, there is little doubt that their nascent relationship represents a study in contrasts. Trudeau is a quarter century Trump\u2019s junior and champions a \u201cnew-world\u201d set of political ideas anchored in internationalism and cooperation. Trump\u2019s methods are rooted in \u201cold-world\u201d thinking \u2013 closed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":252613,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-10-08T01:28:28Z","apple_news_api_id":"3db9ad07-2151-48ef-9df6-1d2b5cd8aa22","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-10-08T01:28:28Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/APbmtByFRSO-d9h0rXNiqIg","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[9361,9360,9372],"tags":[8560,8315],"article-status":[],"irpp-category":[4217,4327,4261],"section":[],"irpp-tag":[7095,7010],"class_list":["post-264789","issues","type-issues","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environnement","category-international","category-recent-stories-fr","tag-clean-energy-fr","tag-justin-trudeau","irpp-category-affaires-internationales","irpp-category-energie","irpp-category-environnement","irpp-tag-energie-propre","irpp-tag-justin-trudeau"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nA test for Trudeau\u2019s climate credibility<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2017\/02\/a-test-for-trudeaus-climate-credibility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A test for Trudeau\u2019s climate credibility\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As Prime Minister Trudeau meets with President Trump for the first time today, there is little doubt that their nascent relationship represents a study in contrasts. 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