Leaders promote joint effort on climate, U.S.-Canada ties
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Thursday said the United States and Canada were more closely aligned than ever, using a meeting with Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, to announce joint efforts to curb emissions of planetwarming gases and to promote his personal rapport with the leader of a pivotal neighbor.
Obama played the older, more experienced host to Trudeau’s fresh-faced newcomer during the visit, the first official one by a Canadian leader in 19 years, as the two announced they were teaming to reduce the release of methane, a chemical contained in natural gas.
“He campaigned on a message of hope and of change; his positive and optimistic vision is inspiring young people,” Obama said at a news conference in the White House Rose Garden, drawing unmistakable parallels between Trudeau’s rise to power and his own. “On the world stage, his country is leading on climate change and cares deeply about development, so from my perspective, what’s not to like?”
Quiet on Trump
Obama, 54, welcomed Trudeau, 44, with a formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn featuring a 21-gun salute, color guards and military bands. Trudeau was greeted by cheering onlookers waving miniature U.S. and Canadian flags, reflecting the same brand of rock-star adulation that characterized many of Obama’s 2008 campaign appearances.
The official visit unfolded against the backdrop of the increasingly intense campaign to succeed Obama. Trudeau, who has joked about welcoming Americans to his country if they are afraid of a Donald Trump presidency, diplomatically declined to criticize the Republican presidential front-runner during the news conference.
“I have tremendous confidence in the American people and look forward to working with whomever they choose to send to this White House later this year,” Trudeau said, answering a question about the stakes for his country and its relationship with the United States should Trump or Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, win the White House.
On policy, Obama and Trudeau promised that their two countries would “play a leadership role internationally in the low carbon global economy over the coming decades.” As part of the announcement, U.S. officials said they would immediately begin a new push to regulate methane emissions from existing oil and gas facilities, though finishing that process before the end of Obama’s tenure is unlikely.
The Obama administration wants to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025. The Interior Department has proposed a number of regulations on methane leaks, but it has yet to write a regulation governing such leaks from current oil and gas drilling on public land.
Obama thanked
Obama and Trudeau also pledged new cooperation in preserving the Arctic, and to move more quickly to carry out agreements made in climate talks in Paris last year.
“The president and I agree on many things, including, of paramount importance, the direction we want to take our countries in to ensure a clean and prosperous future,” Trudeau said, thanking the president, whom he addressed as “Barack,” for his leadership on climate change. “Canada and the U.S. will stand side by side to confront the pressing needs that face not only our two countries, but the entire planet.”