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.