Clean Energy and Climate Action in North America: A North American Collaboration. Expert Dialogue Synthesis Report

This synthesis report summarizes a series of expert dialogues conducted between May 2009 and March 2010 by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Pembina Institute. The dialogues aimed to identify opportunities for trilateral cooperation on clean energy and climate action among Canada, the United States, and Mexico, highlighting the complexities of differing national roles and the impact of U.S. policy uncertainty on continental coordination.

• North American climate policy is characterized by significant political and policy uncertainty, particularly regarding the development of a strong regulatory framework or carbon price signal. While clean energy is promoted for jobs and energy security, the lack of national legislation in the United States creates a void that necessitates exploring collaborative opportunities outside of linked carbon pricing systems.
• There is a disparity in clean energy investment across the region; while investment is increasing at an encouraging rate in the United States, Canada is not acting on similar opportunities to the same degree. Furthermore, Canada and the United States lack coordination regarding the policies and financing required to support cooperative clean energy development.
• The trilateral energy relationship is complex because it involves a major consumer and emitter (the United States), a major energy exporter (Canada), and a developing country (Mexico). Participants expressed concern that Canada and Mexico could become "policy takers" if they are not actively involved in policy discussions before the United States finalizes its approach.
• While cap-and-trade is viewed as a fundamental long-term goal, its immediate implementation is hindered by uncertainty over the "rules of the game" and a lack of information sharing. There are specific concerns regarding "green protectionism" in the U.S., particularly through border carbon adjustments (BCAs), which some argue provides a rationale for deeper trilateral collaboration to avoid negative economic consequences.
• Regional and subnational initiatives, such as the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), are seen as key policy drivers that often emerge to fill policy voids. These regional experiences are considered valuable for providing "lessons learned" to shape federal-level policies.
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is viewed as one tool within a larger carbon management strategy rather than a total solution. While cross-border coordination has progressed between Canada and the United States, Mexico's involvement has been very limited, and pilot projects are suggested as a way to establish regulatory templates.
• The transportation sector offers feasible short-to-medium term opportunities for coordination, specifically through the development of low carbon fuel standards. However, Mexico faces a specific challenge with "chocolate" (black market) cars and cargo trucks illegally imported from the United States, which significantly increase emissions.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Clean Energy and Climate Action in North America: A North American Collaboration. Expert Dialogue Synthesis Report. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/clean_energy_climate_action_synthesis.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Clean Energy and Climate Action in North America: A North American Collaboration. Expert Dialogue Synthesis Report. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/clean_energy_climate_action_synthesis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Clean Energy and Climate Action in North America: A North American Collaboration. Expert Dialogue Synthesis Report |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/clean_energy_climate_action_synthesis.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndclean, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Clean Energy and Climate Action in North America: A North American Collaboration. Expert Dialogue Synthesis Report}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/clean_energy_climate_action_synthesis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }