Building Ontario's green economy

TheGreen Energy and Economy Act, widely recognized as the best renewable energy policy in North America, has successfully attracted over 30 green energy manufacturing facilities to the province, led to new business for existing industries, and created over 13,000 jobs with manymore anticipated in the years to come.2 TheWaterOpportunities Act, theGreenbelt Act, and the provincial support for electr [...] Research shows that a green economy is more manufacturing and export intensive than the rest of the economy, offers better wages, and is growing faster than the economy at large.5 This growth is projected to continue, even accelerate,6 meaning the green economy should be at the centre of any strategy for Ontario’s economic recovery. [...] Indeed, as a recent report from Deloitte argues, “governments will need to promote workforce development, as well as job creation, if the anticipated benefits of the green economy are to be realized.”19 Recommendations: 1. Conduct outreach to prospective and existing green employers and trade unions to identify the skill sets and knowledge base required in their sector. [...] BUILDING ONTARIO’S GREEN ECONOMY: A ROAD MAP 6 Manufacturing Ontario’s manufacturing sector is responsible for over 15 per cent of our GDP28, 13 per cent of the employment29, and 24 per cent of the province’s GHG emissions.30 For Ontario, any green economic strategy needs to work with manufacturers to reduce the energy intensity of manufacturing, and consequently the sector’s contributions to clim [...] According to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), Ontario’s total contribution of toxins to the environment is second only to that of Texas as the worst in North America.31 Furthermore, according to research done by our affiliates in the U. S., the BlueGreen Alliance, toxics reduction legislation would create, rather than cost, jobs.32 “The greening of manufacturing is essential to any