Canada will need a stronger social safety net to ensure a just transition for workers and communities affected by the shift off fossil fuels, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives concludes in a report issued last week.
The analysis uses census data to identify the regions within provinces that will likely be at the centre of a transition strategy for fossil communities and work forces.
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While “fossil fuel dependence is overwhelmingly concentrated in Alberta, with a few hot spots in Saskatchewan and British Columbia,” CCPA states in a release, “there are communities from coast to coast where the share of fossil fuel jobs is relatively high.” Communities and areas with the largest share of fossil fuel jobs in their local economies include Bay Roberts, NL, Cape Breton, NS, Saint John, NB, Sarnia, ON, Estevan, SK, Wood Buffalo, AB, and Fort St. John, BC, the report concludes.
“The transition to a clean economy will create significant opportunities for Canada, but the process may also present hardship for certain workers and their communities,” said CCPA researcher and report author Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood. “The fact is, Canada’s social safety net is not yet robust enough to support a just transition for those impacted. That needs to change.”
The CCPA study comes on the heels of Environment and Climate Minister Catherine McKenna’s announcement last fall, during the United Nations climate conference in Bonn, that Canada would keep its promise to convene a just transition task force. CCPA sees the focus on transition as part of a wider strategy that includes stronger social security programs and support for workers facing job loss.
“The threat of job losses is not just a problem in the oil patch. This research makes it clear there are communities across the country that rely on fossil fuel jobs for their prosperity,” Mertins-Kirkwood said. “There’s no doubt we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but in doing so governments must prioritize the stability of communities in vulnerable regions and the well-being of workers across the country.”
