Canada and California’s Cooperation Agreement on Climate Action and Nature Protection

In June, Canada and California announced a Memorandum of Cooperation concerning Climate Action and Nature Protection. The agreement will build on their previous collaborations, including recent action on reducing vehicle emissions, incentivizing the adoption of zero-emissions vehicles and advancing clean fuel standards. Canada’s new Clean Fuel Standard, an outcome of collaborations with California, was released on July 6, 2022 and aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 26 million tonnes by 2030 through the accelerated use of clean technologies and fuels. Objectives of the partnership include collaboration in areas such as zero-emission transport goals, including shifting to electric vehicles, reducing overall emissions and eliminating emissions from medium to heavy-duty vehicles.

Broad areas of cooperation include advancing their respective policies and regulatory measures with an intention to prevent pollution, adapt to climate change and conserve nature through initiatives focused on the following areas of cooperation:

• Clean Transportation;
• Clean Technology and Innovation;
• Biodiversity Conservation;
• Climate Change Adaptation;
• Circular Economy, including Plastics Management.

Plastics will be a key focus with the governments aiming to develop policies and regulations that reduce plastic waste and pollution, including preventing microplastics and commonly littered single-use plastics; addressing misinformation regarding the recyclability and compostability of plastics; advancing plastic pollution science and performance measures or indicators; strengthening demand for recycled plastics; and sharing information and best practices on research and policy measures such as the implementation of strategies and action plans.