Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Canada will capitalize if President-elect Donald Trump takes his foot off the gas when it comes to fighting climate change.
Speaking yesterday at an event in Calgary, Trudeau said that people know climate change is a fact and “not a debate anymore,” explaining that the debate now is around how to adapt to it.
Trudeau was asked whether he was committed to sticking to his plans to combat climate change, even if it makes Canada less competitive with the US under the incoming president, according to a
Canadian Press report.
He said that while there might be short-term benefits in ignoring climate change, Canada will be more attractive to investors in the long-term if it stays committed to the cause.
Trudeau added that there would be “extraordinary opportunities” for Canada if the US does takes a step back from tackling climate change, according to
Reuters.
The PM also said that during their first conversation after the US election, Trump was “very supportive” of TransCanada Corp’s proposed Keystone XL crude oil pipeline.
“He actually brought up Keystone XL and indicated that he was very supportive of it,” Trudeau said of Trump.
The Obama administration had rejected plans for the 830,000 barrel-per-day pipeline in November last year, saying it would not make a meaningful long-term contribution to the US economy.
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