Conference co-organised by Dr. Krawchenko - IMPLEMENTING A JUST TRANSITION

From its labour union origins, the concept of a just transition has captured the zeitgeist as societies struggle to balance the urgent need to phase out environmentally destructive industries while addressing the impacts on workers and communities. This is an agenda for sociotechnical transformation, a call for social, economic and environmental justice and a political imperative to manage the decarbonisation of economies.

This transition is urgent. For example, Alberta’s oil and gas extraction economy accounts for approximately half of the province’s total emissions — emissions that have increased by around 60 per cent since the 1990s. There are growing calls for divestment and for the oil and gas industry to reduce emissions in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to below 2 C. At the same time, Alberta’s oil and gas industry is reaching maturation and shedding jobs. This includes high-paying jobs that have sustained families and communities. High-emissions sectors have a human face, and transitions need to include them.

The majority of Canadians want their governments to act now to address climate change and the majority of fossil fuel industry workers support climate solutions that will lead to net zero carbon jobs. There is political support! What’s needed is a roadmap for the implementation of a just transition. What does a post carbon economy look like and how can we get there? How can this be achieved in a just way so rights holders and stakeholders are included in decisions that impact them and the costs and benefits of transition are fair?

The SPA’s Dr. Tamara Krawchenko is one of the lead organisers of the Parkland Institute’s upcoming national conference on IMPLEMENTING A JUST TRANSITION February 23-24, 2022. The link to conference information and registration can be found here: https://www.parklandconference.ca/