March 10, 2022

“Ministry of Just Transition” to Open in 40+ Communities Across Canada on March 12

National Day of Action planned to pressure government to deliver a Just Transition Act 

Toronto, ON – Across the country, communities are planning to host events announcing “new” projects funded by an imagined “Ministry of Just Transition” tasked with creating thousands of good, green, unionized jobs as Canada races to end its dependence on fossil fuels. The Day of Action will take place while MPs are back in their constituencies and will highlight widespread support for a federal Just Transition Act.  

“Climate scientists just put out another terrifying report on what will happen if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels fast, but you don’t have to be an expert to see that this is a serious crisis,” Katie Rae Perfitt, Senior Organizing Specialist with 350.org said. “Last year in Canada alone, climate disasters caused billions of dollars in damage, killed hundreds of people, and destroyed communities. The Trudeau government needs to wake up and get to work on a just transition.”

While the stakes are high, local organizers are planning to strike a hopeful tone, with many events designed to imagine a near future where Canada undertakes a rapid transition to renewable energy while making sure no one gets left behind. The Day of Action will include a green jobs fair in Saskatoon, “press conferences from the future” in Vancouver and Edmonton, and ribbon cuttings outside MP offices and government buildings reimagined as “Just Transition Job Centres”.

“By leading with hope and imagination we can show people across Canada how exciting it will be to build a just transition together,” said Hannah Gelderman, an organizer with local action host Climate Justice Edmonton. “On Saturday we’re sending a message from the year 2025, when a real “Ministry of Just Transition” could be rolling out programs and institutions to slash pollution, create meaningful work, and address injustice and inequality in energy, Indigenous rights, housing, transit, public health, and more.”

Organizers hope these events will focus attention on the urgent need for the Just Transition Act that Justin Trudeau first promised in 2019.

“The Just Transition Act is the most important missing piece of climate legislation in Canada and it needs to pass this sitting of the House of Commons,” said Dylan Penner, Climate and Social Justice Campaigner with the Council of Canadians. “We cannot tackle the climate crisis without rapidly phasing out fossil fuels. Canadians deserve immediate action from our federal government to make that shift happen in a way that puts workers and communities first.”

More information: 350.org/m12 

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Contact: Cam Fenton, [email protected], 604-369-2155

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