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A closer look at just transition policies
Canada

Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act

Region
Americas
Country
Canada
Originator/Owner
Government Ministries And Agencies National Level
Coordinating/Lead actor
Natural Resources Canada (Minister for Energy and Natural Resources)
Policy type
Policies
Policy areas
Enterprise policies, Industrial and sectoral policies, Macroeconomic and growth policies, Rights, Skills development, Social dialogue and tripartism, Social protection
Environmental focus
Climate change
Target groups
Employers, Indigenous people, Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), Other, Workers
Sectoral focus
Energy, Extractives, Other
Crosscutting themes
Employment/job creation, Green economy
Date of Adoption
20 Jun 2024
Timeframe
2019-2050
2019
Policy commitment to just transition legislation
Feb 2023
'23-'25 Interim Sustainable Jobs Plan released
Jun 2024
Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act passed
Feb 2026
'26-'30 Action Plan published
2030
Next 5-year Action Plan required
2050
Net-zero emissions goal
Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act.pdf
English, PDF

Canada adopted a national legislative framework to centre decent work in the country’s transition to a net-zero economy.

The Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act emerged from over five years of national debate to shape a national agreement – including political commitments and bargaining, policy planning, calls to action from civic movements, and public consultation. The initiative for national legislation flowed from the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities which concluded in 2018.

This legislation is founded on several key principles to inform the Government of Canada’s approach to building a net-zero economy. It also creates an institutional framework for long-term policymaking in line with just transition principles. It does this by establishing structures, functions and responsibilities, including dialogue, planning, coordination, and reporting. Roles are assigned to government actors, social partners, and other stakeholders.

Specifically, the government is required to publish an Action Plan and public progress reports every five years. The Act also creates a forum for social dialogue and advisory input to plans and policies, called the Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council, and a dedicated Secretariat to steer implementation.

Key insights
Engagement and transparency driving a policy to create sustainable employment and support workers and communities

The legislative process leading to and governance structure flowing from the Act have a strong emphasis on decent work, inclusivity and accountability. Focusing on jobs is seen as a pathway to economic growth and to reach Canada’s net-zero emissions goal.

Firstly, climate goals and just transition principles are well-anchored within the text itself. These include:

  • social dialogue to build strong consensus
  • decent work informed by cultural strengths
  • recognition of local and regional needs
  • recognition of the values and potential of workers and communities
  • inclusivity and opportunities for underrepresented groups
  • international cooperation to reinforce climate action that creates sustainable jobs.

In line with these principles, the Act defines sustainable jobs as:

“Any job that is compatible with Canada’s pathway to achieving a net-zero-emissions and climate-resilient future and that reflects the concept of decent work, namely work — including a job in which the worker is represented by a trade union that has entered into a collective agreement — that can support the worker and their family over time and that includes elements such as fair income, job security, social protection and social dialogue.”

Secondly, the Act integrates these approaches into the governance architecture to inform Action Plans. Two new entities are critical for Canada to deliver outcomes that match the ambition.

The Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council: a body directed to use social dialogue to develop independent advice for the government, to inform Sustainable Jobs Action Plans. The Council comprises representatives from labour organizations, Indigenous Peoples, industry, and environmental groups and regulators. It is required to undertake engagement with the public, including in rural, remote, or resource-dependent communities, with a specific component on integrating the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples.

The Sustainable Jobs Secretariat: in recognition of the cross-cutting nature of sustainable jobs, this unit serves as the coordination hub for policies across government departments and agencies. It also develops, implements, and reports on each Action Plan and is the main point of contact for all programmes, funding, and resources for workers and employers.

Expected Outcomes
Job creation and support for workers and communities – which should provide high quality, sustained livelihoods
The design and architecture, the structure, the idea of the secretariat can certainly be learned from. Even if it wasn't called “just transition”, that was the guiding theme and they were following the principles – things like having labour and Indigenous groups and industry all participating in the Partnership Council
Philip Gass, Director, Energy Program, Just Transitions and Canada | International Institute for Sustainable Development
Implementation
A jobs agenda to be translated and delivered through Action Plans and supporting instruments

The Act requires the government's Action Plans to uphold its principles. They should plan investments in decarbonization, set conditions for accessing federal incentives, identify clear pathways for workers into sustainable work, including skills development measures – all with clear milestones and implementation methods for responsible ministers.

Additionally, each plan must align with emissions reduction targets under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act and track progress against milestones from previous iterations. The government is also required by the Sustainable Jobs Act to report progress at the mid-point of each Action Plan's five-year timeframe.

Action Plans should be based on an analysis of federal labour and economic data, incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion metrics, and highlight gaps in particular related to Indigenous Peoples. Like many countries, Canada’s energy transition and drivers of sustainable jobs vary by region and by community, so the 2026-2030 Action Plan includes measures driven by federal policy as well as provincial and territorial-led initiatives.

The Partnership Council produces an annual report containing its advice, reasoning, and a summary of its engagement activities and meetings with officials. The government must provide a response, although it is not obligated to include the Council’s recommendations in its Action Plan.

Consultations and dialogue platforms - from the Task Force on coal to the Partnership Council – have shaped the evolution of Canada's sustainable jobs approach
Apr 2018 - Dec 2018
Coal Just Transition Task Force engagements | Actors: Government at multiple levels, coal workers, coal communities | Task Force members travelled to affected provinces, toured facilities, hosted eight public sessions, visited fifteen communities, and met with more than 80 stakeholder groups.
20 Jul 2021 - 30 Apr 2022
Consultation on Sustainable Jobs | Actors: Workers and unions, industry, experts, provinces and territories, Indigenous groups | Written submissions on a a federal discussion paper; 17 roundtable virtual discussions with experts, unions and industry; meetings with other stakeholders.
2022 - Ongoing
Regional Energy and Resource Tables | Actors: Federal government and province-level governments; trade unions, employers and Indigenous groups can be "partners". | Primarily government-to-government negotiations, with listening sessions and engagements available in some provinces.
May 2025 - Ongoing
Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council | Actors: Representatives from industry, unions, Indigenous Peoples, environmental groups, and regulators | Monthly meetings as a group, with three advisory committees, and engagement with senior federal officials.
20 Oct 2025 - 21 Oct 2025
Engagement Advisory Committee (Partnership Council) first consultations | Actors: Workers and union representatives in nuclear, forest, automotive and steel sectors, human resource experts, industry leaders | Sessions in the Greater Toronto Area and southwestern Ontario.
Other stakeholders
Building on provisions in legislation to seek meaningful inclusion and agency

The Partnership Council’s terms of reference name a wide range of groups as important stakeholders, across workers and employers, multiple levels of government, Indigenous groups, official language minority communities, members of the public and youth in particular, and other service providers and experts bodies.

Relationships with stakeholder groups – especially Indigenous Peoples – are not delegated to the members of the Partnership Council. Rather, these members’ role is to support and enhance the inclusion and co-design of policy measures with relevant groups – including through the Council’s own engagement activities and the actions it recommends government to take.

For instance, 2026, the First Peoples Advisory Committee and Engagement Advisory Committee of the Partnership Council are collaborating to ensure a robust Indigenous component in engagement activities, including in-person and virtual options. For context, Indigenous Nations and communities are the majority holders of clean energy assets outside of Crown and private utilities in Canada (see IISD).