This bill, which the Liberal government has been discussing since 2019, is eagerly awaited, particularly in Alberta, where Prime Minister Danielle Smith has repeatedly denounced Liberal policies, saying it was a way to meddle in the province’s jurisdiction and put an end to it put on the exploitation of petroleum.

The bill, formerly called a “fair or just transition,” has been renamed “sustainable jobs” to avoid controversy.

The C-50 bill builds on the draft plan presented in February and establishes an advisory body to encourage job creation in low-carbon sectors. It also requires the establishment of a secretariat and the appointment of a minister to oversee programs and budgets.

The federal government also undertakes to publish an action plan every five years.

We’re making a plan for the future, not just crossing our fingerssaid Jonathan Wilkinson, Secretary of State for Natural Resources.

Upcoming talks with Alberta

When asked about Alberta’s previous opposition to such a bill, the minister called on the province to cooperate. The Prime Minister [Danielle Smith] We have supported the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Now we have to discuss which way we have to go in order to achieve this goal.

He is scheduled to meet Danielle Smith in Calgary on Monday. According to her office, the prime minister will not be answering reporters’ questions until then.

Hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and critical minerals are some of the sectors regularly cited by the Trudeau administration as companies with the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs.

The bill doesn’t list job creation targets or estimates of job losses, but the federal government points to a report by the Royal Bank of Canada that estimates the potential for 400,000 new jobs in a carbon-neutral economy.

satisfaction on the part of the trade unions

In Alberta, the Federation of Labor has denounced the way Danielle Smith’s United Conservative government has framed the debate. There is a broad consensus about the opportunities that global economic change offers for investment, corporate profits and job creation. It is a shame that our Alberta politicians are afraid to speak up about this ongoing energy transition because other Albertans, in business or in the unions, are not afraid.

Unifor’s western region director, Gavin McGarrigle, present at the Liberal ministers’ press conference, expressed his delight at the presentation of this bill, which has been awaited for four years.

The union hopes to raise its voice at the partnership council on the sustainable jobs that will be created if the law passes.

However, Gavin McGarrigle stressed that jobs that are doomed need support. Income subsidies, training programs, and mental health support must be part of the federal plan.

The Canadian Labor Congress was also satisfied with the submission of the bill.

There is still a lot to do for others

However, the USW is concerned about the lack of clarity about the overall strategy to create these promised new jobs. We must ensure that this goes beyond reason and actually results in the creation and maintenance of good union jobs that support families in a sustainable economy where we protect the water we drink and the air we breathesaid national manager Marty Warren in a statement.

The organization environmental Protection welcomes the presentation of this draft law, but also warns that there may be pitfalls in its application.

She would have liked a clearer definition of sustainable jobs to exclude Dead-end sectors like carbon capture to increase oil production. She is also concerned that the federal approach leaves no room for indigenous and local communities to choose their own economic diversification plan.