Vancouver - With the release today of details of its clean growth strategy, the BC government has taken a number of promising steps to chart a course for clean, sustainable economic growth that sets new and stringent carbon reduction targets, says the BC Federation of Labour.
“Every day British Columbians experience the impacts of climate change on our personal lives, the well-being of our families and communities, and on our environment,” says BCFED President Laird Cronk.
“Clearly we need to act. But developing a new path forward to stem the tide of climate change is an immense challenge—and one that our government has begun to address in today’s clean growth launch.
“It’s the biggest and boldest plan for economic transformation in our province’s history,” Cronk says, noting that the upcoming budget in February will spell out more financial details for the plan."
Cronk says it’s critical that any plan address the fear of the unknown that many British Columbians will feel.
“It means that government will have to deal concretely with issues around affordability so that no one is left behind by the new economic blueprint,” he says. “It also means addressing the impacts of the transition on working people, their families and communities.
“The government’s clean growth strategy represents a historic opportunity to develop a new, sustainable economy that works for working people in all communities across the province.
“We’re committed to working together on just and fair transition strategies to protect existing workers and to ensure that new employment opportunities created by the Clean BC plan are good, family and community-supporting jobs," says Cronk.
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