North American energy ministers sign agreement to share data on clean energy in ‘revived relationship’

WINNIPEG – Canada, the United States and Mexico have agreed to share information, maps and clean-energy innovations – one step toward a continental energy strategy that would include lower emissions and greater energy security.

Energy ministers from the three countries met for any day in Winnipeg and said they are making progress toward greater co-operation. U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz cited the brand new Liberal government in Canada, together with energy reforms in Mexico, to be part of a “revived relationship.”

“The trilateral relationship is really not missing a beat. If anything, It is accelerating even more using the quite strong Canadian commitment within the areas of energy, environment and innovation,” he explained Friday.

Moniz, Canadian Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr and Mexican Secretary of one’s Pedro Joaquin Coldwell signed a memorandum of understanding that commits the three countries to share info on climate-change adaptation, clean-energy technologies, low-carbon electricity and more.

The three ministers also announced that an earlier intend to pre-plan the energy infrastructure across The united states and include it in one location – a web platform – has been completed.

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Carr said the 3 countries have a common understanding of what constitutes clean energy and share a commitment to sustainability.

“North America is truly on the same page on many of these issues. I think that it’s a contented alignment,” he said.

As the ministers were signing the agreement, a young man protesting the power East pipeline stood up and unfurled a little banner that read “Ensure that it stays In The Ground.” He was allowed to say his piece before he was escorted out by security.

The pipeline would move more than one million barrels of oil a day from Alberta through Central Canada to refineries in New Brunswick.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said a continental energy strategy is going to be up for discussion as he meets President Barack Obama next month.

Some environmental groups hope the end result is a firm climate-change agreement that might be as binding on individual countries as trade agreements are.

“It’s still early days, but if this agreement evolves into a continental climate pact that has the standard enforcement teeth as trade agreements have finally, it will be a leap within the right direction,” Keith Stewart of Greenpeace Canada wrote within an email.