On November 1, 2018, at the United Nations Ministerial Dialogue on the Environment and the Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, and the Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, Li Ganjie, signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding climate change cooperation between Canada and China (“MOU”). According to Environment Canada, the MOU outlines opportunities for bilateral cooperation concerning the protection of the environment, and builds on the Canada-China Joint Statement on Climate Change and Clean Growth that was issued by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and China’s Premier, Li Keqiang, in December 2017. Environment Canada reports that the MOU is meant to promote projects to combat climate change and contribute to the global transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.
According to Environment Canada, the MOU reflects both Canada’s and China’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, which came into force on November 4, 2016, and outlines the global action plan to achieve global “climate neutrality” before the end of the century. Environment Canada also reports that the Canada-China MOU will facilitate the sharing of knowledge on domestic climate change measures such as carbon pricing and the transition away from fossil fuels.