The NDC Partnership is a network of over 120 countries, facilitated by UNFCCC, that is dedicated to helping each other strengthen their Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Pledges. The Partnership has just released Version 3.0 of the NDC Navigator, an interactive tool that supports the development of updated country NDCs to be submitted in 2025. Below are Climate Scorecard Country Managers’ advice to their countries of what needs to be done to strengthen their NDCs based on the framework of the NDC Partnership Navigator.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Natural Resources
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Dear Honourable Minister Wilkinson,
Climate Scorecard is pleased that the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Partnership, a UNFCCC global coalition, engages all members to submit updated, stronger climate targets by February 2025 to achieve Paris Agreement goals. Count us in as part of the globally raised NDC support community.
Climate Scorecard (a non-profit) (2015) is a worldwide initiative that reports on and advocates for efforts to reduce emissions in leading greenhouse gas-emitting countries through monthly assessments on critical climate change topics. Canada’s progress is discussed at https://www.climatescorecard.org/canada/.
As Canada prepares to update its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2025, we strongly recommend utilizing the NDC Partnership’s Navigator 3.0 tool to increase our country’s climate obligations. This recently published interactive platform provides helpful information for countries looking to improve their NDCs following the Paris Agreement targets. The United Nations Climate Change NDC Partnership website (https://ndcnavigator.org/routes/) offers more details on the instrument.
Below, we wish to comment on the NDC Navigator 3.0 questions on their Route #3 to strengthening country NDCs – How can your country’s NDC help support a just and equitable transition
Did the last NDC explicitly consider Just Transition? Are additional Just Transition actions being considered in NDC 3.0 to demonstrate progression?
Canada’s 2021 NDC submission commits to reducing emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030 (up from 30%) with a Just Transition that recognizes that climate change requires the participation of all Canadians to reach net zero by 2050. This includes investment in new low-carbon markets and equitable job access for underrepresented Canadians.
Climate Scorecard advocates transitioning off fossil fuels quickly while protecting workers and communities economically dependent on the fossil fuel industry. We ask Canada to embody Navigator 3.0 policy recommendations that Just Transition supports impacted citizens with social protection, financial assistance, healthcare, and affordable housing. Also, it includes economic fairness, labor market interventions, reskilling/upskilling and relocation subsidies, job creation connecting climate ambition with workforce needs, economic diversity, sustainable enterprise, or community development schemes. Also, add worker displacement from outsourcing, the gig economy, and automation.
- Is there a Just Transition strategy or other plans, and is there a need to ensure these are reflected in the NDC 3.0?
A federal commitment in 2019 finally moved policy forward in June 2024 as Bill C-50, the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act. This includes a Secretariat to ensure effective collaboration and policy coherence across federal entities and a Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council representing Indigenous organizations, labor, industry, and other Canadians, working with Canada’s Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act.Climate Scorecard sees no one left behind in identifying actions toward a low-carbon economy. Jobs must be available for newly trained workers, not sometime in the future. Action Plans developed in 2025 mean 2026 delivery. Faster action is needed with concrete measures, inclusivity on infrastructure and electrical grid upgrades, stronger safety net programs, cleanups, and many other time lags. Provinces have already had to rely on existing program mechanisms, such as EI, not designed to support a Just Transition.
- Is there interest in establishing a national framework for Just Transition processes and identifying specific areas for action alongside the NDC?Navigator 3.0 emphasizes that NDC frameworks prioritize the well-being of workers, communities, and marginalized groups by identifying potential risks, action strategies, and measured progress and commitment to a socially responsible, equitable approach to climate action mitigation. It also adds the voice of affected communities, often those excluded.Climate Scorecard recognizes that the new Act favorably impacts Canada’s emissions targets through a framework with collaborative input on principles, goals, and processes. This new Act states that climate change disproportionately impacts vulnerable groups and individuals. The Act also describes its purpose as facilitating and promoting economic growth, sustainable jobs, and support in the shift to net zero. Climate Scorecard asks for data-informed and transparent decision-making related to climate policies and clear, measurable commitments from public utilities, investors, and green recovery plans.
- Did the prioritization of actions in the last NDC involve estimating the impacts (positive and negative) on affected peoples and communities through qualitative or quantitative assessment? For instance, social, economic, health, or gender impact assessments, skills gap analysis, and stakeholder engagement.Navigator 3.0 emphasizes looking at sector vulnerabilities affected by climate change; socioeconomic impacts such as increased migration, food insecurity, income insecurity, and social unrest; impact data such as active labor market, social protection, and skills development policies and measures; strategies that maximize impacts and minimize negative impacts; and opportunities to increase capacity, green skills and jobs through coordination mechanisms between different ministries and levels of government.The scorecard recognizes that the last NDC didn’t assess social or economic impacts as they did not apply to ICTU. The global NDC Equity Tracker’s review of Canada 2021 NDCs indicated notable advancements in gender equality, justice, and involvement through multiple gender-based initiatives. This included a Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) scrutiny for systemic inequalities in policy and program to advance women-led and gender-responsive action in decision-making, monitoring of climate initiatives, and gender inclusion on environmental integrity, gender equality, and Indigenous rights.
Climate Scorecard endorses attention is needed with NDC design given Equity Tracker’s observation that the 2021 ambition didn’t represent Canada’s fair share based on past contributions to climate change, excluded intersectionality, limited youth inclusion needs, and that of future generations, focused on green technology rather than fossil fuels phase out. Climate Scorecard emphasizes using past trends and demographic data. Given Canada’s four assessment approaches – Health Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Strategic Environmental Assessments, and Risk Assessment, we ask for their use in NDCs.
- Were the voices of vulnerable and/or affected communities or groups heard and considered? How inclusive are the mechanisms for engaging with workers, affected groups and communities, and civil society organizations in climate policy discussions in your NDC?Navigator 3 urges incorporating climate science into national curricula and workplace training, undertaking social dialogue and stakeholder engagement, fostering gender responses, integrating perspectives of vulnerable groups/communities and reflecting human rights, understanding the need for green jobs and skills across sectors, and empowering society to make climate-conscious decisions and act for Just Transition.We support the new Act’s commitment that a sustainable jobs approach will emphasize opportunities for underrepresented groups, for example, women, disabled, Indigenous peoples, Black and other racialized individuals, 2SLGBTQI+, migrants, and youth. A clear and coordinated approach can help avoid economic disruption and personal hardship. We also invite you to engage media and academia in research and raising awareness while recognizing Canada as a linguistically diverse country.
Climate Scorecard defers to the 2022 Canada’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development’s audit report to Parliament on the coal transition that began in 2018, indicating that the government was unprepared for the coal Just Transition. The report stated employment agencies’ mechanisms fell short of a just transition, gender‑based analysis didn’t reflect worker diversity, and lack of measures didn’t explain how programs supported workers on legislation accelerating coal-fired electricity phase-out by 2030. Canada delivered on only four of the ten Task Force for Coal Power Workers and Communities December (2018) recommendations, with Canada’s coal phase-out being the first of several transitions to a low-carbon economy facing Canada. Climate Scorecard asks that Canada review lessons learned from this for a more effective transition in the future.
- Are there mechanisms in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of policies (i.e., labor market, social protection) promoting Just Transition?Navigator 3.0 discusses that quantifying impacts, for example, through social impact assessments, can prioritize mitigation strategies that maximize positive outcomes and minimize harm to vulnerable populations. This type of baseline aids more targeted climate policies and measures to ensure resources go to those who need them most. This includes job creation in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance to inform skills development, labor market trends, enterprise, and other sectoral/industry policies.According to a Canadian Climate Institute (CCI) 2022 report, around 70% of Canada’s goods exports and 60% of its foreign direct investment come from transition‑vulnerable sectors that will experience market disruption expected to impact more than 800,000 Canadians. Regular progress reporting will need prosperity outlooks in sectors from renewable electricity to hydrogen, critical minerals, EV manufacturing, low-carbon building materials, and spillover jobs in food, healthcare services, supply chains, and infrastructure improvements for roads, internet access, and electricity transmission. Investment in retrofits, EVs and battery supply chains, net-zero chemicals, and steel decarbonization are good examples of new growth fueling a global transition.
Climate Scorecard is resolute that current and future workforces be fully equipped with the skills to address our climate crisis and help accelerate NDC commitments, and that education on sustainable development be provided in all schools and community centers. We back CCI’s opinion that universities and colleges should adjust post-secondary programs to better reflect the skills Canadian companies need to succeed with the low-carbon transition.
Climate Scorecard asks that the new Just Transition Act Secretariat request that a fossil fuel subsidies cutoff be used to finance transition instead, and the new Council, acting as transition experts, provide input to improve labor market data collection, tracking, and analysis of skills development and social measures on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the labor force while addressing concerns of affected stakeholders, workers, and employers. Also, the Net-Zero Advisory Body mechanism ensures our Emissions Reduction Plan and other related policy legislation correspond with Just Transition principles. Also, to alleviate any negative transition impacts experienced in Indigenous communities, marginalized groups, collaborative regional plans, and provincial agencies.
An IISD survey in 2021 noted that climate change had more bipartisan support in Europe, leading to more sustained action. One participant stated, “Canada is inching out of the basement. Europe, meanwhile, is building a tenth story on its just transition building.” Let’s change that.
Sincerely,
Diane Szoller, Canada Country Manager, Climate Scorecard