The United States, Canada and Mexico share more than common borders. Their economies are intertwined through industry, trade and consumption patterns. Recognizing this, and the responsibilities that come with it, their leaders made a historic announcement recently on the subject of combatting climate change.


In June, President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto released a joint statement outlining a shared commitment that reflects the broader goals of the so-called “Paris Agreement,” a United Nations treaty 195 countries signed in December 2015.


The North American Climate, Clean Energy and Environment Partnership puts the three countries in a firm and aggressive commitment. It sets a goal of 50 percent clean power generation by 2025, a 40–45 percent reduction in methane gas emissions from the oil and gas industries by 2025, to limit temperature rise this century to below 2°C, and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to only 1.5°C.


The countries agreed to pursue these shared goals through various means, including aggressive policy objectives, such as tax credits for renewable energy, collaboration on crossborder transmission projects for renewable power, and strengthening and aligning efficiency standards across all three countries.


The agreement emphasizes the effects of methane gas emissions from the oil and gas industries and pledges the three countries to develop federal regulations for reducing emissions from existing and new sources in the industries. The three countries also pledged to reduce automobile emissions by taking steps to accelerate clean vehicle development and deployment.


The three countries also agreed to collaborate with indigenous communities on matters of resource management to aggressively phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025.