Canada, Mexico and USA announce ambitious plans to fight climate change and cooperate on disaster risk reduction

4 July 2016, GENEVA – The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today hailed as “a major breakthrough” the announcement by Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, Canada, President Barack Obama, USA; and President Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico, that they will take sweeping action to achieve 50% clean power generation by 2025 and cooperate on reducing disaster risk.

Mr. Glasser said: “The new North American Climate, Clean Energy and Environment Partnership is a major breakthrough and raises hopes that we can still limit temperature rise to well below 2ºC as envisaged in the Paris Agreement on climate. The commitment of these countries to ratify the Agreement and to support its entry into force in 2016 is an example that should be followed by other members of the G20.”

Mr. Glasser also heads the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction which is the UN focal point for the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global plan for reducing mortality and disaster losses.

He welcomed the three leaders’ commitment to work together on human health and disaster risk reduction efforts including climate change adaptation, early warning systems, collaboration with indigenous and local communities on natural resource management and their recognition of the importance of a gender-responsive approach to climate-action and sustainable development. Both Canada and Mexico will host major meetings next year to discuss implementation of the Sendai Framework.

Mr. Glasser said: “This is leadership in action. The commitments to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2020, to reduce black carbon and to prohibit the use of high-global warming hydrofluorocarbons all speak to a serious political commitment to reducing the risk from future extreme weather events.”

Related Links:

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

LEADERS’ STATEMENT ON A NORTH AMERICAN CLIMATE, CLEAN ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENT PARTNERSHIP