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Home > News > 2009 > News Release


For release: February 18, 2009


U.S. and Canadian Networks Counsel Obama On Harper’s Flawed Approach to Climate Change

(Ottawa) – U.S. and Canadian climate change networks, representing more than 100 leading organizations in both countries, sent a joint message to the Obama administration today welcoming the President’s upcoming trip to Canada and expressing concern about the Harper administration’s deeply “flawed” and “widely criticized” climate policy. In the letter, U.S. Climate Action Network and Climate Action Network Canada argue that the two governments should focus their cooperation on green jobs and hard-caps on industrial greenhouse gas pollution.

“Prime Minister Harper can use this visit to form a strong climate and energy partnership that will lead North America out of the Bush years and into the twenty-first century,” said Graham Saul, Climate Action Network Canada. “Canada can’t afford another three years without leadership on these issues and we are appealing to President Obama to try and find a way to get through to the Prime Minister.”

With the election of President Barack Obama in the United States, the global political landscape has shifted considerably on a number of issues, including the fight against global warming. President Obama has shown himself in his first month in office to be prepared to take action on climate change. He has cleared the way for tougher clean car standards, introduced a serious green stimulus package that is much more ambitious than Canada’s even on a per capita basis, declared an intention to play a constructive role in international climate negotiations, and called for hard caps on global warming pollution.

By contrast, U.S. Climate Action Network and Climate Action Network Canada argue that “Canada needs to overhaul its current approach and raise its level of ambition to have a credible climate change policy.”

The letter is being sent to U.S. secretaries of Energy, Interior and State, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, advisers to President Obama on energy and climate change, as well as representatives within the Canadian government and parliament.

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