Listen to the full conversation on the Perspectives Journal podcast, available now on all major streaming platforms.
On October 17th, 2023 the Green Economy Network, a coalition of labour, environmental, and social justice organizations working to build a green economy in Canada, held a workshop in Ottawa at the Canadian Labour Congress to present its updated “Common Platform”, an action plan for investments in job creation and emissions reductions in key economic sectors.
To accompany the Common Platform, the Green Economy Network hosted a discussion on “Green Industrial Policy in Canada”—a crucial framework to build on public policy that can spur an economic transformation based on justice and equality.
But before getting into the weeds of Green Industrial Policy, just what the heck is it?
To deconstruct the true meaning of industrial policy, Christine Jones, Industrial Decarbonization Program Manager at Blue Green Canada, an organization that brings together unions, environmental groups and other research institutions to advocate for workers and the environment, leads and moderates this discussion.
Also joining this panel are:
- Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, Senior Research at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
- Angella MacEwen, Senior Economist for the National Canadian Union of Public Employees, and Broadbent Institute Policy Fellow
- And John Cartwright, Chairperson of the Council of Canadians
This panel has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Show Notes
Read the three pillars of the updated Common Platform
- Renewable Energy, Good Jobs: A National Green Energy Strategy for Canada
- Green Transit, Good Jobs: A National Public Transportation Strategy for Canada
- Green Buildings, Good Jobs: A National Green Homes & Buildings Strategy for Canada
Read analysis from Broadbent Policy Fellow Brendan Haley that asks, “Will the Response to the US Inflation Reduction Act Reveal Canada’s Lack of Green Industrial Policy?“
Subscribe to ShiftStorm, the CCPA’s newsletter on work and climate change by panelist Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood.
