The Society is excited to be deepening its relationship with the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) to build a cleaner, greener economy with good, unionized jobs at its core.

When about two dozen members attended a Toronto Environmental Alliance-SEP workshop on Toronto’s climate change plan earlier this year, the underlying theme was that stopping and reversing the impacts of climate change are only worthwhile if this is a prosperous place for every resident. TEA has done lots of work with partners like Social Planning Toronto and the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals to research how this type of inclusive climate action can be achieved.

SEP is now partnering with TEA for the next step: putting the research into action. By helping TEA bring the research to key decision-makers we believe we can influence government spending decisions so climate change funding is used to build the workforce a green economy requires and build it within communities that have struggled to find prosperity in today’s economy. For example, SEP and TEA want to ensure energy retrofits of social housing also create decent work for people who live where the housing is being repaired. They want to ensure energy retrofit programs for government buildings, schools and residential homes create decent work for local communities. They want to ensure creating the 21st century energy system (likely based on electricity and battery storage) is done by local unionized workers.

This is exciting work that will build a better city, better province and better world while making the SEP and the labour movement stronger – and everyone benefits from that.

The partnership with TEA will provide lots of exciting opportunities for in the future. SEP will be sure to let you know about them in hope members take an active role.