Justin Trudeau: Joe Biden Leadership on Climate Change Was ‘Sorely Missed’

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked President Joe Biden Tuesday for restoring America’s role in the fight against climate change.

“Thank you again for stepping up in such a big way on tackling climate change,” Trudeau said, alluding to former President Trump’s position on the issue. “U.S. leadership has been sorely missed over the past, uh, past years.”

Trudeau said he was pleased that his team did not have to remove references to climate change in his speech for his meeting with Biden, suggesting that he did so when he met with Trump.

Both leaders met virtually instead of in-person due to the coronavirus pandemic, even though Biden has been vaccinated for the virus.

Biden said both he and Trudeau spoke at length about climate change.

“We also doubled down on our efforts to tackle climate change, it was really really encouraging,” he said.

He said Canada and the United States would “work in lockstep” on the issue.

“Now that the United States is back in the Paris agreement, we intend to demonstrate our leadership in order to spur other countries to raise their own ambitions,” Biden said.

The leaders did not take questions from the press, breaking the usual tradition of bilateral visits between the president and foreign leaders.

They spoke warmly of their relationship as Trudeau referred to Biden as “Joe” and Biden referred to Trudeau as “Justin.”

“I look forward to when we can meet in person,” Biden said.