e-4566 (Natural resources and energy)

The Government of Canada is investing to build a prosperous low-carbon economy that aligns with Canada's commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Recognizing the generational economic opportunities presented by a net-zero future, Canada is taking a comprehensive, whole-of-government action to realize them. Canada’s comparative advantages in energy and natural resources, combined with our highly skilled and educated workforce, position Canada to become a supplier of choice in a net-zero world. Rather than being left behind in the global move to net-zero, Canada aims to secure clean technology supply chains and market-share, creating good quality jobs for Canadian workers and driving economic growth across all regions of the economy.

These opportunities encompass critical minerals, hydrogen, electric vehicles, batteries, clean energy, low-carbon building products, carbon management technologies, and small modular reactors. The Royal Bank of Canada estimates that building a net-zero-emissions economy could create up to 400,000 new jobs in Canada by the end of this decade alone. These forecasts align with existing global trends – the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Employment 2023 report highlights 40% growth in clean energy investment over the past two years, resulting in clean energy jobs surpassing fossil fuel jobs globally, with clean energy sectors adding 4.7 million jobs globally since 2019.

The Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, which received Royal Assent in June 2024, contributes to the Government’s approach to supporting economic growth and sustainable job creation in the shift to the low-carbon economy, ensuring ongoing action to support industries and communities and to equip the workforce with the necessary skills and tools to thrive. The Act mandates the development of Sustainable Jobs Action Plans starting in 2025, establishes the Sustainable Jobs Secretariat for effective federal collaboration, and requires the creation of a Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council to engage with Canadians and provide annual advice to government. These measures will drive ongoing action, transparency, and accountability, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to placing Canadian workers at the forefront of the move to a low-carbon economy and to securing long-term prosperity and sustainability for future generations.

This work builds on significant investment. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed over $200 billion in investments in clean growth and emissions reduction measures. Most recently, Budgets 2023 and 2024 make transformative investments to deliver cleaner and more affordable energy, support investment in our communities and the creation of good-paying, high-quality jobs, and ensure Canadian workers are able to produce and provide the goods and resources that Canadians and our global partners need. These investments are underpinned by a set of clear and predictable investment tax credits, low-cost strategic financing, and targeted investments and programming, where necessary, to respond to the unique needs of sectors or projects of economic significance. 

The Regional Energy and Resource Tables (Regional Tables) are a key initiative to drive this work. The Regional Tables are joint partnerships between the federal government and individual provinces and territories in collaboration with Indigenous partners – and with input from key stakeholders – to identify and accelerate shared economic priorities for a low-carbon future in the energy and resource sectors. As of July 3, 2024, Regional Tables or alternate collaboration processes are in place in nearly every province and territory. 

Skills training is a critical factor in ensuring that Canadian workers can seize the economic opportunities ahead, which is why the federal government has also made historic investments in skills programming. This includes $1.5 billion in new investments that will deliver almost 500,000 new training and work opportunities for Canadians, which will help workers seize new opportunities, including in clean energy. Most recently, the Government has launched two specific initiatives to support these efforts: 1) the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) Sustainable Jobs Stream, investing $95 million over five years, to support union-led green training projects for the Red Seal trades; and 2) the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund, which will invest $99 million over four years to help workers upgrade or gain new skills for jobs in the low-carbon economy, focusing on low-carbon energy and carbon management, green buildings and retrofits, andelectric vehicle maintenance and charging infrastructure.

The Government of Canada is working in partnership with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, workers, industries, and communities across the country to take ambitious climate action while developing low-carbon industries that enable energy affordability and security and economic prosperity in every sector and region of Canada.