Canada’s new legislation to align job creation with its climate goals while ensuring a fair transition for workers in emissions-intensive industries has elicited cautious optimism from Indigenous, labour, and environmental groups who agreed that even with “clear gaps”, it was a commendable first step.
But in Alberta—where oil and gas has for decades driven employment, government revenue, and economic growth—Premier Danielle Smith “stood her ground” in opposition to Ottawa’s newly-tabled Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, Bill C-50, shortly after it was announced on June 15, reported Calgary Herald.
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson responded to fears that the Act will put oil and gas jobs at risk, saying the plan relies on creating new opportunities for workers—including in critical minerals, biofuels, and hydrogen—and “ensuring the relevance” of Canada’s conventional energy reserves. He maintained the language in the Act aligns with what Smith has previously supported, reported the National Post.
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