After days of amendments and voting, the Sustainable Jobs Act (Bill C-50) passed in the House of Commons on April 15. Despite significant obstruction by the Conservative party over the last year, the Act is now on its way to the Senate for consideration before it can pass into law.
The Council of Canadians celebrates the Act as a framework to support workers and communities in the energy transition away from oil and gas. This legislation was made possible through years of work and advocacy by labour and environmental organizations, and intense grassroots pressure from workers and organizers through efforts like our Flood Parliament campaign. Congratulations to everyone invested and involved in this fight!
However, while the legislation lays out a path for the energy transition, our work is not done. Many amendments proposed by Conservative MPs were rejected, but the essence of the bill still does not address the scale and pace of what’s needed to fully address the crises we’re facing. And this week’s federal budget doesn’t appear to back the Sustainable Jobs Act up with funding to make it happen.
Labour, civil society, and our decision-makers still have a lot of work ahead to ensure that the energy transition is fair and equitable for all members of our society, and for the planet.
What does the Sustainable Jobs Act accomplish?
The fact that the Sustainable Jobs Act has been passed by the House of Commons is an accomplishment in and of itself. Prime Minister Trudeau first promised a just transition on the campaign trail in 2019, and thousands of organizers and activists from labour and environmental groups kept up the pressure long enough to see this legislation become a reality.
While not a perfect piece of legislation, the Sustainable Jobs Act is a start towards a just transition that was lauded by labour – it’s the first piece of legislation that takes seriously the fact that we cannot leave workers and communities behind as we transition away from fossil fuels. To this end, Bill C-50 accomplishes three major things:
It creates a Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council
This Partnership Council will be made up of representatives from labour, Indigenous communities, environmental organizations, and industry representatives from the oil and gas sector, and will advise the ministers responsible for planning the energy transition. Through social dialogue and reporting to the minister, the Partnership Council will promote respect for workers’ rights and emphasize the importance of equity in the energy transition, two important components of ensuring that our transition away from fossil fuels is fair and just.
While the bill doesn’t mention “just transition” by name, it gives a mandate to the minister to get independent advice “through a process of social dialogue.” Social dialogue is one of the International Labor Organization’s four key just transition principles, along with employment creation, social protection, and rights at work. Read more here.
Sustainable Jobs Action Plans
The legislation requires the development of a Sustainable Jobs Action Plan every five years. This plan will provide the necessary framework for how Canada will green its economy and support workers in developing the skills needed to support their families and transition their communities.
Currently, the deadline for the first Sustainable Jobs Action Plan is no later than December 31, 2025. The Council of Canadians is concerned that the plan is not due soon enough, considering that we need to act now to address the climate crisis, and considering that the first Action Plan would come after the next federal election this could mean a significant shift in government priorities and approach.
Sustainable Jobs Secretariat
The Sustainable Jobs Act also creates a secretariat responsible for developing and carrying out the Sustainable Jobs Action Plans. While it’s promising to have some kind of body overseeing a just and equitable transition, the Council of Canadians is concerned that a secretariat does not have the teeth to enforce the implementation of Sustainable Jobs Plans. Our demand for this legislation was to see the establishment of a Ministry of Just Transition that would have the power to implement things like the Action Plans this legislation will result in.
What’s next for the Sustainable Jobs Act, and for climate justice?
Now that the Sustainable Jobs Act has passed the House, the legislation moves next to the Senate for consideration. We’ll be keeping an eye on the bill and will continue to update you on its progress, and actions you can take to ensure that the legislation gets to Royal Assent.
The Council of Canadians will continue to campaign for a just and equitable transition beyond the Sustainable Jobs Act, as many of our critiques of the Sustainable Jobs Act have not been addressed. We still have work to do to win a full just transition to a post-carbon economy that enables jobs, dignity, and Indigenous sovereignty.
There is still time for our energy transition to respect the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of Indigenous peoples, have stronger accountability mechanisms to existing climate policy, and push for real emissions reductions instead of investing in false solutions like Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage.
As we build the next phase of our climate campaign, we invite you to:
Celebrate, at least a little! This legislation is a milestone in our work for climate justice.
Check if your MP voted for or against the Sustainable Jobs Act – and reach out to them to let them know you’re ready to keep demanding climate justice.
Sign up to receive climate updates from the Council of Canadians – we’ll be in touch soon with new ways to push for climate justice in your communities!
Donate to support the work of organizers across the country pushing for climate justice!
Chris Kruszewski and Dylan Penner
Chris Kruszewski and Dylan Penner are Climate and Social Justice Campaigners with the Council of Canadians.
