Canada-United Kingdom Partnership on Clean Growth and Climate Change

Plain language summary

The Canada-United Kingdom Partnership on Clean Growth and Climate Change was announced in September 2017 by Prime Minister Trudeau. The Partnership aims to advance clean innovation as well as clean and renewable energy by promoting cooperation between parties in areas of mutual interest including, clean growth, carbon pricing and the Powering Past Coal Alliance. The Partnership also promotes the participation of both public and private sector bodies in Canada and the UK. The Partnership is overseen by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Environment and Climate Change Canada collaborates with other federal departments to deliver the Partnership, primarily Natural Resources Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to administer the Partnership.

Objective

This Partnership commits both Canada and the UK to advancing climate action and meeting shared international goals while working together towards a low carbon economy.

Key elements

The Partnership advances Canada and UK cooperation in the following areas of mutual interest:

• Mission Innovation;
• Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS);
• Clean Growth;
• Green Financing;
• Carbon Pricing;
• Powering Past Coal Alliance; and
• Climate Adaptation and Green Government.

Expected results

Facilitate collaboration and cooperation between Canada and the UK on shared climate mitigation and adaptation efforts to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, while working towards a low carbon economy.

Canada’s involvement

As part of the broader Canada-UK Prime Ministerial Action Plan, Environment and Climate Change Canada works closely with the UK department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy and the department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs to advance the priority areas of the Partnership. Environment and Climate Change Canada as the Government of Canada lead on the Partnership also works closely with Finance Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada.

Results / progress

Activities

Environment and Climate Change Canada and the UK department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy hold annual meetings (either in person or by teleconference/videoconference) to discuss Partnership progress and take stock of achievements and challenges. Canadian government officials and their UK counterparts also participate in regular working-level discussions specific to the seven identified areas of mutual interest.

Reports

Environment and Climate Change Canada and the UK department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy are required to provide a joint report to their respective Prime Ministers on a biennial basis, as part of the Prime Ministerial Action Plan. Environment and Climate has completed two rounds of this reporting in 2017-18. In addition, as of 2019, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the UK department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy are providing a joint quarterly report to the Canadian and UK High Commissioners.

Results

Canada and the UK are steadfast in implementing the Partnership. Progress has been made in all seven areas of collaboration, most notably, on the Powering Past Coal Alliance, Mission Innovation, and climate change adaptation.

As of January 2022, there were 165 total Powering Past Coal Alliance members. Members include countries, sub-national governments and businesses. Canada and the UK will continue to work together to engage target countries and increase membership.

Under Mission Innovation, the Canada-UK Power Forward Challenge was launched in October 2018. The Challenge is a $20 million joint prize-based initiative that challenges Canadian and UK innovators to design more efficient power grids. Seven finalist teams were selected from a group of 44 project proposals received in the main proposal intake of the Challenge in March 2019 and the selection of a final winner is planned for the spring of 2022.

Canada and the UK have also participated in the Mission Innovation Ministerial and the Clean Energy Ministerial.

ECCC officials and UK counterparts have met several times to discuss climate change adaptation. Canada and the UK continue to share information and lessons learned from domestic adaptation activities, including climate change risk assessments, departmental and national adaptation planning, as well as measuring progress.