Bill C-50 (the Act), which received Royal Assent in June 2024, seeks to promote economic growth and support the creation of sustainable jobs in the transition to a net-zero economy. The Act sets out a framework for
The Act establishes the Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council (s.6(1)) which is mandated with providing Ministers designated under the Act (a member(s) of the King’s Privy Council for Canada chosen by the Governor in Council) with independent advise on measures to foster the creation of sustainable jobs (which are consistent with the net-zero transition) (s.6(1)(a)) and measures to support workers and communities in the net-zero transition, including through skills development and training, and economic development and diversification, in addition to national, regional, and federal-provincial/territorial initiatives that relate to Sustainable Jobs Action Plans (s.6(1)(b)). The Council must submit an annual report with its recommendations to the Ministers designated under the Act.
The Act stipulates that the Minister must prepare a Sustainable Jobs Action plan no later than December 31 2025, and must prepare a new Plan every five years thereafter (s.16(1)). Each Plan must include an outline of how the federal government will facilitate the creation of sustainable jobs and support for workers over the five-year period covered by the Plan, including through investments to decarbonise the Canadian economy and other federal-level incentives (s.16(1)(3)(a)) Each Plan must also set out the measures that have been identified to be implemented, such as skills development and social measures to support workers on community and sectoral bases, and ways in which federal entities will implement the measures (including any milestones to achieve implementation) (s.16(1)(3)(b)).
The Act also requires the Minister to establish a Sustainable Jobs Secretariat to support the Minister in the implementation of the Act. The Secretariat is responsible for enabling policy and program coherence in the development and implementation of each Sustainable Jobs Action Plan, and for supporting the preparation of the Plans and tracking progress made towards achieving their objectives, amongst other duties (s.20(1)(2)).
