Environmental Defence Celebrates Progress on the Sustainable Jobs Act  – Environmental Defence

Statement by Aliénor Rougeot, Program Manager, Climate and Energy 

It is good news for workers and communities that the Sustainable Jobs Act is one step closer to becoming law. This legislation is essential for preparing Canadians to succeed in the green economy. After months of unnecessary delays, we’re relieved to see it advancing to the Senate.

We’re pleased that the legislation was improved to require greater government transparency, accountability, and consistency in supporting workers and communities during the shift to a low-carbon economy. This includes clear guidelines for how governments report on their efforts and a legal requirement to align their sustainable jobs policies with Canada’s climate goals.   

This bill has already been significantly delayed by politicians who shamefully prioritized political games over helping workers and their families prepare for the future. It’s imperative that the legislation move swiftly through the Senate and is adopted before the Summer. Delaying it beyond that risks leaving Canadians behind in the global shift towards a low-carbon economy.

Background: 

• Bill C-50, the Sustainable Jobs Act, was tabled in the House of Commons in June 2023. The bill legally commits the federal government to developing action plans every five years to accelerate the creation of good jobs in sustainable sectors and equip workers with the skills, income support and information they need to access these jobs. Countries leading the transition to a green economy have similar legislation in place. 
• Environmental and labour experts worked with the members of the Natural Resources House committee to amend the legislation to improve requirements on transparency, and accountability, and to make more explicit the ties between this legislation and Canada’s climate goals. As a result, the bill includes robust reporting requirements, an advisory committee with a fair representation of impacted groups, and legal alignment with Canada’s climate goals. 
• The legislation faced significant challenges in Committee as Members from the official opposition proposed over 22,000 amendments. In December 2023, the government used a motion to force the committee to make a decision on the bill and send it back to the House for Report Stage and Third Reading. 
• While the Report Stage is usually a fast process, over 200 additional amendments were added for this stage. The majority were frivolous amendments from members of the official opposition. 
• The government House Leader then waited months to bring C-50 back on the agenda. Today, Members of Parliament finally agreed on a final version of the text which can now be studied, further amended, and voted on in the Senate.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Alex Ross, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca