Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must speak out on jobs to believe in climate action

The prime minister made a series of impressive announcements at COP26, but one crucial element was missing: his speech for blue-collar workers. I appreciate your promise to reduce methane emissions and put a cap on oil and gas. But let’s face it, Canada has a long and regrettable history of broken promises on climate action. That is why a firm commitment to workers would send a clear signal that the government has finished with symbolic gestures and is ready to get down to work on the transition of our economy.

Let’s compare Joe Biden’s launch at COP26. As Justin Trudeau played to the international audience, Biden promised a new deal for the American worker. And he wasn’t just talking about abstract jobs. “Climate change is about jobs,” he said bravely. “Well Paying Union Jobs”. Biden’s work-centered climate promise is part of his audacious $ 1 trillion budget to reposition the American economy to meet the realities of the 21st century.

Compare Biden’s offering to the climate commitments that have defined the Trudeau years. After spending $ 12 billion to purchase the TMX pipeline, Trudeau promised to offset the gases by planting two billion trees. We are still waiting for that promise.

After Paris, Trudeau embraced the obvious inconsistency of promoting oil and gas expansion by stating that the increased royalties were necessary to pay for a transition that one day will. make it possible to reduce emissions.

But entering COP26, the liberal government faced increased pressure on two key fronts: climate and economic. Science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tells us that a narrow window remains for action to avoid the catastrophic potential of crossing the threshold of a 1.5 C rise in global temperatures. A promise to clear the stock in the future just isn’t going to cut it.

And from Paris, the world’s leading investment houses such as BlackRock have expressed their intention to pull out of Canada’s oil patch. Alberta Prime Minister Jason Kenney has tried to portray this as some kind of conspiracy to wake up, but the reality is that markets are moving towards renewables and leaving Canada behind.

A recent report from the International Energy Agency claims that given the dramatic drop in the price of renewables, the case for new investment in oil and gas in Canada has evaporated.

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Clever or not, the transition is coming. The choice facing Canada is whether this transition will be difficult, driven by economic and climatic factors, or whether it will be a planned transition to a more sustainable economy.

This is where bold leadership is required. Reorienting the economy towards a truly low-carbon future will require billions in investment. RBC has set the cost at $ 60 billion a year. If the government confidently offered employment, it would reassure nervous Canadians that there is indeed a workable plan and that investments will be focused on maximizing opportunities. But more than simply reassuring concerned energy workers, this would indicate a willingness to use their skills and knowledge.

No place in the world has greater potential for a renewable energy economy than Alberta and Saskatchewan. There is no nation on the planet with more experience or wealth in natural resources for this to happen.

When I was in Alberta, I met with energy workers who are already training and planning for the future of renewables. They were blunt: “We are doing our part, so where is the government?”

Imagine if the prime minister addressed vulnerable workers directly by promising that wages will be secure for the next five years, training will be offered, and investments will be made in sectors that can use their skills. We know that there is enormous potential in geothermal energy and the skills of Canadian oil drillers can be used to harness this resource. Let them get to that.

Canadian workers built the Canadian energy economy of the 20th century. Canadian workers and their skills will be vital to ensuring that Canada has a place in a sustainable, low-carbon world. Without the workers, there is no green future for any of us.