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Structural Change in Germany and Canada

Energy diversification and the need for sustainable jobs is not just a Canadian challenge. Iron & Earth is studying the global energy and economic shift. 

German Consul General to Canada This week Iron & Earth’s Executive Director Luisa Da Silva is part of an international group in Germany looking at that country’s move towards greater energy diversification and a more sustainable economy.

Germany has been one of the world leaders in energy transition and has reached the point where there is no more black coal mining and lignite open pit mining will soon be coming to an end. Like Canada’s oil and gas sector which built our economic wealth, generations of German workers went into mines and made a living and grew the economy as they dug out coal and made steel. Now a cultural tradition has started to change within a generation.

A younger generation is making the move to a more renewable economy and much of the transition’s success comes down to involving communities and workers in the shift. A practice that should sound familiar if you follow our work here at Iron & Earth.

International participants in the German Foreign Office sponsored tour are bringing their experience to Germany to help inform the ongoing transition, and will bring lessons from the German experience back to their respective countries.

Marc Eichhorn is the German Consul General in Canada and his office helped organize the Structural Change tour for the international participants.

He talked with freelance broadcaster Don Hill about the tour and about what the German experience has been like in a global economy experiencing a major change.

 

 

Iron & Earth was founded within Treaty 6 Territory and within the Métis homelands and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. We acknowledge this land as the traditional territories of many First Nations, including the Nehiyaw (Cree), Denesuliné (Dene), Nakota Sioux (Stoney), Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), and Niitsitapi (Blackfoot).

Iron & Earth acknowledges that our work takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of Indigenous Peoples across Canada. We recognize the ongoing impacts of colonialism and the deep connection that Indigenous communities have with the land, water, and environment. Our commitment to a Just Transition is informed by Indigenous land stewardship principles. We are dedicated to fostering partnerships with Indigenous communities, respecting their sovereignty, and learning from their knowledge and traditions. We strive to ensure that our initiatives are inclusive and support community-driven climate solutions, contributing to a sustainable and equitable future for all. We honor the diverse histories, languages, and cultures of Indigenous Peoples and commit to continuing our journey of learning and reconciliation as we work together toward a thriving green economy.