Leaders Set Clear Energy Goals in North American Climate, Energy, and Environment Partnership | Practical Law

Leaders Set Clear Energy Goals in North American Climate, Energy, and Environment Partnership | Practical Law

This Legal Update summarizes the goals announced in the US, Canada, and Mexico's North American Climate, Energy, and Environment Partnership.

Leaders Set Clear Energy Goals in North American Climate, Energy, and Environment Partnership

by Practical Law Real Estate
Published on 02 Aug 2016 • USA (National/Federal)
This Legal Update summarizes the goals announced in the US, Canada, and Mexico's North American Climate, Energy, and Environment Partnership.
On June 29, 2016, President Obama entered into the North American Climate, Energy, and Environment Partnership with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Niento at the North American Leaders Summit in Ottawa.
The Partnership's main goals include:
  • Achieving 50% clean power generation by 2025, including renewable, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage technologies, by:
    • supporting the development of cross-border transmission lines (which are recognized as playing an important role in increasing the reliability of North America's electricity grid);
    • aligning six appliance and equipment efficiency standards or test procedures for equipment by the end of 2017, and a total of ten standards or test procedures by the end of 2019; and
    • strengthening the security and resilience of the integrated North American electricity grid against the threat of cyber-attacks and severe weather events.
  • Driving down short-lived climate pollutants, including hydrofluorocarbons, black carbon (soot) and methane emissions in the oil and gas sector.
  • Promoting clean and efficient transportation while reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from motor vehicles, aviation, and maritime shipping vessels.
  • Protecting nature and advancing science, including:
    • promoting cooperative and coordinated monitoring and research programs;
    • developing strategies for conservation investment and environmental education and outreach;
    • enhancing the conservation and restoration of wetlands; and
    • reducing the potential impact of climate change projections.
  • Showing global leadership in addressing climate change through:
    • joint implementation of the Paris Agreement (an agreement reached under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), signed by 179 UNFCCC members, that starts in 2020 and deals with greenhouse gases emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance);
    • phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 (in keeping with the G-20’s 2009 commitment); and
    • fostering sustainable energy development by reducing barriers to trade and investment in clean technologies and services.
Practical Law Real Estate offers a growing collection of Environmental Law resources, including Legal Update, New Electricity Efficiency PEER Certification Program Offered for Commercial Real Estate, and the following Practice Notes: