The United States and Canada will form a task force to reduce train emissions. The two countries made the announcement at the United Nations climate conference in Dubai.

What You Need To Know

  • The United States and Canada are forming a Rail Decarbonization Task Force

  • The goal of the task force is to develop a common vision to reduce emissions from the rail sector

  • Freight railroads make up 0.5% of total emissions and 2% of transportation-related emissions in the United States

  • As part of the task force, the U.S. and Canada will establish a joint research agenda to test hydrogen- and battery-powered locomotives

“The governments of the United States and Canada share a strong commitment to addressing the urgent global challenge of climate change,” U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Canada’s Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez said in a joint statement.

“Recognizing the important role transportation plays in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the United States and Canada have created a Rail Decarbonization Task Force to develop a common vision to reduce emissions from the rail sector.”

The task force plans to establish a joint research agenda to test hydrogen- and battery-powered locomotives to see how they can integrate with existing technology. It also plans to coordinate activities between the two governments to accelerate the safe transition from diesel-powered trains to zero-emissions technologies to achieve net zero emissions no later than 2050.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, freight railroads make up 0.5% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 2% of transportation-related emissions.

Because rail produces fewer emissions than travel by road or air, the Federal Railroad Administration is working to shift trips to rail in markets where it makes sense, the agency said on its web site. Reducing rail’s reliance on diesel is “a large challenge in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the rail industry.”

The new task force will build on an agreement the United States and Canada forged in 2021 to partner on efforts to “increase the scale and speed of action to address the climate crisis and better protect nature,” Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office said in a statement.