The United States and Canada Convene Fourth Bilateral Working Group on Climate Change

The United States and Canada established a Bilateral Working Group on Climate Change in December 2002 to expand and intensify existing bilateral efforts to address global climate change. As a step in that process, on June 14, 2005, the two countries convened the fourth meeting of the Bilateral Working Group in Washington, DC.

Dr. Harlan Watson, Senior Climate Negotiator and Special Representative for the U.S. Department of State, led the U.S. delegation, which included representatives from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Energy, State, and Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Doug Forsythe of Foreign Affairs Canada and Mark Berman of Environment Canada led the Canadian delegation, which included representatives from the Departments of Environment, Foreign Affairs, and Natural Resources.

The purpose of the meeting was to review progress under the Bilateral Partnership and explore future areas for cooperation. The United States and Canada took the opportunity to exchange information on recent climate policy developments. They also engaged in a comprehensive discussion of specific ongoing cooperative activities such as carbon cycle research, climate modeling research, capture and reuse of methane emissions, impacts and adaptation research, and agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation.

The two countries agreed to continue policy exchanges and to convene periodic meetings to ensure close cooperation on climate change. Canada will host the fifth meeting of the Bilateral Working Group in 2006.