Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, both seasoned climate advocates, now flank President Trump, creating a North American dynamic where climate leadership persists even when it’s not a campaign focus.
In short:
- Mark Carney, a veteran of climate finance and former Bank of England governor, won Canada’s prime ministership without emphasizing climate but is expected to advance environmental policies through financial tools and incentives.
- Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president and a climate scientist, has similarly downplayed climate rhetoric while committing to renewable energy expansion and limiting oil production.
- As Trump dismantles U.S. climate policies, Canada and Mexico may deepen environmental ties and pursue partnerships with other global players, especially around critical minerals for the energy transition.
Why this matters:
North America’s political landscape now illustrates a striking paradox: Climate leadership is growing not through loud pledges but through pragmatic, often understated governance. While public debates fixate on trade wars and electoral spectacle, leaders like Carney and Sheinbaum may quietly influence significant environmental progress. This model reflects a broader trend where voters prioritize economic and social issues, yet elect officials capable of threading climate action into broader policy frameworks. For the U.S., this divergence is more than symbolic. As Canada and Mexico leverage their vast reserves of critical minerals — essential for renewable energy technologies — they could dictate terms of trade that prioritize sustainability, potentially sidelining the U.S. if climate continues to be deprioritized in Washington.
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