Today, CCPA released a report by Senior Economist Marc Lee and researcher Amanda Card, which suggests that a new green industrial strategy needs to be at the heart of federal policy-making.
Accelerated oil and gas extraction will boost profits but won't drive major employment gains. Instead, embracing a "green industrial revolution" will allow Canada to meet its climate change commitments while boosting a lacklustre economy.
The report finds that less than 1% of Canadian workers are employed in fossil fuel extraction and production in Canada (oil, natural gas and coal)—and that these jobs come at a high price in environmental and climate terms, accounting for 27% of Canadian greenhouse gas emissions.
The report, A Green Industrial Revolution: Climate Justice, Green Jobs and Sustainable Production in Canada, aims to contribute to a growing conversation about industrial and employment strategies the federal government can use to transition to a sustainable economy and create a new generation of well-paying green jobs.
The principal challenge for Canada and other countries around the world is to de-couple the economy from fossil fuels. The transition to a zero carbon Canada will take several decades, and will have a transformative impact on the nature of work and employment.
Click here to read the full report.
The CCPA’s bold vision and creative solutions help us imagine better futures for all. Its efforts to build bridges between labour, industry, and civil society and mentor young activists lay the foundation for realizing those provocative futures. I consider my support for the CCPA an investment in a better future for British Columbia.
— Polly Ng, Next Up graduate