To Alberta and Back Again: A Case Study into Cape Breton’s Pathway to a Just and Green Energy Economy

Abstract

Cape Breton has a long history of extractive industry. Industrial decline in the region has led to high employment and significant social and economic problems. Cape Breton is also at the forefront of Nova Scotia’s green energy transition, being the site for multiple large scale green energy infrastructure projects. This thesis seeks to uncover employment gaps in the green energy sector in post-industrial Cape Breton and analyze the industrial and community viability of green energy projects in the region. Through the application of a just transition framework, this study aims to explore how industrial development for green energy can be approached as a means of community revitalization rather than as just an economic process. A variety of gaps in the Cape Breton labour force were identified, and current programs and approaches were analyzed using the Employment Diagnosis Analysis Framework (EDA), developed by the International Labour Organization. A just transition framework was used to apply the EDA data to current green energy programs in Cape Breton, with a particular focus on green hydrogen development in Port Hawkesbury. The study provides direction for the application of a just transition for Cape Breton communities.