USA increasingly isolated: signed the Canada-China bilateral agreement on climate

At the time of Obama, China found in the USA a privileged partner in North America on climate change and had no doubts with whom to sign their bilateral agreements. With the advent of Trump, the situation has changed and there seems to be an act of significant political isolation of the US by the Asian giant.

The China-Canada bilateral agreement signed on December 4 in Bejing seems to have been read in this perspective. It is no coincidence that it has been repeated that “the Paris Agreement is irreversible and will not be renegotiated”, a recurring mantra at COP23 in Bonn, but which assumes an even greater value when it is reiterated at the northern borders of the USA. Just as the request to all countries to implement and reinforce the commitments already made with the Paris Agreement seems to be a message to Trump more than a general request for strengthening the international involvement.

It is important the recognition by Canada and China of the crucial role of industry and the private sector and the consequent desire to facilitate business-to-business engagement to better seize the opportunities for a transition to a greener and low-carbon economy. The two countries are committed to strengthening their cooperation on market-based solutions, such as Canada’s carbon pricing approach and China’s national Emission Trading system, reducing reliance on traditional fossil sources and transitioning to clean energy.

The agreement also aims to strengthen technical and commercial collaboration on more energy-efficient products and promote the implementation of energy use in communities and in all sectors of industry, buildings and transport. The point on fossil fuels is particularly significant for Canada, given that the former Prime Minister Stephen Harper was known all over the world for the development of the much-discussed tar sands.

The agreement provides the creation of a forum to facilitate the development of clean energy solutions and the transition from fossil energy to cleaner fuels. It will probably be arguing that the nuclear and natural gas have also been merged with renewable energy.

It would not be surprising to see the construction of a further China-Mexico bilateral agreement on climate change in the coming months, completing Trump’s isolation on these issues and thus adding a wall of CO₂ to that of cement, so dear to the US President.