Alberta, Canada: Supporting Both Workers and Communities to Ensure a Just Transition

This case study examines Alberta, Canada's strategy to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030, focusing on the financial mechanisms and social dialogue used to support affected workers and communities.

• Alberta committed to a complete phase-out of coal power plants by 2030, a goal that requires retiring 40% of the province's installed capacity, which was 16.4 GW in 2016. To facilitate this, the government entered 'Off-Coal Agreements' in November 2016 with major utilities TransAlta, ATCO, and Capital Power, providing CAD 1.36 billion ($1.01 billion) in compensation over 14 years (2017 to 2030) to convert to natural gas, funded by a carbon tax on large industrial emitters.
• The government established a CAD 40 million ($29.9 million) Coal Workforce Transition Fund operational as of January 2018, featuring three primary initiatives: the Bridge to Retirement program (providing up to 75% of previous weekly earnings for up to 72 weeks for eligible workers aged 53+), the Relocation Assistance program (reimbursing up to CAD 5,000 for moves of at least 40 kilometers), and the Coal and Electricity Transition Tuition Voucher (providing up to CAD 12,000 for secondary education).
• Community support was provided through the Coal Community Transition Fund, which gave CAD 5 million ($3.7 million) in March 2018 to 12 projects in 17 communities, and the Community and Regional Economic Support (CARES) program, which prioritizes innovation, investment, and tourism. A 2019 study indicated the coal phase-out was approximately six years ahead of schedule and that some areas, such as Parkland County, saw socioeconomic improvements through public infrastructure projects like road construction.
• The transition process relied on extensive social dialogue, including the government-led Alberta's Climate Change Advisory Panel and the non-governmental Coal Transition Coalition (CTC). However, challenges remain, including uncertainty regarding the long-term availability of funding beyond the one-off March 2018 payout, the risk that diversification projects (like road construction) may lock in emissions-intensive transport, and initial delays in consultations that caused discontent among workers.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Alberta, Canada: Supporting Both Workers and Communities to Ensure a Just Transition. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/alberta-canada-supporting-both-workers-and-communities-ensure-just-transition

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Alberta, Canada: Supporting Both Workers and Communities to Ensure a Just Transition. 2021. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/alberta-canada-supporting-both-workers-and-communities-ensure-just-transition.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Alberta, Canada: Supporting Both Workers and Communities to Ensure a Just Transition |date=1 April 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/alberta-canada-supporting-both-workers-and-communities-ensure-just-transition |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2021alberta, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Alberta, Canada: Supporting Both Workers and Communities to Ensure a Just Transition}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/alberta-canada-supporting-both-workers-and-communities-ensure-just-transition}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }