Indigenous communities being left behind in Canada's 'green revolution': expert

It's critical Indigenous communitiesbe at the forefront of Canada'sshift into a green economy, and it needs to be done as a "just transition,"says aclean energy expert.

Heather Milton-Lightening says Indigenous communities are seeinga slower transition to green energy,economies and initiativescompared with mainstream societydue to other challenges Indigenous communities face.

"I don't think 'just transition' is really happening," she told the crowd at the2017 Alberta Climate Summit in Calgary Thursday. "I think we'retrying to figure out what it is. I feel like our communities are always playing catch up.Some people don't even understand what climate change is.

"On top of that, a lot of places live in abject poverty, so are you really going to care about climate change when you have to feed your kids? It's a catch-22 thing."

"Just transition"is a policy approach that hopes"to minimize the impact of environmental policies on workers in affected industries and communities," and involve workers in those policies,according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Milton-Lightening is fromPasquaFirst Nation in Saskatchewan andis helpingspearhead clean-energy alternatives in Indigenous nations through her work withIndigenous Climate Action. Shewas part of a panelabout incorporating Indigenous perspectives into the green economy transition Thursday.

During the panel discussion, she saidthe transitioning debate needs to be reframed.

"Our people talk about self-determination, sovereignty and all these other things and I think the concept of 'just transition' is really beautiful but if we're not actually talking about that [sovereignty]in terms of the policies or even the way that we are starting to look at things, research things because it's not just about green jobs, renewable energy, but actually livelihoods that respect culture and tradition."

Worldwide precedent

The director of the Just Transition Centre in Belgium said during the panel discussion it is working to develop a precedent on "just transitions,"specifically with the Maoritribes in New Zealand, in hopes other nations can adopt the process and ensure "nobody gets left behind.

"Our New Zealand unions are incorporating the Maori values and culture into this concept of 'just transition,'" said Samantha Smith.

The organization an initiative of the International Trade Union Confederation that aims to bring together unions, companies and communities to develop zero-carbon policies foresees a future where the entire global workforce becomes green.

"If we're going to do something meaningful about climate change, it's all jobs, every job bringing us to zero emissions," Smith said.

"It's moving from the systems we have today, includingthe extraction of fossil fuels, and we should be looking to bring more people into decent work and into sharing the benefits of the new jobs and activities."

MP vows to fight for just transition

The topic of a fair and "just transition" as Canada strives to meet its lower greenhouse gas emission goals isn't talked about in Parliament, saidEdmonton-StrathconaNDP MP Linda Duncan.

Duncan, who spoke to CBC after attendingthe summit, said her top priority is making sure all communities, including Indigenous ones, have their voices heard in environmental decision-making.

"In Alberta,most of the resource extraction activities are happening in Indigenous communities and they're not really getting a say into how things are developed," she said.

Indigenous peoples have been left behind when it comes to development, Duncan added.

"It's absolutely critical at the outset there bea voice [given] to communities, including Indigenous communities and workers into how we're going to move forward in the just transition.

"No more of this, 'Well, we'll set aside a certain percentage of our jobs for Indigenous peopleand maybe they can come clean the trailers.'"