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Canadian negotiators are downplaying concerns about the impact the pending Trump administration will have on the state of the Columbia River Treaty modernization efforts between Canada and the United States. Both sides reached an "agreement in principle (AIP)" earlier this year amid efforts to update the decades-old flood control and power generation agreement between the two countries. However, as the U.S. White House transitions from Democratic president Joe Biden to Republican Donald Trump, concerns raised by the public about the immediate future of the treaty were front and centre during a virtual info session held on Dec. 19. While in California during the U.S. election campaign in September, President-elect Donald Trump suggested a "very large faucet" in B.C. could help California's drought. Stephen Gluck, the lead federal negotiator with Global Affairs Canada, said the treaty's modernization efforts spanned back to the first Trump administration through the Biden administration and will continue no matter who is in power in the United States. "Obviously, there's profile and media attention to comments like that," Gluck said. "I will say though that the Columbia River Treaty is a treaty that has been for power and flood risk management and we have moved towards modernizing it for some other means, but essentially it is a regional and a contained treaty. We don't necessarily follow or look for those remarks and our team right now is focused on modernizing the treaty...as soon as we can." B.C. energy minister Adrian Dix, who was also in virtual attendance, concurred. "I think what we have to do, and what we have to continue to do, is do the work of defending Canadian interests, Columbia Basin interests, British Columbia interests, and not be distracted in that work by the political discussions of the time," Dix said. The info session also included representation from Columbia Basin MLAs, the Province of B.C. as well as Indigenous representatives from the Syilx Okanagan and Ktunaxa Nations. Originally ratified in 1964, the Columbia River Treaty was a water management agreement between the two countries that focused on downstream flood control management and power generation. The treaty facilitated the creation of three dams in B.C. — Mica, Duncan and Keenleyside — as well the Libby dam in Montana. However, when it was drafted, it was essentially done without any input from Indigenous Nations, as the resulting reservoirs flooded out Indigenous territory, affecting cultural, heritage and ecological values. Among the key elements of a modernized treaty is a focus on ecosystem function and re-framing the agreement to treating the Columbia River as a one-river system that flows over traditional Indigenous territory and a number of federal and state jurisdictions. That effort has been led by Indigenous governments in both countries. The Secwépemc, Syilx Okanagan and Ktunaxa Nations were invited to participate as official observers with the Canadian delegation in 2018, and led the focus on ecosystem function along with U.S.-based Indigenous governments. During the info session, Jay Johnson, the lead negotiator for the Syilx Okanagan Nation, reflected on the significance of Indigenous participation in the treaty modernization efforts. "This is a pretty profoundly important journey that we are on right now in that never in the history of the contemporary world have Indigenous communities had a voice directly at the table in international bilateral negotiations," Johnson said, "and both governments had the foresight and the understanding to include the three Nations and the Untied States to include the U.S. tribes in helping to shape and form and participate in the negotiations and that's a pretty important step in the journey of reconciliation." Major elements of the new AIP include increased domestic flexibility for the Canadian treaty dams, particularly for ecosystem and Indigenous values. Additionally, a new flood-risk management regime replaces the existing one, as the U.S. will now pay Canada $37.6 million (USD) indexed to inflation until 2044. Canada will receive an additional $16.6 million (USD) in recognition of other benefits that the U.S. receives due to Canada's operations of the three treaty dams. The Canadian Entitlement is the share of the power benefit by coordinating flows in the three Canadian reservoirs for incremental power generation above and beyond what's already generated in the U.S. However, for every million-acre feet that is used for Canadian flexibility, the Entitlement will be reduced by 6.5 per cent, as there is no corresponding power benefit to the U.S. Other elements of the modernized AIP include an Indigenous and Tribal advisory body, salmon reintroduction and ensuring flows for salmon and a transboundary Kootenay/Kootenai working group. Before the treaty is finalized, it must pass approvals processes federally in both Canada and the U.S., as well as in British Columbia. With files from Lauren Collins

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The Albanese government will delay its 2035 emissions reduction target beyond the federal election as Donald Trump’s threats to cutting emissions force the Climate Change Authority to delay its call on Australia’s ambitions. Delays to Australia’s climate agenda would create a challenge for the Albanese government before the federal election, as it mounts a campaign against the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan with warnings it would extend the life of coal plants and raise greenhouse emissions. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen (right) with Climate Change Authority chairman Matt Kean. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Matt Kean, a former NSW Liberal government treasurer and now chairman of the Commonwealth’s independent Climate Change Authority (CCA), revealed exclusively to this masthead that the incoming US president had forced the agency to delay its report by months. “The election of Donald Trump, his statements on climate change and positions on energy policy are likely to have a global impact,” Kean said. Loading “It’s necessary to reassess and recalculate the assumptions that will inform the Climate Change Authority’s advice to the government on Australia’s Nationally Determined Contribution. “Due to this extra work, we will require more time to deliver the target’s advice. We expect to be able to deliver this work in several months’ time.” Under the rules of the Paris Agreement on climate change, member nations must set increasingly ambitious emissions reduction targets every five years, and the deadline for Australia’s 2035 contribution is February. However, Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen cannot set his target until he considers advice from the CCA, and the election is due by May. Australia is banking on nascent technologies such as green hydrogen for its 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution – the official term under the Paris Agreement for a country’s climate target. “We’ll do further work and modelling that will take into account America’s new approach to climate change mitigation, the rest of the world’s response, and their impacts on global supply chains,” Kean said. The US became the first nation to formally withdraw from the Paris Agreement during the first Trump presidency. President Joe Biden signed an executive order to rejoin it on his first day in office in 2021. Trump declared climate change a hoax in interviews and speeches in 2022 and has pledged to scrap the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Biden’s signature climate policy, after he returns to office on January 20, 2025. The outgoing Biden administration announced on Thursday a target for the US to cut emissions by between 61 and 66 per cent by 2035, but Trump will scrap it. Currently, the IRA has $567 billion of financial assistance on offer for research and development and was set to play a major role in developing green hydrogen and commercialising technologies to help electrify industries that currently depend on fossil fuels. Donald Trump has given calls for urgent climate action short shrift. Credit: AP Green hydrogen – which is made using renewable energy to ensure it is emissions-free – is considered a promising fuel to curb planet-warming emissions due to its ability to displace coal, gas and oil in parts of the economy that are difficult to decarbonise, such as manufacturing and heavy transport. But green hydrogen remains prohibitively expensive to make and is not yet viable at scale. Kean said other countries were also likely to delay their 2035 targets as they come to grips with the potential impacts of a Trump administration. “I met with the climate delegations of over 15 countries, including some of our closest trading partners, it was clear that they were all grappling with the same issues and that most would not be delivering their targets too previous timelines,” he said. Climate action ‘off-track’ The Albanese government is under pressure to deliver on its current commitments amid warnings it is already off-track. Of the 124 projects that have applied for approval under national environmental laws, just 28 have reached a final decision – either approved or rejected – according to the Clean Energy Investor Group, which represents major energy investors such as Macquarie, Neoen and BlackRock. Boosting renewables to 82 per cent of the grid by the end of the decade is a major goal, but this is challenged by hold-ups in project approvals due to onerous environmental assessments for major projects. Loading “There are a number of short-term fixes to the environmental assessment process the federal government could make that will unlock further renewable investments and bring international investors more confidence and predictability in entering this market,” said CEIG chief executive Richie Merzian. However, Australia could attract more green investments if Trump scraps the IRA, as global capital already committed to the energy transition finds new homes outside the US. Johns Hopkins University think tank, the Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab, said a US retreat on clean energy policy could open up an $80 billion opportunity for international markets. “This is the time for Australia to lead in embracing the clean energy transition,” Merzian said. Countries are expected to announce their targets before the next United Nations climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belem in November next year. Australia will face pressure from the UK to set an ambitious goal after Keir Starmer’s Labour government committed to cut emissions by 81 per cent by 2035. Australia’s 2030 climate target, to cut emissions from 2005 levels by 43 per cent by 2030, is viewed as a relatively modest aim as it does not comply with the objective of the Paris Agreement for nations to commit to action consistent with limiting global warming to under 2 degrees. Australia’s Climate Change Authority is currently considering responses to a draft target it issued in April to reduce emissions by 65 to 75 per cent by 2035. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Climate policy Matt Kean Chris Bowen Donald Trump Paris Agreement Mike Foley is the climate and energy correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. Connect via email . Most Viewed in Politics Loading

A Campbell River resident is celebrating the milestone of becoming Canada’s first-ever student pilot to fly solo in an electric airplane. Catherine Check said she has wanted to be a pilot since she was five years old and decided a few years ago to pursue it as a profession. After gaining experience with conventional airplanes, her instructor at Sealand Flight School offered her the opportunity to test an electric plane. On Dec. 18, with about 10 hours of training experience, the 18-year-old became the country's first-ever student pilot to fly solo in an electric airplane. "The plane is a lot lighter, so you feel more turbulence," Check said. "But at the same time, the technology difference is remarkable." Flying the electric plane felt safer than a conventional plane, Check explained, because she could monitor what's happening with the engine, batteries, and power more confidentially during the 50-minute flight. "It's really safe in my opinion," she said. "Because it's a glider, it's not going to go in a nosedive." Check said the achievement means a lot to her, as she is a female pilot in a male-dominated field. She said she hopes her success will encourage others to consider becoming pilots, especially because the future of air travel is more sustainable. READ ALSO: First commercial electric flight to make history in Campbell River Called a Velis Electro, the electric plane Check flew is ultra-quiet. It produces zero emissions and is expected to be less expensive than conventional training aircraft. According to Sealand Flight School, the flight represents a major milestone in the aviation industry’s pursuit of sustainability. With the backing of Clean BC, BC Hydro, and Transport Canada, Sealand Flight is leading this initiative and takes immense pride in Check's achievement. “After sending students solo in conventional airplanes for over 20 years, it was exciting and rewarding to watch Catherine solo in an electric airplane for the first time,” said Ian Lamont, the company's chief flight instructor. This pioneering initiative serves as a foundation for implementing more commercial zero-emissions aircrafts reads a media release from the flight school. Through the electric airplane training flights, Canada's regulators and industry members are studying and evaluating how aviation can feasibly adopt these emerging technologies, it says.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday (December 21) allocated portfolios to his council of ministers, retaining the crucial Home department with him. Fadnavis will also handle Energy, Law and Judiciary, General Administration Department and Information and Publicity departments, an official statement said in Nagpur. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been allocated the Urban Development, Housing and Public Works Department (public enterprises). Ajit Pawar, another deputy CM, got Finance and Planning, State Excise. The portfolios were allocated after the weeklong winter session of the state Legislature ended here earlier in the day. As many as 39 ministers had been sworn in on December 15, before the start of the session, while Fadnavis and his two deputies had taken the oath of office on December 5. The Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena swept the November 20 assembly elections, winning 230 of 288 seats. Portfolios allocated to BJP ministers are -- Chandrashekhar Bawankule (Revenue), Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Water Resources- Krishna and Godavari Valley Development Corporation), Chandrakant Patil (Higher and Technical Education, Parliamentary affairs), Girish Mahajan (Water Resources- Vidarbha, Tapi, Konkan Development Corporation and Disaster Management). Also Read: Maharashtra Assembly passes resolution to rename Pune's Lohegaon airport Ganesh Naik has been given Forests, Mangal Prabhat Lodha Skill Development, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Jaykumar Raval Marketing and Protocol, Pankaja Munde Environment and Climate Change, Animal Husbandry; Atul Save OBC Welfare, Dairy Development and Renewable Energy. Ashok Uike has been given Tribal Development, Ashish Shelar Cultural Affairs and Information Technology, and Shivendrasinh Bhosale Public Works. Jaykumar Gore has been given Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Sanjay Savkare Textiles, Nitesh Rane Fisheries and Ports, and Akash Fundkar Labour. Shiv Sena Ministers' portfolios: Gulabrao Patil Water Supply and Sanitation, Dadaji Bhuse School Education, Sanjay Rathod Soil and Water Conservation, Uday Samant Industries and Marathi language, Shambhuraj Desai Tourism, Mining, Ex-servicemen Welfare, Sanjay Shirsat Social Justice, Pratap Sarnaik Transport, Bharat Gogawale Employment Guarantee, Horticulture, Salt Pan Lands Development; Prakash Abitkar Public Health and Family Welfare. Also Read: Congress protests EVM use at Maharashtra Legislature, demands return to ballot papers NCP ministers' portfolios: Hasan Mushrif Medical Education, Dhananjay Munde Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Dattatrey Bharne Sports, Youth Welfare and Minority Development and Aukaf, Aditi Tatkare Women and Child Development, Manikrao Kokate Agriculture. Narhari Zirwal has been given Food and Drug Administration, Special assistance. Makrand Patil has been given Relief and Rehabilitation, while Babasaheb Patil was allocated Cooperation. Among Ministers of States, Shiv Sena's Ashish Jaiswal has been given Finance and Planning, Agriculture, Relief and Rehabilitation, Law and Judiciary and Labour. BJP's Madhuri Misal has been given Urban Development, Transport, Social Justice, Medical Education, Minorities Development and Aukaf. Pankaj Bhoyar, also of BJP has got Home (Rural), Housing, School Education, Cooperation and Mining. BJP 's Meghana Bordikar has Public Health and Family Welfare, Water Supply and Sanitation, Energy, Women and Child Development, and Public Works (Public Enterprises).Carlos Ghosn, the former head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, has some thoughts on the proposed new partnership between Honda, Nissan, and possibly Mitsubishi. Not surprisingly, Ghosn is not feeling all that friendly toward Nissan these days, after it conspired with the Japanese government to throw him in jail. Those sorts of things could sour any relationship. This week, he had a conversation with Bloomberg ’s Manus Cranny to discuss what he sees as the future of the Japanese auto industry. As someone intimately familiar with the companies involved, his thoughts make for interesting reading. Q. Is this a pragmatic deal, or a desperate roll of the dice? A. It’s a desperate move. It’s not a pragmatic deal because frankly the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find. They’re in the same markets, they have the same products, the brands are very, very similar. From one side, Nissan, it’s a desperate move to try to find a future. And from the other side, Honda — if I understand well, they were not very excited about this move, but you know, you have to count with METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry) in Japan. They’re trying to figure out something that could marry the short term problems of Nissan and the long term vision of Honda. Q. Are politics behind this deal then, rather than value? A. Without any doubt. From all the data that I’ve received about the performance of Nissan — which has been miserable at least for the last two to three years — they have cash problems, investment problems, they’re being really hammered in the US, they’ve practically got out of Europe, they’re being challenged in China, and there is no plan in front of it. There is panic mode inside Nissan. There are several more questions and answers in the article , some fascinating ones. I encourage you to read it. One word that fits Carlos Ghosn to a T is “pragmatic.” He’s a no bullshit kind of guy who is often quite grating in his relationships with others. He tells it like it is. CleanTechnica reported recently on how the Japanese car companies — especially Nissan — are getting pummeled by Chinese competitors, both in China and throughout Southeast Asia where once they dominates those markets. For its part, Honda — which makes world class cars — has lacked a clear vision about how it expects to handle the transition to electric cars that is happening around the world. In North America, it cozied up to General Motors for the hot selling Prologue electric SUV , then severed the relationship. It has made noises about building a new EV base of operations in Canada , but now says it will build its future electric cars in Ohio. Ghosn talked about Honda’s engineering prowess. It was the first Japanese company to build engines for Formula One, and even though its involvement with the sport has waxed and waned over the years, the engine it designed is still the heart of the Red Bull powertrain. Whether its engineers will mesh with those from Nissan is a valid question. There is also the suggestion in what Ghosn told Bloomberg that the Honda-Nissan-Mitsubishi collaboration may be more of a shotgun wedding promoted by METI for political reasons than something Honda is all that excited about. Ghost is also a student of the global auto industry. One could gather from his remarks that the US auto industry — which basically ignores most markets outside of North America — is heading into the same blind alley he sees Japan going down. America makes ginormous vehicles — always has — while much of the market in other countries is focused on smaller, more efficient, and less costly vehicles. Among US companies, only Tesla is truly international in scope. Ghosn notes that automakers need to be global, and those that can’t compete globally will get eaten up. He doesn’t see them dying, but instead sees their weak, low-valued brands being bought out by bigger, more functional companies. He suggests Foxconn could buy Nissan, for example. They’re not going to be the only one to try to do that, he adds. Instead of building something from scratch, you can take control of an existing car manufacturer at a relatively cheap price, get rid of everything you don’t need, and really concentrate on what’s important. I’m expecting a lot of moves like this in the future, particularly for the weaklings of the car industry. The unspoken part of the conversation Carlos Ghosn had with Bloomberg is how much support national governments will be willing to give their domestic auto manufacturers to counter the challenge from China. Most of us remember how GM promised the Obama administration it would use government bailout money to build smaller, more efficient cars, only to take those cars out of production almost as soon as Uncle Sugar’s check cleared to concentrate on bigger trucks and SUVs. Many see the US auto industry sailing into troubled waters again and wonder if the government will remember how it got flimflammed the last time? As a corollary to that discussion, Bloomberg this week also mentioned Bernie Moreno, a successful auto dealer from Ohio who will be headed to Washington soon to take his seat in the Senate. Moreno wants to carve out a major role for himself shaping automotive policy during a second Trump term, Bloomberg says. One of the items on his agenda is agitating for Stellantis to divest itself from the Jeep, Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler brands, which he believes have been grossly mismanaged by European interests and belong back in American hands. “They’ve been a terrible steward of the brands,” Moreno said. “I’m hoping that John Elkann does the right thing and spins off Chrysler Corporation and puts its back in American ownership.” That’s maybe a good idea, but if it happens, it will isolate the US auto industry even further from the global auto market and cut off the only access those brands currently have to the technology they need to navigate the transition to electric vehicles. America, it seems, is well on its way to being an island in the international sea of commerce, content to offer nothing the world community wants to buy other than oil and LNG. Whether that is a wise long-term plan for a country that was once the powerhouse of international trade is yet to be determined. We wonder what Carlos Ghosn would have to say about that? CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit

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