California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger brought his environmental message of "active optimism" to Ontario Wednesday, along with a thinly veiled warning to the province's automakers to prepare for the "green, clean" revolution.

And along with trading hockey sweaters with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he secured a pledge that Ottawa will crackdown on movie piracy.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger exchange NHL hockey team jerseys before their meeting in Ottawa Wednesday.
(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

Earlier in the day, speaking at the Toronto Economic Club luncheon, the former movie star turned leading voice on combating climate change said he had no doubts America would become the "best chance" to solve global warming.

"I came to say to you, do not be discouraged," he told the crowd. "Your neighbour may be late in coming to the front, but we are coming."

He joked that before he took office in 2003, he was vilified by environmentalists for his extensive use of private jets and love of huge Hummer vehicles, only to be later dubbed the "Green Giant" for his anti-climate change initiatives in office.

"I had five," he said in reference to the notorious gas-guzzlers, noting that one of his Hummers now runs on biodiesel and another runs on hydrogen.

During his speech, Schwarzenegger issued a warning to automakers spreading "doom and gloom" messages over California's tail-pipe emissions standards, citing a billboard in Michigan that read, "Arnold to Michigan: 'Drop dead.' "

"What I am really saying to them is, 'Arnold to Michigan: Get off your butts,' " Schwarzenegger said to the Ontario audience, whose province's auto sector has been the No. 1 auto producer in North America for three years running.

"We're pushing them to make the changes necessary so they can sell cars that can be driven in our state. If they don't, someone will."

'Governator' meets with Harper

Earlier Wednesday, Schwarzenegger and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty signed an agreement that includes low-carbon fuel standards for vehicles.

The deal requires cars in Ontario to have 10 per cent fewer emissions by 2020, equivalent to a reduction of 700,000 cars, the province said.

Schwarzenegger said he was "very, very happy" to sign the deal, even though it stopped short of California's tough new tail-pipe emission standards.

"We're all partners," he said, adding that the agreement would create "additional momentum" for tougher standards across North America.

Schwarzenegger is in Canada for a three-day trade mission to promote tourism in his state. He said the purpose of his trip was not only to promote Californian exports in Ontario, but also to discover Canadian goods.

He later met with Harper at his office on Parliament Hill. In public, they only discussed the Stanley Cup, and who would end up wearing the other team's colours. Harper gave Schwarzenegger an Ottawa Senators' jersey, and the governor returned the favour with an Anaheim Ducks sweater.

But sources on both sides of the border told the Canadian Press Harper raised the issue of movie piracy in a closed-door meeting. One U.S. official said Schwarzenegger was pleased to hear Canada address a problem plaguing his state's film industry.

"We think it's a good first step," said one American official.

The government said it will introduce legislation that helps police charge people who use camcorders in theatres to tape movies, which are later distributed on the internet or sold as DVDs.

With files from the Canadian Press