Youth Council recommendations

The NRCan Youth Council examined the challenge of providing clean, reliable and cost-effective electricity to Canadians, recognizing differences in jurisdictional responsibilities and variations in access for lower-income households, as well as remote, northern and Indigenous communities.

The Youth Council’s recommendations align with several NRCan initiatives and long-term objectives. For example:

• NRCan leads on the Regional Energy and Resource Tables which are joint partnerships between the federal government and individual provincial/territorial governments, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, designed to improve planning across all of Canada’s regions.
• NRCan is committed to strengthening partnerships and building capacity in Indigenous communities, integrating capacity-building supports into many program frameworks, while engaging Indigenous governments, communities and organizations, as well as industry partners, to develop a National Benefits-Sharing Framework. This Framework will set forward a path to reducing the barriers Indigenous Peoples face in receiving consistent and equitable benefits from major natural resource projects on their territories.
• As a science-based department, NRCan supports technological leadership and will continue to investigate opportunities as highlighted by the Youth Council to expand its leadership in technological, educational, and economic areas related to natural resource and energy sectors.

The NRCan Youth Council examined the issue around addressing employment and career development barriers faced by Indigenous, northern, and remote communities in Canada.

In alignment with these recommendations, NRCan is advancing Indigenous reconciliation and participation, as well as supporting education and employment in the natural resources sector. For example:

• NRCan is working with other federal departments to identify investment opportunities for training, reskilling, and upskilling of Canadians choosing to enter low-carbon industries or jobs industries through the development of the Sustainable Jobs Action Plan, as well as through the Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) – Green Jobs, which provides funding to eligible employers across Canada to hire, train, and mentor youth in the natural resources sector.
• NRCan is committed to advancing reconciliation and strengthening partnerships with Indigenous People, as demonstrated through the leadership of Nòkwewashk, a sector within NRCan that guides the department in ensuring meaningful Indigenous participation in natural resource sectors. The Department is also guided by the Pathways to Reconciliation Framework and corresponding Action Plan, an internal reconciliation strategy that outlines principles and action areas to be embedded as part of the department’s activities, including weaving Indigenous knowledge into practice and highlighting the success of Indigenous partnerships.

The NRCan Youth Council examined the impact of natural resource extraction, development and regulatory processes on Indigenous communities in Canada, including the scope of involvement of Indigenous communities on decision-making related to resource development projects.

NRCan fully supports these recommendations, engaging with Indigenous partners to ensure that Indigenous Reconciliation and inclusivity are meaningfully linked to the Department’s initiatives. For example:

• NRCan, through the Government of Canada’s Building Canada’s Clean Future action plan, is leading actions related to advancing economic reconciliation, empowering Indigenous communities, and collaborating with Indigenous Peoples to develop a framework for clean growth projects.
• Through the implementation of Action Plan Measures 32 and 34 in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan, NRCan is working in collaboration with Indigenous peoples to both develop guidance on engaging with Indigenous peoples on natural resources projects.
• NRCan is developing the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program, which acts as a cornerstone of the National-Benefits- Sharing Framework mentioned above, by identifying opportunities to improve the quality and consistency of benefits that Indigenous communities derive from natural resource projects.

Under the theme of Indigenous partnerships, the Youth Council made recommendations such as providing reconciliation education to participants in youth-focused programs, creating a pathfinder service for Indigenous-target programs and providing funding for Indigenous youth to access certain skills training.

NRCan fully supports the recommendations and work is already underway in several areas. For example:

• Implementing the Indigenous stream of the Policy Analyst Recruitment and Development Program (PARDP) and the Indigenous Career Navigator service for Indigenous public servants.
• A pathfinder program is currently in development by NRCan; and
• Programs and strategies across NRCan sectors have Indigenous skills training components

Under the theme of Tree Planting, the Youth Council made recommendations such as creating a pan-Canadian data hub of green spaces and the development of a centralized, cross-jurisdictional coordinative body for tree planting activities and the evaluation of related grant programs.

NRCan fully supports these recommendations and work is already underway. For example:

• NRCan continues to expand the volume of and access to its geospatial data on green spaces; and
• Leveraging existing networks to coordinate tree planting activities and funding.

Under the theme of Sustainable Jobs, the Youth Council made recommendations such as creating a Sustainable Jobs Hub, new funding streams for not-for-profits, and an interdepartmental Sustainable Jobs Education Funding Program for those pursuing a career in a related field.

NRCan fully supports these recommendations and work is already underway, particularly through the Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) - Green Jobs and the Sustainable Jobs Secretariat. These:

• Provide funding to employers in the natural resource sector, including not-for-profits; and
• Engage with partners in developing policies leading to the 2025 Sustainable Jobs Action Plan.

Under the theme of Zero-Emissions Vehicles, the Youth Council recommended the creation of a roundtable where representatives from federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments can collaborate on addressing the infrastructural challenges of their respective jurisdictions.

NRCan fully supports this recommendation, with the Regional Energy and Resource Table (RERT) and its participation in the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) ZEV Working Group, led by Transport Canada, bringing together representatives from all provinces and territories, and many Indigenous governments, to identify and accelerate shared economic priorities for a low-carbon future.

Under the theme of Green Buildings, the Youth Council recommended the implementation of an incentive framework to encourage landlords to invest in energy efficiency retrofits for their properties.

The Office of Energy Efficiency encourages homeowners – including those renting out their homes - to make energy-efficient decisions through their existing programming.