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Canada’s Sustainable Jobs Plan Will Become a Law Next Year

Posted on July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 by dishanth

Canada’s Sustainable Jobs Plan is intended to train workers for new roles in preparation for the future of a green economy. The government has presented a sustainable jobs bill that will provide the workforce needed for what is called a “just transition” to a new green economy. The country aims for a 40-45% reduction in emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hopes the Sustainable Jobs Plan will help attract billions of dollars in investment by creating a skilled clean energy workforce. The bill, which will become law early in 2024, will publish an action plan every five years to put in place measures to invest in the net-zero emissions economy and skills of the future. From 2025, the government plans to release a new sustainable jobs plan every five years.

This new legislation has been ongoing for over two years of consultations and conversations with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, workers and unions, industry, environmental and civil society organizations and interested Canadians. Based on these conversations, the creation of the Sustainable Jobs Plan put forward ten concrete actions to advance the creation of sustainable jobs and support workers in every part of Canada. These actions include:

Establish the sustainable jobs secretariat: This will ensure federal policies and program coordination among Government departments.

Create a Sustainable Partnership Council: This council would advise the government on job creation and support workers.

Develop economic strategies through the Regional Energy and Resource Tables: These tables will work with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous groups and other partners to identify a set of concrete actions and develop economic strategies.

Introduce a sustainable jobs stream under the Union Training and Innovation Program: This will provide workers with training, equipment and materials that meet industry standards and investments that support a low-carbon economy.

Advanced funding for skills development for sustainable jobs: This will be achieved by working with universities, colleges, union training centres and employer groups to help workers succeed in a net-zero economy.

Promote Indigenous-led solutions and a National Benefits-Sharing Framework: This will be achieved by continuously supporting Indigenous-owned clean energy projects across Canada.

Improve labour market data collection, tracking and analysis: These improvements will help the council provide advice and identify new measures and actions that must be taken.

Motivate investors and draw in industry leaders to support workers: The money will be used to support green infrastructure, clean technologies, climate action, and environmental protection.

Collaborate and lead on the global stage: Canada is committed to ensuring that their best practices and lessons learned are shared globally.

Establish legislation that ensures ongoing engagement and accountability: The overall goal is that all Canadians are involved in the decision-making process and that everyone adapts to new changes to help achieve our goals.

Canada’s Sustainable Jobs Plan will train people in jobs that are compatible with Canada’s path to a net-zero emissions and climate-resilient future. These include:

Clean energy: This includes jobs in solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power generation, as well as energy efficiency and conservation.
Green infrastructure: This includes jobs in building and maintaining sustainable infrastructure, such as green roofs, rainwater harvesting systems, and electric vehicle charging stations.
Low-carbon transportation: This includes jobs in electric vehicle manufacturing, public transit, and active transportation (e.g., walking, biking, and rolling).
Sustainable agriculture: This includes jobs in organic farming, sustainable forestry, and aquaculture.
Recycling and waste management: This includes jobs in recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy.
Environmental monitoring and remediation: This includes jobs in monitoring air and water quality and cleaning up contaminated sites.

The Sustainable Jobs Plan will help to ensure Canada has the skilled workforce it needs to build a clean, healthy future for the country.

Think-tank Clean Energy Canada expects jobs in this sector will grow by 3.4% annually over the next decade, nearly four times faster than the Canadian average. With the commitment from the Canadian government to the Sustainable Jobs Plan, there is hope that the country can meet its environmental goals and that sustainable jobs will become the new normal across the country.

Source Happy Eco News

How automotive batteries are being turned into solar power storage

Posted on December 13, 2022 by dishanth

As concern over climate change and the need for clean energy sees an increasing number of people switch to electric cars, these vehicles are fast gaining a larger market share.

But some experts are asking how green the batteries that run them really are?

They’re raising questions about the environmental impact of lithium mining, respect for human rights and alleged child labour in cobalt mines, the high energy costs of production, and a recyclability rate of barely 10%.

Rita Tedesco, ECOS Head of energy transition says that the recycling of materials of batteries “at this moment is neither interesting for recyclers nor for manufacturers because it’s much cheaper to extract virgin materials than to recycle them.”

But a Spanish company is trying to give used car batteries a ‘second life’.

As part of the EU project, Stardust, its reconditioning them to store solar energy, adding at least 10 years to their life.

Critics say European Union legislation on sustainable practices in battery recycling is largely outdate.

But discussions are currently underway on proposed legislation which could regulate the production chain from extraction to the recycling and reuse processes.

Watch the video in the player above.

Source euronews

Zara launched pre-owned service for shoppers to resell, repair or donate items

Posted on November 23, 2022November 23, 2022 by dishanth

Zara launched a pre-owned service that will let UK customers resell, repair or donate clothing from the brand.

The Spanish fashion giant, owned by Inditex, launched Zara Pre-Owned on 3 November as part of its environmental sustainability commitments.

Shoppers can post second-hand Zara items for sale through the service, as well as book repairs and donate unwanted items online or through a store.

The platform will be hosted on Zara’s website and app, with transactions going through the Stripe system.

Similar to existing resale apps like Vinted, shopper can upload pictures of their items with detailed product information. The buyers’ details will be passed on to the seller once a sale is made so the goods can be posted.

If customers are seeking to repair their Zara clothes, they can book a wide range of options from replacing buttons and zippers to fixing seams.

Customers can also request for unwanted clothing to be collected from their home for donation.

Paula Ampuero, head of sustainability at Zara, said that Zara Pre-Owned is not expected to be profitable in its early stages.

“At this stage, this platform is exclusively conceived as a tool to help customers extend the lifetime of their clothing and take a more circular approach.”

Fast fashion brands have come under mounting pressure to tackle the industry’s high carbon footprint and introduce more sustainable practices instead of encouraging “throwaway” culture.

Several retailers, including Zara and H&M, currently run recycling schemes that allows shoppers to give them unwanted textiles that can be sorted and recycled to make into new clothes and fabrics.

Earlier this year, Marks & Spencer said it became the first major high street brand to enter the resale market when it announced a trial partnership with the Dotte Resale Collective.

Dotte is a fully circular childrenswear resale marketplace that lets parents with young children buy, sell, donate, and recycle clothes they have outgrown.

John Lewis also launched a rewards scheme for members who bring in five items of clothing to be resold or recycled. The retailer said it launched the scheme because more than 300,000 tonnes of textiles end up in landfill each year.

Source The Independent

How Remote Offices Can Help Companies Go Green

Posted on September 14, 2020September 14, 2020 by dishanth

Turning your home into your workplace doesn’t just mean going easy with your dressing and flexible timings. But it has some REAL impacts on our eco-system and numerous benefits for the businesses. Working from the remote offices can help the environment by cutting commutes, reducing traffic load on roads, and reduced waste.

Going green is nowadays a subject undergoing intense study. In the past few years, the has population has badly affected mother nature. We all notice how our atmosphere is changing due to the irresponsible actions of humanity. That came a limit, and our earth told us that we need to stop polluting and take better care of our planet’s gifts. Just then, the COVID-19 stepped in. It immediately stopped everything, and here we are now, running our businesses from home!

But, going green is not only beneficial for the environment. Using virtual office to set up the business allows companies to save on their office spaces. Additionally, practicing a more eco-friendly approach can offer several commercial-based advantages, from bottom-line cost savings to an outstanding market advantage.
Consider these amazing benefits of working from home to going green for business, and see how efforts toward sustainability can help boost business.

It Cuts Down Added Expenses

New regulations are passed every year, and it raises the standards for businesses to be more justifiable in their processes. Practicing to make a “green” business will not only help improve your brand image and attract the ever-growing market of environmentally-minded consumers. When you and your teamwork from home, you cut down 50% of your expenses. Your business saves money from bills, parking lot charges, and other rents.
Other than that, working from home minimizes transportation costs, thus reducing the business expenses and saving the environment altogether.

Promotes Healthier & Safer Work Ethics

Working from home and staying safe is the top priority of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertain times. We all care for our team members, and when they’re logged in from their places, they’re safe. Following your state’s laws, you can tell the government that your company is fully cooperative and spreading the message of social distancing. You can try establishing a rewards program for employees who share pictures of their home workplaces.

Conserves the Office Space

Every individual who is remotely working is one less person who needs to use an additional space resource when going to the office. The space you choose in your home, to work, will always be there, either you use it or not. But the space a business needs to accommodate its employees can be conserved when fewer employees are there. You can also temporarily shut down the office premises to save the area completely until the situation gets better. So, who’s winning? (Obviously, you! The business owner!)

Boosts Productivity
Let’s now discuss the memes and myths floating around related to the laziness of employees in WFH (work from home). They say remote workers are lazy pseudo-professionals without real jobs. Researches have shown that those employees are more productive than employees who work from a physical office. Allow your team to work from home, and help the global cause of going green! (in fact, secretly get the business advantage).
Increased efficiency among remote member is mainly due to the reduced workplace distractions and more freedom to work during hours they find most productive. Even tiny improvements in the efficiency of your team members can improve the overall productivity of business operations. It ultimately results in increased sales and more profits.

Strengthens Customer Loyalty

Other than acquiring new customers, the practice of remote working to go green can also strengthen your relationship with your existing customers. You highly attract the audience who are conscious of the benefits of going green. Adding this idea to your business’s mission is a great way to strengthen ties with new and current customers.
Health and eco-conscious buyers show extraordinary brand loyalty when they are informed that your business not only deals with the best quality products but is also committed to providing a healthy environment for them.

Improves Employee Retention

Work from home has facilitated employees like nothing else. Surprisingly, a report found that 42% of employees would take a salary cut to have more flexible work hours from their employers. Despite the high unemployment rate, employees are willing to sacrifice more than 10% of their salaries to achieve professional flexibility’ work from home’ provides.
Other than these employees, team members who can’t concentrate in noisy areas are relaxed enough to have their small one-room office in their comfort zone.

Spreads Brand Awareness
Everybody is concerned about the planet. So, the people interested in your products also expect that businesses should also care about preserving the environment. For this, adding a green campaign to your business can do wonders in building brand awareness. It makes your business unique and favorite! Businesses that support going green movements will have increased brand awareness and will be more popular in public.

Earns Eco-friendly Incentives and Refunds

Earn special discounts for your going green efforts. Some sources can help you save while going “green.” It includes federal tax credits for energy by different states, incentives from energy companies, and other environmental corporations. Research and find out the programs for your state and federal programs to see if your business qualifies them.

FINAL WORDS:
Remote offices are playing a vital part in going green, and going green is helping the planet and your business equally. These benefits are quite measurable and meaningful. From saved overhead costs to increased employee retention and positive environmental impacts, employers who embrace telework plans within their business models can enjoy the advantages of being part of the modern US workforce without sacrificing business performance.
It can help differentiate you from the competition, attract customers, retain employees, save overhead costs, and be productive. Let’s continue working from home and our efforts to go green to see the positive impact we can make.
Good Luck!

By Ovidiu Sandru

Source: The Green Optimistic