Ottawa told Trump victory would alter climate fight
OTTAWA • Canadian diplomats in Washington warned Ottawa earlier this year that a Donald Trump presidency would affect how the two countries co-operated on fighting climate change.
They also levelled criticism at Trump’s protectionist trade policy, at one point branding it ill-informed.
And less than two months before the Nov. 8 election, they said a Trump victory seemed unlikely, given Hillary Clinton’s strong showing in polls.
The findings are contained in a series of campaign monitoring reports prepared by the Canadian embassy in Washington for Global Affairs Canada. Copies of the reports were released under the Access to Information Act.
They shed new light on how the federal government viewed a possible Trump presidency, especially given how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau steadfastly avoided criticizing the billionaire Republican nominee during the campaign — a decision that has won the prime minister plaudits since Trump’s surprising victory.
The Canadian embassy flagged climate change as an area of concern in a possible Trump presidency in a dispatch in May, saying “at a minimum” he might try to renegotiate the Paris agreement on reducing greenhouse gases. At the time, Canada and the U.S. were basking in the glow of their renewed alliance on fighting climate change with Trudeau earning praise from President Barack Obama for his role in helping negotiate the Paris accord last year.
“Donald Trump dismissed man-made climate change, referring to it as a ‘ hoax’ and a ‘very expensive form of tax,’ and even goes so far as to suggest that it was created ‘ by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive,’” says a May 25 report from the embassy’s congressional and intergovernmental affairs branch.
“In stark contrast to his Democratic rival, Trump has not shied away from supporting fossil-fuel development,” it adds, noting Trump has called the Environmental Protection Agency a “disgrace” that he might eliminate.
“Trump may be more positive towards Canadian oil exports, but his questioning of climate-change science and the role of the EPA would likely impact bilateral and international co-operation on emissions reductions,” the report says.
Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion said Canada would push Trump to be an ally in the fight against climate change and will argue the effort can create new jobs. Dion also called the EPA “a source of inspiration” for Canada.
Trump has since appointed Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt — an opponent of Obama’s climate-change policies — to lead the EPA. And his choice for energy secretary, former Texas governor Rick Perry, also has close ties to the oil industry.