350 Canada
Just Transition Act Town Hall
On March 18th 2021, 500 people participated in the Just Transition Act town hall with questions for our federal leaders in Ottawa. Watch the recording:
Town Hall Panelists
350.org campaigners Amara Possian and Anna Keenan will moderate the discussion. We’re hoping Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson will reconsider his decision and accept our invitation, but both Green Party Parliamentary Leader Elizabeth May and NDP Environment Critic Laurel Collins have confirmed they’ll be there.
What is the Just Transition Act?
During the 2019 election, Prime Minister Trudeau promised to introduce a Just Transition Act, “ensuring that workers have access to the training and support they need to succeed in the new clean economy.” Then, in early 2020, Minister Wilkinson said passing the act would be among his top priorities. The Liberals still haven’t delivered this critical legislation and now there’s talk of a possible election.
Meanwhile, with the cancellation of Keystone XL and the federal government’s own models showing tar sands expansion at odds with Canada’s climate commitments, it’s clear that the end of the fossil fuel era is accelerating.
Workers can’t keep waiting for help with the transition. They need action now. That’s why we’re raising the pressure on Trudeau and Wilkinson to keep their promises to workers and legislate the Just Transition Act.
When we do finally see this legislation, it needs to be fair, equitable and put people first, especially those people, workers and communities most impacted by the fossil fuel economy. Putting a Just Transition into law is just one step on the road to a full-scale, made-in-Canada Green New Deal.
Spread the word
Once you’ve registered to attend on the 18th, we would love your help encouraging friends and family to come too. The bigger our numbers, the more pressure we can put on our elected officials to take the kind of bold climate action that science and justice demand.