#GLOBE2016

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After attending GLOBE 2016 Conference & Innovation Expo in Vancouver, we are more excited than ever for the future of Canadian energy. 

Right off the bat, a round of applause to the organizers of GLOBE. Thank you to all who stopped by our booth. We received so many words of encouragement. It was amazing to have so many enlightening conversations with those making Canada's climate commitments a reality. We are increasingly confident that workers' voices will be considered in the complex decisions that lie ahead. 

A few visitors had a confused look on their face when they first read our byline, "Oilsands Workers for Renewable Energy". We are really grateful to have had the opportunity to share our perspectives with them and advocate for a place for trades workers in the future of Canadian energy. After a brief chat, it would click: There are great opportunities for Canada's skilled trades people in the renewable sector.  We want to help foster an environment where those who have spent their working lives in the oilsands and other extractive sectors feel there is a place for them. Moreover, we want to see that these workers have the skills they need to succeed in tomorrow's diverse energy projects.

 

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We welcome the calls for a "just transition" by the many elected representatives, policy makers and academics who attended, but we are going to move forward with our plans to build tangible solutions to ensure Canadian oilsands workers are trained in a range of new renewable energy technologies.

Stay tuned! We'll be launching our first media campaign March 21st in Edmonton. We hope to see you there :).

Oh, and if you didn't get a chance at GLOBE please sign our pledge of support for Canadian oilsands workers calling for more renewable energy opportunities.

 

Iron & Earth was founded and operates on Indigenous land within Treaty Six Territory and Métis Region 4 in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (in Nehiyawewin/Cree), so-called Edmonton. The home of many Indigenous Peoples including the Nehiyawak/Cree, Tsuut’ina, Niitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Haudenosaunee/Iroquois, Dene Suliné, Anishinaabe/Ojibway/Saulteaux, and the Inuk/Inuit.

We pay our respects to all Indigenous Peoples of this land. Through their spiritual and practical relationships with the land, a rich heritage for our learning and our life as a community has been created and maintained. We recognize that the transition to a low-carbon future must be led by Indigenous Peoples and that there will be no justice unless we acknowledge and repair our relationship with the land.

We are committed to responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and acknowledge that we are always learning and unlearning practices that minimize harm and lead to the development of trust between us and Indigenous Peoples across Nations and urban centers.