U.S. and Canada announce common goals on climate, energy and Arctic

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left) and
 President Barack Obama get together on many
 things, from climate to caring for the Arctic.

The United States and Canada have not only declared a ceasefire in their intermittent border wars over energy and environmental policies, they have also forged a new alliance for a longer fight that lies ahead.

Meeting in Washington, President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a far-reaching declaration of common interests that included action on the Paris climate agreement, new standards for developing and protecting the Arctic, and common targets for controlling methane leaks from oil and gas production.

Most significantly, both nations committed to control emissions of methane from oil and natural gas wells, pipelines and storage sites. The goal is to reduce these emissions by 40 to 45 percent in about a decade. The U.S. has already proposed steps to rein in pollution from new facilities, but now will target existing production infrastructure—and so will Canada.

Read the Inside Climate News story - “Sea Change: U.S. and Canada Announce Common Goals on Climate, Energy and the Arctic.”