Canada is investing in a skilled workforce for the clean energy sector.
Federal minister Tim Hodgson, who heads Energy and Natural Resources, this month announced $3.2 million in funding through the Toward Net-Zero Homes and Communities Program to support five clean energy projects across remote regions in Western and Northern Canada.
The initiative promises to upskill trades workers to build energy-efficient homes and help rural communities shift away from reliance on fossil fuels, according to a statement from the government.
“Canada’s energy and economic future depend on the people with the skills to build the projects we need,” Hodgson stated, adding that the investment “will get construction projects built, growing the economy while cutting pollution.”
For example, the Trade Winds to Success Training Society is receiving capital to upskill trades workers and build 15 “EcoSmart” homes.
The Qikiqtani Inuit Association will apply capital toward a solar panel installation on its newly constructed Nauttiqsuqtiit Conservation Centre in Arctic Bay.
And the Nunatsiavut Government will use funding to introduce the Nunatsiavut Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program, which will help the local community access retrofit funding.
Buildings, including homes, represent Canada’s third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Corey Hogan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, expects to see this figure come down in the future, claiming that “Canada is moving with purpose to grow a competitive, sustainable economy and build on our record as a global leader in energy efficiency.”
He envisions a world where we can “lower emissions and improve affordability at the same time.”