{"id":44486,"date":"2024-04-22T11:48:35","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T15:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/environmentaldefence.ca\/?p=44486"},"modified":"2024-06-19T10:02:10","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T14:02:10","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-sustainable-jobs-act-bill-c-50","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/environmentaldefence.ca\/2024\/04\/22\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-sustainable-jobs-act-bill-c-50\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you Need to Know About the Sustainable Jobs Act\u00a0(Bill C-50)"},"content":{"rendered":"

On June 18, 2024, Senators voted to pass the Sustainable Jobs Act,<\/a> or Bill C-50. With that, the bill officially became law after a long journey through Parliament. This is a victory worth celebrating!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to this bill, workers and communities impacted by the energy transition will be given the tools they need to succeed in the green economy. Countries that are leading the transition to a green economy have had similar legislation for years. <\/span><\/p>\n

It took time to get the legislation to this important milestone. Despite being a good and necessary policy, Bill C-50 faced fierce opposition from the oil and gas industry and the politicians who defend big polluters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that the dust has settled and the legislation has been adopted, let\u2019s look back at what the Sustainable Jobs Act will achieve for Canadians.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bill C-50 is a necessary tool to set Canadian workers up for success in a low-carbon economy<\/b><\/h3>\n

Countries around the world are choosing to ditch fossil fuels, like oil, gas and coal, to use renewable energy and increase the energy efficiency of homes, cars and factories. <\/span>Doing this is necessary<\/span><\/a> to keep global warming in check and avoid the worst of the climate crisis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This shift is a major opportunity for Canada. We can become a leader in clean energy supply and manufacture the products the world needs to live more sustainably. We are doing some of that today, but many parts of Canada\u2019s economy and workforce still depend on revenue from oil and gas and other polluting industries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While only a <\/span>small percentage of Canada\u2019s workforce<\/span><\/a> is employed by the fossil fuel industry, each of these jobs puts food on a family\u2019s table. Fossil fuel workers are also far from the only ones impacted. From those who manufacture internal combustion engine cars and their parts to those who work in the service industry that feeds, houses and equips all these workers, many jobs are tied to today\u2019s polluting industries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Failure to prepare could leave workers and their families to fend for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s not acceptable. Mass layoffs, difficult transition periods, and forced relocations are entirely avoidable. But we need to plan for that, and bring the workers and communities who will be impacted to the table as part of that planning. Then, we need to map out what jobs will be lost, where the new employment\u00a0 opportunities are, and develop a package of skills training, income support and other services to support the transition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That is what the Sustainable Jobs Act sets out to do.<\/b> As we explain below, it brings impacted parties to the table, proposes ways to address their needs, and commits the government to regularly updating its plans as the reality on the ground evolves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Sustainable Job?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The text that Members of Parliament agreed on defines a sustainable job as:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAny job that is compatible with Canada\u2019s pathway to achieving a net-zero-emissions and climate-resilient future and that reflects the concept of decent work, namely work \u2014 including a job in which the worker is represented by a trade union that has entered into a collective agreement \u2014 that can support the worker and their family over time and that includes elements such as fair income, job security, social protection and social dialogue.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s a mouthful! In short, it means that the jobs the government will help create, through investments and policies, have to be good jobs where workers are well-paid and safe in sectors that are aligned with Canada\u2019s climate plans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This could include construction workers who are building energy efficient buildings, tradespeople installing, building, and maintaining renewable energy projects like wind and solar, or tech workers designing and engineering sustainable technologies to reduce our environmental footprint and improve our lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bill C-50 ensures a more certain, consistent and reliable approach to energy transition policies<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Sustainable Jobs Act is a law that mandates future government action. Unlike criminal laws that tell you and me what to do (and not do!), this one doesn\u2019t require us to change anything. Instead, it legally commits the federal government to take a series of actions, like having specialized government agencies to advance sustainable jobs or consulting with impacted parties at regular intervals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can\u2019t the government just do that without being legally forced to?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure it can, and it already has in small ways. However, having this as a law gives impacted workers certainty that even if the Minister in charge of the issue or the entire government changes, it will still be obligated to provide some support to those impacted by the transition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The law also lays out principles so that all government agencies involved are working towards the same goals. Some of the principles include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n