Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated Thursday his goal to institute policies in his country to help tackle climate change.
In an interview with Bloomberg News, Trudeau said climate change will “impose real challenges on Canada” while providing an incentive to help create jobs and new industries in the country.
{mosads}“We have large distances and spaces between our communities and lots of natural resources, including energy resources. If any country is going to, in a self-interested way, try and negate climate change, it would be us,” he said.
“But on the contrary, we’re saying yes, this is going to impose real challenges on Canada, but we also see climate change as an incredible opportunity. And the opportunity to invest in green tech and renewable energies is where the world is going, and Canada can either be dragged along by it, kicking and screaming, or we can choose to lead it.”
During Trudeau’s state visit to Washington last week, he and President Obama agreed to a new joint climate change effort between the two countries. That deal focuses on, among other things, reducing emissions of methane, instituting the goals of the Paris climate conference and improving oversight of the Arctic Ocean.
“The president and I share a common goal,” Trudeau said during a press conference with Obama.
“We want the clean-growth economy that continues to provide good jobs and great opportunities for all of our citizens. And I’m confident that, by working together, we’ll get there sooner than we think.”
He told Bloomberg this week that climate change offers a chance to boost employment opportunities in the country.
“As we have to understand the pivot that climate change is going to require of us, we need to be diversifying and investing in the kind of clean growth and opportunities that highlight that climate change isn’t just a challenge, it’s an opportunity,” he said.