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

Alberta, Canada, committed to ending coal power pollution by 2030, a goal it is currently exceeding. To manage the transition, the province established the Climate Leadership Plan, which included an economy-wide carbon tax and the 'Off-Coal Agreements' providing CAD 1.36 billion to utilities for converting to natural gas. The government implemented a CAD 40 million Coal Workforce Transition Fund offering retirement bridges, relocation assistance, and tuition vouchers, alongside a CAD 5 million Coal Community Transition Fund for economic diversification. While social dialogue and early phase-out progress are strengths, challenges remain regarding the long-term availability of funding and the risk of investing in non-climate-friendly infrastructure.

• Alberta's coal phase-out is progressing faster than planned, with a 2019 study indicating the process was approximately six years ahead of its 2030 target.
• To facilitate the transition of major utilities, the government entered into 'Off-Coal Agreements' with TransAlta, ATCO, and Capital Power, providing CAD 1.36 billion ($1.01 billion) over 14 years (2017-2030) to compensate for stranded capital in exchange for converting to natural gas. These payments are funded by the province's carbon tax on large industrial emitters.
• The government established a CAD 40 million ($29.9 million) Coal Workforce Transition Fund 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-level support included the CAD 5 million ($3.7 million) Coal Community Transition Fund, which supported 12 projects in 17 communities in March 2018, and the Community and Regional Economic Support (CARES) program, which prioritizes innovation, investment, and tourism to diversify local economies.
• The transition faces risks including the uncertainty of future funding rounds for community and workforce programs, and the potential for economic diversification projects to lock in emissions-intensive infrastructure, such as road construction.

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} }