- Policy on climate change (x)
- Search results
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Title
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A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy
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Description
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As the Government of Canada continues to protect and support Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also important that the country look to the future. Canadians want to see a growing middle class where no one is left behind. They want a future where their kids and grandkids have access to clean air and water. That future is within reach. Collectively, Canada needs to accelerate climate action to get there. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada's plan to build a better future. This plan builds on the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. It continues down the path that Canadians, their governments, and businesses have been setting. This plan is a cornerstone of the government's commitment in the 2020 Speech from the Throne to create over one million jobs, restoring employment to pre-pandemic levels. The plan includes 64 new measures and $15 billion in investments in addition to the Canada Infrastructure Bank's $6 billion for clean infrastructure announced this fall as part of its growth plan. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy will make life more affordable for households. It will make Canadian communities more livable. And it will, at every turn, focus on workers and their careers in a fair and just transition to a stronger and cleaner economy. The plan will do this through five pillars
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healthy_environment_healthy_economy_plan.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156044
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Title
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An Insecure Future: Canada's biggest public pensions are still banking on fossil fuels
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Description
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Two of Canada's biggest public pension plans could lead the way toward a global transition to a greener, more sustainable economy, but their commitments to climate action may be more talk than walk. The Canada Pension Plan and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec say they are serious about tackling climate change, however, they continue to bank on fossil fuels, this Corporate Mapping Project report shows. The Canada Pension Plan has increased its shares in fossil fuel companies since Canada signed the Paris Agreement in 2016 and while the Quebec plan has slightly decreased its fossil fuel shares in the same period, it has over 52 per cent more fossil fuel shares than the Canada Pension Plan. The investment patterns of both plans do not reflect the urgent action needed to address the scale of the climate crisis. Both are heavily invested in member companies of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, which has a history of obstructing the necessary transition away from fossil fuels required for Canada to meet the targets set out in the Paris Agreement. The authors question why the fund managers of these public pension plans are investing in companies that are actively derailing necessary climate action. The report includes recommendations for Canadian public pension fund trustees and investment boards and for the federal and provincial governments regarding how Canadians' pension funds should be invested.
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ccpa-bc_An-Insecure-Future_FINAL.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156051
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Title
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A Plan for green buildings, jobs and prosperity for Ontario
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Description
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This report looks at how Ontario could replace fossil gas for everything from home heating to industrial uses as part of a plan to dramatically reduce Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions. It also outlines how embracing a pathway toward reducing gas use can create good green jobs in Ontario in everything from home retrofits to deploying renewable energy. It explains various mechanisms that can be used to make this pathway economically and environmentally successful for Canada's largest province.
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Fossil-Gas-Report-2021-sep-15-v_01.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156047
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Title
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Unifor Submission to the 2022 Federal Budget Consultation Process
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Description
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Unifor recommends government design budget 2022 to reorient Canada's economy towards social justice and ensure a fair, inclusive and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. Canada's government must address the numerous crises that were present long before COVID-19 arrived and exacerbated by the pandemic including inequality, precarious work and climate change. To that end, Unifor has developed the following 12 recommendations.
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unifor_2022_fed_budget_submission_-_en_ax.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156046
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Title
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Nurses' Unions, Climate Change and Health: A Global Agenda for Action
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Description
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The planet is warming and the climate is changing. With increasing regularity, headlines report record- breaking heat waves, catastrophic storms, floods and fires, and rising numbers of people displaced due to famines, droughts and violence. The world seems to be rapidly becoming a more dangerous and more frightening place. These changes have profound significance for human health. Indeed, the health impacts of global warming and climate change are already being felt by vast numbers of people around the world. At the same time, although certain health risks may actually diminish with increased warming for some people—for instance, risk from exposure to cold in some regions—health risks overall are set to increase significantly. In the medium term, this is especially true for risks related to exposure to floods, droughts and extreme heat; food security issues; and infectious diseases. Longer-term, health risks associated with displacement and conflict are likely to become much more serious. This paper aims to provide information to nurses and their unions regarding climate-related health risks. It summarizes what is happening now, and what health-related climate science suggests could happen if current trends continue. Nurses and their unions have been at the forefront of many key struggles to minimize the negative health impacts of current and rising fossil fuel use, and for strong policy responses to the unfolding climate crisis. But it is today clear that addressing climate change will require a radical change at the level of politics and policy. The current policies—which are directed towards ensuring investment opportuniAes for big business—have been a massive failure. Emissions continue to rise, and health outcomes and indicators continue to worsen.
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Climate-Change-and-Health-GNU-2019.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156045
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Title
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Canada's Fourth Biennial Report on Climate Change
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Description
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Canada is pleased to present its Fourth Biennial Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Since Canada's last National Communication and Biennial Report1, Canada has continued to implement its national climate change plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (the Pan-Canadian Framework), and work towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the economy. Canada welcomes this opportunity to highlight its international emission reduction targets, as well as ongoing mitigation efforts, emissions trends and projections, and international climate finance contributions.
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br4_final_en.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156042
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Title
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Towards a Progressive Labor Vision for Climate Justice and Energy Transition in the Time of Trump
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Description
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This memorandum proposes an analysis and provisional framework around which to construct an ambitious and effective agenda for progressive labor to respond to the converging environmental crises, and to pursue a rapid, inclusive approach to energy transition and social justice. Such an agenda could serve to bring a much-needed independent union voice to policy and programmatic debates on climate change and energy within Our Revolution spaces and processes. Labor's voice in these debates frequently echoes the large energy companies on one side, or the large mainstream environmental NGOs on the other.
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Towards-a-Progressive-Vision-TUED.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156039
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Title
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Energy scenario: Employment implications of the Paris Climate Agreement
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Description
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This report explores the potential employment and economic impacts of an EU transition to a low-carbon economy by 2030 – on the EU, and on other regions of the world. It analyses the impacts across sectors and occupations, with a particular focus on manufacturing. The report highlights that the impact of such a transition is positive for the EU as a whole, although with considerable variation between sectors. The positive impact on employment is largely due to the investment required to achieve this transition, along with the impact of lower spending on imported fossil fuels. The consequent shift in production has implications for labour market demand. The analysis provides information on sectoral impacts, together with the Warwick Labour Market Extension model for occupational analysis. Further analysis of the employment developments in Europe is undertaken using Eurofound's European Jobs Monitor.
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Identifier
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fomeef18003en.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156038
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Title
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Submission from the CCPA to Natural Resources Canada's consultation on a people-centred just transition
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Description
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Canada must wind down and ultimately phase out the vast majority of oil, gas and coal production in the next 30 years to meet our domestic and international climate goals, CCPA Senior Researcher Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood writes in a submission to the federal government's consultation on just transition legislation. The regulatory phase-out of coal-powered electricity generation in Canada provides a very clear model for how this can and should be done, he writes. Once a clear deadline is set, firms and workers can begin to plan for the transition into new industries. In contrast, the absence of a clear end date for oil and gas production encourages firms and workers to continue to invest into what will inevitably become stranded assets and stranded careers. "There can be no just transition without a transition," Mertins-Kirkwood writes.
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SubmissiontoNRCconsultation.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156036
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Title
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Fossilized Finance: How Canada's banks enable oil and gas production
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Description
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Despite Canada's climate change commitments, the country's "big five" banks continue to finance and support the expansion of fossil fuel industries. In fact, the extent of the banks' support since the oil price collapse in 2014 shows that this backing hinders Canada's progress on reducing emissions. These banks are perhaps the most powerful corporate entities in Canada, certainly among the largest and most profitable. They could be playing a crucial role to help Canada achieve its Paris Agreement commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The banking sectors in many other countries have committed to helping the world meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, but the big Canadian banks did not join in. This report explains why: Canada's big banks continue to rely on profits from financing the fossil fuel industry despite the danger those investments pose for the future of our planet.
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Identifier
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ccpa-bc_Fossilized-Finance.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156034
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Title
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Canada's Energy Sector: Status, evolution, revenue, employment, production forecasts, emissions and implications for emissions reduction
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Description
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This report by veteran earth scientist David Hughes analyzes the state of the oil and gas sector in Canada and finds that while production is increasing, jobs and revenues paid to government are decreasing. The report finds the oil and gas sector alone will cause Canada to fail to meet its Paris Agreement target of a 40 per cent reduction by 2030, set by Prime Minister Trudeau at President Biden's recent climate summit Hughes finds the sector will also cause Canada to miss its "net zero" target by 2050 as laid out in Bill C-12. It details how the sector no longer contributes like it once did to government revenues in Canada, and jobs in the sector are down by more than 50,000 from their 2014 peak and are unlikely to return—even with production at record highs. The report concludes that continuing on the country's current path for the oil and gas sector makes meeting Canada's emissions-reduction targets impossible. It recommends a stark change in direction to meet the targets, including a rethink of oil and gas exports and the development of a plan for the future that includes a just transition for workers. It also finds that planned expansions of the TMX and Line 3 pipelines are not needed because Canada already has enough pipeline capacity to transport the amount of oil the Canada Energy Regulator is projecting for export through 2050.
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Identifier
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REPORT_ccpa-bc-cmp_canadas-energy-sector.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156033
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Title
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Working Harmoniously on the Earth: CUPE's National Environment Policy - Updated 2021 version
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Description
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CUPE's National Executive Board has adopted an updated environmental policy in response to the deepening climate crisis. Building on our policy adopted by the Board in 2013, the new policy places even greater urgency on a bold response to the climate crisis. The policy calls for new ways of working and living based on public, renewable sources of energy, and an end to fossil fuels. It also highlights the need for strong Just Transition programs enshrined in federal legislation to support and uplift workers, and recognizes that climate change impacts racialized communities even more aggressively. We all have a role to play in fighting the climate crisis, and as Canada's largest union, we recognize we must take our part in that fight. We encourage all CUPE members to read the policy and consider what changes you can make in your local, your workplace, and in your community.
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Identifier
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cupe_environmental_policy_2021_eng.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156031
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Title
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A Just and fair transition for Canadian coal power workers and communities: Final Report of the Task Force
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Description
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The devastating impacts of climate change are becoming clearer each year. More frequent and intense floods, storms, fires, heat waves, and droughts are destroying communities and homes, and putting the lives and futures of Canadians at risk. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2018 report on global warming of 1.5°C shows that our window to prevent the worst-case scenario is quickly closing. We do know what is causing climate change and we can do something about it. We need to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released into our environment. There are several ways in which we can accomplish this, including wasting less energy and investing in cleaner energy sources. Businesses, scientists, governments, communities, and individuals in Canada and around the world are beginning to prove that you can reduce GHG emissions, invest in reliable and affordable clean energy, create decent jobs, and have stable economies. Although coal-fired electricity has contributed significantly to Canada's economic past and present—and provided Canadians with affordable and reliable electricity and heat for many generations—it produces significant amounts of air pollutants and GHG emissions. It has well documented costs to human health and is a major contributor to climate change: approximately 20% of all GHG emissions in the world came from coal-fired electricity in 2013. Recognizing these facts, and supported by commitments in the 2015 Paris Agreement, Canada and other countries are intent on replacing coal-fired electricity with cleaner sources of fuel over the coming years and decades. In 2016, Canada committed to the phase-out of traditional coal-fired electricity across the country by 2030.
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Identifier
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En4-361-2019-eng.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156029
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Title
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Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change: Third Annual Synthesis Report on the Status of Implementation - 2019
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Description
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The Government of Canada has released the Pan-Canadian Framework Third Annual Synthesis Report outlining progress made over the past year by federal, provincial, and territorial governments in implementing Canada's climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Collaboration between federal, provincial, and territorial governments as well as with Indigenous Peoples, businesses, and civil society remained a high priority to ensure the success of actions spanning all sectors of the Canadian economy. The Pan-Canadian Framework is built on four pillars: pricing carbon pollution; complementary actions to reduce emissions across the economy; adaptation and climate resilience; and clean technology, innovation, and jobs. The Pan-Canadian Framework includes more than fifty concrete actions that cover all sectors of the Canadian economy and puts Canada on a path toward meeting our Paris Agreement GHG-emissions-reduction target of 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. In 2019, significant progress continued to be made across the four pillars of the Pan-Canadian Framework: Carbon-pollution pricing is in place across Canada. Governments continued to: fund programs focused on energy efficiency to help people and businesses save money while reducing their emissions; make progress on a number of adaptation initiatives to manage risks, build resilience, and help ensure that Canadian communities thrive in a changing climate; and take action to support the development, commercialization, and adoption of clean technology in Canada; promote collaboration across jurisdictions; and establish a clean-technology data strategy.
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Identifier
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En1-77-2019-eng.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156028
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Title
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The Future of B.C. Commercial Salmon Fishing
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Description
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The Future of BC Commercial Salmon Fishing report was created collaboratively by 150 active commercial salmon harvesters and a coalition of their organizations. It outlines a path forward in the spirit of reconciliation and co-existence with First Nations The coalition consists of the Area C Harvest Committee, Area D Gillnet Association, Area E Harvest Committee, Area G Trollers Association, Commercial Fishing Caucus, Native Brotherhood of B.C., Northern Native Fishing Corporation, Native Fishing Association, Northern Trollers Association, UFAWU-Unifor, as well as others. The report details the current state of the commercial salmon industry; like the salmon, the industry is in crisis. The report includes recommendations for how to remedy this crisis across five areas: improving runs, allocation, access, governance, and licence planning. Firstly, given stock collapse and current fleet size, a major harvester and licence retirement program is needed. This program must offer commercial salmon harvesters the ability to exit the industry with dignity and grace. For the future, it recommends all commercial salmon licences be held by harvesters or First Nations for active participation. A commercial salmon licence bank where licences from a buyout can be held will also allow for future re-entry into the industry. Licences must not be allowed to become investment paper or security for production for processors. For those who wish to remain in the industry, it is essential that adequate funding be allocated to improve runs, manage allocations equitably, ensure access to harvest, and modernize governance. These recommendations would support and strengthen the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative as they are essential to the future for the commercial salmon industry. The Future of BC Commercial Salmon Fishing report outlines how this can be achieved: Salmon hatchery production must be increased and habitats must be improved. However, to improve salmon runs, predators must also be managed. Studies have shown that pinniped populations are having a direct and disastrous impact on salmon populations and must be controlled. These concurrent steps will build-up salmon numbers while reducing threats to both juvenile and adult salmon — helping to rebuild and maintain healthy runs. Stable and accessible allocations are also crucial for a successful future — each sector has a right to exist and make a fair livelihood. Equitable sharing arrangements that support the co-existence of sectors must be negotiated. Recommendations for achieving equitable sharing arrangements that allow for supportive co-existence between sectors include: priority access for FSC harvests, set allocations between sectors, local roundtables to co-manage local issues, and monitoring and compliance mechanisms. Once a commercial allocation is established, there must be access to that allocation by commercial fish harvesters. Policies must be changed to permit access to harvestable surpluses. Recommendations for this include flexible fisheries planning; increased commercial test fisheries; science-based decisions over political ones, and more. Improvements to governance are also necessary. If the commercial salmon fishery is to survive, the entire decision-making system needs to be restructured with transparency and increased communication between industry stakeholders as key priorities. Recommendations to support this include watershed, sub-regional, and regional roundtables. It is the belief of the parties involved in developing this report that, if followed, these recommendations will create a salmon industry that is once again viable and profitable.
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Identifier
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The-Future-Of-BC-Commercial-Salmon-Fishing_June-24_Updated-1.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156025
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Title
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Buy Clean: How Public Construction Dollars Can Create Jobs and Cut Pollution
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Description
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Construction materials— including aluminum, cement, steel, and wood— are in nearly everything we build and a vital economic backbone for Canada. Given the scale of our built infrastructure and how long we expect our roads, bridges and wastewater systems to last, what we build with matters. Our buildings account for 13% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and when you add in our built infrastructure, you get a hefty portion of our carbon footprint. How we spend on public construction can create jobs and help to cut pollution. This crucial part of our Canada's economic recovery is detailed in Blue Green Canada's latest report. The good news for us: when it comes to the carbon footprint of these construction materials, Canada has a unique advantage. Thanks in large part to our country's clean electricity grid (which is now 82% emissions-free), goods produced here often have a smaller carbon footprint than those produced elsewhere. When you combine this with the efficiency of our manufacturers and the fact that it's less polluting to ship materials across a land border than across an ocean, it becomes clear that Canada's advantage is also its opportunity. Canada's target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 requires substantial carbon reductions across all economic sectors. Changing the way we look at public infrastructure can unlock previously overlooked pollution reduction opportunities while simultaneously supporting Canadian manufacturers and creating the conditions for them to thrive in the low-carbon global marketplace.
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Identifier
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Buy-Clean-How-Public-Construction-Dollars-Can-Create-Jobs-and-Cut-Pollution-Eng-2-1.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156021
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Title
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Re-Energizing Canada: Pathways to a Low-Carbon Future
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Description
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Commissioned by Natural Resources Canada in Fall 2016 Written by 72 scholars from all 10 provinces Draws on data, peer-reviewed research and other relevant documents Offers suggestions on how Canadian governments, companies and citizens can advance decarbonisation in a manner coherent with the Paris Agreement After reviewing hundreds of articles and reports, and analysing much data, we are convinced more than ever that Canada has an opportunity to drive innovation and deliver benefits now and into the future by tapping our vast renewable energy potential and know-how to make the transition away from fossil-fuel-based energy systems.
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ReEnergizing_Final.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156020
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Title
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Making Kyoto work: A transition strategy for Canadian energy workers
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Description
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Making Kyoto Work: A Transition Strategy for Canadian Energy Workers finds that there are tremendous economic opportunities in becoming more energy efficient and developing new technologies--in alternative fuels, fuel-efficient vehicles, and in wind, geothermal, and tidal power. The study develops a transition strategy that allows Canada to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments and at the same time provide transition support and employment for energy workers who lose their jobs. Dale Marshall, a resource policy analyst with the BC office of the CCPA and author of the study, estimates that 12,800 Canadian energy workers will lose their jobs over the next 10 years if Canada acts upon its Kyoto commitments, but over the same period, 16,000 new energy jobs will be created. Marshall says that "new jobs won't necessarily require the same skills or be in the same region, which is why we need a strategy to help workers with transition."
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making_kyoto_work.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156019
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Title
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Net-Zero Pathways: Initial Observations
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Description
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To start on the right path, the NZAB was tasked to deliver a summary of existing domestic and international pathways to net-zero within the first three months of our mandate. This document lays out what we have learned so far. We begin by setting out the context and momentum for net-zero commitments in Canada and internationally. We then offer ten key observations on net-zero pathways: five are foundational values and five are design principles. These observations resonated with our diverse expertise and experiences. They will guide our work to engage and advise on net-zero pathways. The observations are interconnected and should be read together; prioritizing some to the detriment of others will not lead us to most likely pathways. A concluding section then provides an overview of our plan for the remainder of this year. Finally, two annexes describe how we approached this summary, including who we heard from in our first three months, and what resources informed our early thinking.
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Identifier
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9fce922e91ab369313cf4caffe773e79_NZAB_-_Summary_-_Pathways_to_Net-Zero_-_EN.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156018
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Title
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Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change: Second Annual Synthesis Report on the Status of Implementation – December 2018
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Description
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On December 9, 2016, Canada's First Ministers adopted the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (PCF). The PCF is built on four pillars: pricing carbon pollution, complementary actions to reduce emissions across the economy, adaptation and climate resilience, and clean technology, innovation, and jobs. The PCF includes more than fifty concrete actions that cover all sectors of the Canadian economy, and positions Canada to meet its Paris Agreement greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target of 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. Implementing PCF actions will not only spur GHG emissions reductions and increase resilience to climate change impacts across the country, but will provide additional benefits for Canadians. Households will have opportunities for cost-savings, such as through energy efficiency upgrades that lower utility bills, and communities will benefit from infrastructure that is resilient to a changing climate. Canadians' health will be improved through reduced air pollution from the phase-out of coal fired electricity, and through reduced risk of illnesses associated with extreme heat and infectious diseases. New job opportunities, such as those in clean technology innovation, will emerge as Canada's participation in the global clean economy grows. This second annual Synthesis Report summarizes the significant progress achieved in 2018 by federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and with engagement from stakeholders, in implementing the PCF.
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Identifier
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En1-77-2018-eng.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156015
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Title
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Facing fossil fuels' future: Challenges and Opportunities for Workers in Canada's Energy and Labour Transitions
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Description
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Climate Action Network - Réseau action climat (CAN-Rac) Canada and Blue Green Canada launched their new joint report, Facing Fossil Fuels' Future: Challenges and Opportunities for Workers in Canada's Energy and Labour Transitions. Alarm bells are ringing louder and louder on the need to keep warming to 1.5°C to maintain a livable planet. This means stopping the expansion and scaling down production of oil and gas; a recent report in the journal Nature calculated that Canada needs to keep 83% of fossil fuels in the ground to keep 1.5°C within reach. Facing Fossil Fuels' Future explores the outlook for workers currently employed by the oil and gas industry under a 1.5°C-aligned pathway, and the new careers that need to be created within the decade to offer these workers opportunities in other sectors. Teika Newton, Managing Director of CAN-Rac Canada, shared an overview of the report alongside Jamie Kirkpatrick, Program Manager at Blue Green Canada, an alliance between Canadian labour unions, environmental and civil society organizations to advocate for working people and the environment. Meg Gingrich of United Steelworkers and Ken Bondy of Unifor shared their reflections on the topic.
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Facing-Fossil-Fuels-Future-October-2021.pdf
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Identifier (PID)
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yul:1156013