JPAC calls for compatible policies and support for low-carbon economies
Montreal, 17 May 2010 - Following its most recent public meeting on "North America's Energy Market: Aligning Policies and Managing Carbon," held in March in Vancouver, Canada, the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) has issued recommendations for promoting low-carbon economies throughout the region.
The recommendations to the Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) -the top environmental officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States- include the need to develop a joint energy policy approach for the three countries as well as common definitions for clean, renewable and green technologies.
JPAC, a group of 15 independent citizens-five appointed by each North American country-advises the Council on any matter within the scope of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation and serves as a source of information for the CEC Secretariat. JPAC holds regular public meetings to seek input on a wide variety of environmental issues.
The group also stressed the importance of identifying possible adverse effects and unintended consequences of developing energy and climate-change policies, and analyzing the cumulative effects of renewable energy projects on a smaller scale.
Other recommendations stemming from the public meeting include:
- Support funding of research on carbon capture and storage and the development of compatible rules and standards.
- Develop compatible market decisions in each country to ensure the North American carbon market functions effectively and is characterized by a clear price signal.
- Enhance the North American Environmental Atlas to include geographic data on substances such as methane and black carbon that are of concern for their potential to contribute to climate change.
- Foster forestry management practices in each of the three countries to support natural carbon sequestration.