Clean Energy and Climate Action: A North American collaboration

This briefing summarizes a high-level expert dialogue held on May 11, 2010, at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., focused on clean energy and climate action collaboration between Canada and the United States. The discussion highlighted the interdependence of the two nations' energy policies, the critical role of subnational initiatives, and the challenges facing federal legislation in the U.S.

• The North American climate policy landscape is marked by uncertainty. While clean energy is pursued for jobs, prosperity, and energy security, the establishment of a strong regulatory framework or a carbon price signal remains uncertain.
• U.S. legislation heavily influences Canadian policy dynamics. A Canadian strategy of waiting for U.S. action may lead to unforeseen consequences because U.S. policies may not be suitable for Canada; therefore, Canada should pursue unilateral activities that do not impact competitiveness.
• The absence of a carbon price is a critical gap in the bilateral energy and climate relationship. Private sector actors are open to low-carbon energy but require clear policy signals and incentives to make investment decisions.
• Subnational initiatives at the state and provincial levels are key policy drivers, with California and British Columbia specifically identified as leaders in clean energy and climate action within North America.
• Long-term success of clean energy and climate policies depends on achieving a balance between supply-side and demand-side (consumption) approaches, though the latter has received little attention.
• Passage of the American Power Act (APA) in 2010 faced significant hurdles, including the political fallout from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a crowded legislative schedule with competing priorities like immigration and financial reform, and pending economic analyses by the EPA and EIA.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2010). Clean Energy and Climate Action: A North American collaboration. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/clean_energy_climate_action_key_messages.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Clean Energy and Climate Action: A North American collaboration. 2010. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/clean_energy_climate_action_key_messages.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Clean Energy and Climate Action: A North American collaboration |date=11 May 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/clean_energy_climate_action_key_messages.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2010clean, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Clean Energy and Climate Action: A North American collaboration}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/clean_energy_climate_action_key_messages.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }