It was last June that the US, the world’s second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, announced it was leaving the Paris Climate Accord.
Now, the leaders of Canada and France are joining forces to combat climate change together.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Paris on Monday to confirm a partnership in the fight against climate change.
The countries agreed to work more closely on tackling targets laid out in the Paris Agreement, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office.
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"France and Canada today pledge to redouble their efforts and increase their co-operation," Trudeau said in French at a news conference with Macron. "This initiative will encourage and accelerate the achievement of the Paris Agreement targets through concrete measures to make this agreement in principle a reality."
This partnership on climate and the environment will include pushing measures like securing global carbon pricing, encouraging energy efficiency and reducing emissions in transport sectors.
Goal 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is taking urgent action to combat climate change, and the targets in Paris agreement and meant to help meet this goal.
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Canada is hosting the G7 summit in Charlevoix, Quebec, this June, and will hand over the G7 presidency to France in 2019.
Canadian officials hope that the other G7 countries will follow the Canada-France example and continue trying to reach the targets set out in the Paris agreement, according to the Canadian Press.
The Canadian government is also using this moment to prove that Canada is serious about tackling climate change.
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France has voiced concerns around the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and its investor-protection clauses that could result in feebler environmental rules, according to the Canadian Press.
"Whether it's environmental protection or freedom of expression or other things, Canada and France are well aligned. Canada and Europe are well aligned," Trudeau said at the news conference. "And CETA is a progressive trade agreement that truly reflects those protected values and represents a new standard for all future trade agreements."
Trudeau and Macron also announced a new cultural initiative between the two countries.
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On Monday, Trudeau met with Isabelle Hudon, ambassador of Canada to France and Monaco, and Melinda Gates, the co-chairs of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council.
The group discussed ways to encourage economic growth that benefits everyone, which will be a key theme at the G7 summit in Charlevoix.
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