Nova Scotia Regional Energy and Resource Table

Framework for Collaboration on the Path to Net-Zero

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Opportunity areas
• Carbon management
• Clean electricity
• Critical minerals
• Forest bioeconomy
• Hydrogen
• Marine renewables
• Sustainable jobs
• Implementation and next steps
• Footnotes

Introduction

Canada stands at the forefront of the global transition to a net-zero future and is well-positioned to be a leader in tomorrow’s clean energy economy. The Regional Energy and Resource Tables are a key mechanism for realizing this potential, as well as the sustainable jobs and prosperity that will come with seizing this historic opportunity.

The Canada-Nova Scotia Regional Energy and Resource Table (the Regional Table) was created in October 2022 as a joint partnership between the Government of Canada and the province of Nova Scotia – in collaboration with Mi’kmaw partners and with input from key interested parties. The Regional Table seeks to identify and accelerate the most promising low-carbon opportunities in the province’s energy and resource sectors.

This Collaboration Framework (the Framework) is the result of the unprecedented collaboration achieved through the Regional Table and lays out a shared understanding of Nova Scotia’s clean-growth opportunities and the actions required to advance them. To date, 6 opportunity areas have been identified that could contribute significantly to building and expanding Nova Scotia’s competitive advantages in a low-carbon economy:

This Framework builds on existing strategies and action plans to advance these areas of opportunity, while maximizing the alignment of federal and provincial resources, timelines and efforts toward a net-zero future.

It also recognizes that Nova Scotia’s ambitious plans for tackling our changing climate, outlined in the province’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth (PDF, 3.7 MB), represent a generational opportunity to build a thriving, low-carbon economy that creates good, well-paying jobs and lasting prosperity in every region of Nova Scotia.

Indigenous partner inclusion

Both Canada and Nova Scotia are committed to establishing and maintaining constructive, co-operative relationships based on mutual respect that lead to improved opportunities for Indigenous Peoples. Canada has committed to implementing and supporting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) as a framework for recognition and reconciliation toward full implementation of the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples. While the Regional Table is not a rights recognition or a rights determining process, Canada and Nova Scotia recognize that engagement with Indigenous partners must inform, and will enhance, this work. Engagement with Indigenous partners to date on the Regional Table has allowed for information to be shared on the initiative and specific opportunity areas, and for perspectives and priorities of Indigenous partners to be identified.

The first phase of the Nova Scotia Regional Table focused on defining how the federal and provincial governments would work together and integrate with existing partnerships with Mi’kmaw organizations across the province to shape and plan objectives and actions. Both governments collaborated with Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn (KMK), on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs which is comprised of 12 Mi’kmaw communities.

Engagement has taken place throughout the development of this Framework to enable meaningful discussion and feedback on all 6 areas of opportunity. This has included a series of meetings with subject matter experts from Canada and Nova Scotia to facilitate discussions with KMK’s experts and representatives. KMK has also shared written feedback on these areas to inform the Collaboration Framework.

Throughout this process, KMK has emphasized that future net-zero projects can use the strengths of Indigenous knowledge in conjunction with the strengths of Western knowledge, a concept known as Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing. KMK has also stressed the importance of government and industry partnerships with Mi’kmaw communities and businesses and ensuring transparency during the development and implementation of projects. KMK identified the need for funding and skill development opportunities to facilitate Mi’kmaq participation in the transition to net-zero.

Moving forward, Canada and Nova Scotia will continue to work with KMK and other Indigenous groups to understand their perspectives and interests to achieve the short and long-term objectives of the Nova Scotia Regional Table. The governments of Nova Scotia and Canada are committed to ensuring that Indigenous priorities are included in this work to amplify Indigenous knowledge and information sharing and to bolster Indigenous capacity and participation in the priority areas.

Opportunity areas

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Carbon management – including point-source carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) - is an important climate action and clean growth opportunity for Nova Scotia and for Canada. The province is capable of not only capturing its own carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions but is also well-situated to develop offshore CO₂ storage capacity for neighbouring eastern provinces, including Ontario, and for the northeastern United States. Nova Scotia is also home to leading technology innovators and seeking to build partnerships and attract investment to build its carbon management sector.

Canada and Nova Scotia seek to collaborate on 2 main pillars to advance carbon management:

• Developing CO₂ Storage Potential in Nova Scotia.
• Developing and Promoting Carbon Management Opportunities in Nova Scotia.

Developing CO₂ storage potential

To realize Nova Scotia’s long-term goal of becoming a global leader in carbon management, further work is needed to develop and implement effective and safe CO₂ storage and monitoring frameworks. The federal government has started evaluating approaches to authorize and regulate sub-seabed CO₂ storage in Canada, including in the Canada-Nova Scotia offshore area. NRCan leads a federal interdepartmental working group to evaluate the potential legislative amendments necessary to establish an offshore CCUS regime in Canada. Under the Canada-Nova Scotia Regional Table, collaboration will focus on supporting the development of Nova Scotia’s potential nearer-term onshore CO₂ storage opportunities.

Onshore subsurface resources fall under the jurisdiction of the province of Nova Scotia. Although initial studies have shown limited traditional CO₂ storage potential in the onshore basins, exploration of these opportunities is in its early stages. As Nova Scotia develops its provincial CO₂ storage regulations, it will be important to consider storage sources and needs, efficient regulatory and permitting processes, and opportunities to align federal and provincial activities. CO₂ storage regulations should also be developed to enable Nova Scotia to qualify as an eligible storage jurisdiction under the federal CCUS Investment Tax Credit, which is available for investments from 2022 to 2040.

Developing and promoting carbon management opportunities in Nova Scotia

Alongside excellent storage potential, Nova Scotia boasts world-class technology researchers and firms that are developing carbon management’s potential to reduce emissions from a variety of emitting sources or support CO₂removal from the atmosphere. The province is home to world-renowned technology developers and accelerators, such as the Ocean Frontier Institute, the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), CarbonCure and Planetary Technologies. Nova Scotia is well-positioned to grow as a knowledge hub for carbon management and can supply technologies to meet the growing global demand for carbon management solutions. As both domestic demand and external markets will be important for Nova Scotia to succeed, joint efforts are needed to showcase the province on both the domestic and international stage to support technology advancement and export, and investment attraction.

Decarbonizing Nova Scotia’s electricity system is central to achieving the province’s economic and environmental goals. As such, achieving net-zero electricity will require coordinated efforts between the Government of Canada, the province of Nova Scotia, Indigenous partners, industry, and other key partners. Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, secure, and clean electricity is important for households, businesses, and institutions across the region, including Nova Scotia. The private sector is increasingly prioritizing access to clean electricity to underpin economic competitiveness and to seize future clean growth opportunities. Electrification is growing rapidly as consumers adopt electric heat pumps and purchase electric vehicles and as industry transitions from hydrocarbons to clean power on the path to net-zero, creating pressure on future demand.

This clean energy transition builds on Nova Scotia’s record of success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding clean electricity supply over the past decade. It reflects the province’s strong commitments to emissions reduction, most recently detailed in Nova Scotia’s Clean Power Plan (PDF, 1.9 MB).

As renewable generation increases in the province, there is a growing opportunity for Indigenous ownership of renewable energy developments. This not only represents an economic opportunity for Mi’kmaw communities to sell electricity back to the grid or to produce clean hydrogen but is also a significant source of pride for many First Nations.

Collaborating on clean electricity opportunities

In October 2023, the Governments of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick agreed to a Joint Policy Statement on Developing and Transmitting Clean, Reliable and Affordable Power in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. In this context, Canada and Nova Scotia seek to collaborate on 2 opportunities:

Phase-out coal-fired electricity by 2030, and transition to clean energy

• Based on provincial and utility planning, priority projects required to meet this timeline could include installation of wind and solar, batteries and renewables integration, including synchronous condensers and developing effective control systems and processes for the safe and reliable operation of a clean energy grid to support the transition off coal; electrification and peak-load management; introduction of hydrogen-capable flex-fuel fast start generation; and continued advancement of a modified Atlantic Loop. Further details on priority projects can be found in Nova Scotia’s 2030 Clean Power Plan.

Achieve net-zero electricity in Nova Scotia by 2035

• Achieving net-zero electricity will continue to advance some of the same elements in the first track of work and integrate others, including advancement of offshore wind projects in the province (see marine renewables), distributed solar, and smart grid management tools. It also includes exploring regional transmission and energy exchange opportunities in partnership with utilities in New Brunswick, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

The federal and provincial governments are collaborating to advance these efforts. Input and perspectives of Indigenous partners and key interested parties are also being sought on advancing these opportunity areas. One example of this is the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia’s existing benefits agreement for the Point Lepreau – Salisbury-Onslow Transmission Line via the Wskijinu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency Ltd (WMA), an economic limited partnership owned by 13 Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia.

The development of Nova Scotia’s critical minerals holds significant promise for both economic growth and sustainability. As global demand for critical minerals continues to rise, Nova Scotia's rich geological landscape presents a unique opportunity to support Canada’s critical minerals industry. This sector has the potential to drive innovation, create jobs, and contribute to the region’s transition to a more sustainable economy.

As highlighted in Nova Scotia’s Critical Mineral Strategy (PDF, 5.9 MB), while Nova Scotia has most of the critical minerals on the federal list, the intent is to focus efforts on 16 critical minerals of paramount importance to the province, including antimony, cobalt, copper, gallium, germanium, graphite, indium, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, rare earth elements (REE), tantalum, tin, tungsten, and zinc. This provincial list will be reviewed every 2 years.

To capitalize on these opportunities, collaborative work between the federal and provincial governments, Indigenous partners, industry and academic institutions will ensure a sustainable and responsible approach to mining and resource extraction that can further Nova Scotia’s efforts to solidify itself as an industry leader.

1 of the 6 pillars of Nova Scotia’s Critical Minerals Strategy focuses on opportunities with Mi’kmaw participation in social and economic development. This pillar aims to support capacity building and knowledge sharing; facilitate the participation of the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia in mineral exploration and development, and critical minerals supply chain opportunities; and encourage collaboration and partnerships between Mi’kmaq, project proponents and other interested parties. The Kwilmu'kw Maw-klusuaqn (KMK) have expressed interest in areas such as community education and training programs that can help to support meaningful participation in the sector.

Partnership through the Nova Scotia Regional Table provides an important opportunity for a broader dialogue about Nova Scotia’s critical minerals vision and priorities, and how those align with federal programs that can support critical minerals activities, including the current Call for Proposals for the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund Indigenous Grants Stream.

The Nova Scotia Regional Energy and Resource Table provides an opportunity to align regional priorities across the generational investments made by the Government of Canada such as the $3.8 billion allocated in Budget 2022 to implement Canada’s first Critical Minerals Strategy, with up to $1.5 billion over 7 years for infrastructure investments, and the $35-billion Canada Infrastructure Bank. As well, the Government of Canada also offers investors and mining companies in Canada, including Nova Scotia, various tax support measures. For example, the new Investment Tax Credit for Clean Technology Manufacturing and Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit aim to accelerate the extraction and processing of critical minerals and support mineral exploration expenses.

Canada and Nova Scotia seek to collaborate on 3 main pillars to advance the critical minerals industry:

• Enhancing the Battery Mineral Value Chain
• Advancing Circular Economy Opportunities
• Improving the Accessibility, Integration, and Modelling of Geoscience Data

Enhancing the battery mineral value chain

One of the primary minerals of interest in Nova Scotia is lithium, among other battery minerals, which is critical to the development of batteries for electric vehicles. As the global demand for batteries increases, so does the need for a robust and efficient battery mineral value chain. This will ensure a reliable and secure supply of lithium and other critical minerals for battery production, driving innovation and investment across the entire value chain to meet global energy needs sustainably. A battery mineral value chain is emerging in the province; however, advancing it will require leveraging existing expertise and identifying the barriers to the province's self-sufficiency.

Advancing circular economy opportunities

Nova Scotia’s commitment to a circular economy is integral to the growth of the province’s critical mineral sector. This includes extracting value from mineral and post-consumer waste and recovering battery minerals from secondary sources in alignment with reclamation activities, often linked to historic and legacy mining sites. The participation of Indigenous partners and communities is paramount to these efforts and will provide opportunities for local economic development and investment.

Improving the accessibility, integration, and modelling of geoscience data

The province’s long history in mining has generated valuable geological information, but there is a need to improve access to geoscience data and enhance its integration for a successful critical minerals industry in Nova Scotia. These datasets also need updating and greater connectivity to enable more informed decision-making and efficient resource exploration. To turn Nova Scotia’s critical minerals potential into a viable economic opportunity, significant new geological efforts, including both fieldwork and analysis, are essential.

Nova Scotia is committed to the protection of biodiversity, wildlife, and species at risk as the province transitions to ecological forestry while advancing the forest bioeconomy. 4 million hectares of forest cover Nova Scotia – approximately 75% of the province – which represents an opportunity to explore the use of forest biomass^{Footnote 1} to advance the transition to a low-carbon economy and help diversify the province’s energy sources.

Almost 70% of lands in Nova Scotia are privately owned, which means the development of the forest bioeconomy will necessitate a collective effort that engages various sectors, Indigenous partners, and interested parties. This includes developing streamlined approaches to information sharing between governments, Indigenous partners, the private sector, industry, and experts in the field to identify and potentially commercialize new technologies and processes.

The forest sector across Canada is facing a series of challenges. For a viable forest sector to continue generating strong economic and social benefits, transformation beyond the production of traditional forest products is a priority, and new clean-growth opportunities will need to be pursued in ways that align with biodiversity and climate-change initiatives. As part of the Regional Table, governments and partners will look at opportunities to continue to advance these goals by supporting growth in the production and utilization of high-value forest products within the current provincial forestry practices.

The Mi’kmaq have indicated that they have a strong interest in the forest sector in Nova Scotia, including opportunities for applying their traditional knowledge of the land to support forest management. Notably, the Mi’kmaq Forestry Initiative serves the 13 Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia to support sustainable economic opportunities for the Mi’kmaq and stewards over 30,000 hectares of public land across the province.

Canada and Nova Scotia seek to collaborate on 3 main pillars to leverage Nova Scotia’s forest sector to advance renewable resources and a sustainable bioeconomy:

• Increase value-add through development and use of forest bioproducts
• Advance the production and use of biofuels and bioenergy
• Support the use of mass timber and off-site prefabrication techniques in construction

Increase value-add through the development and use of forest bioproducts

Fully utilizing and maximizing the value from what is already harvested or from material that is being re-used or recycled can strengthen fibre supply without increasing harvested area. Such sustainable and efficient use of forest resources can also support forest health, conservation goals, and biodiversity while enabling the development of new bioproduct market opportunities. Identifying and supporting the development and adoption of transformative technologies, processes, and products (e.g., bioproducts and biomaterials) and attracting investments will be necessary to enhance Nova Scotia’s forest resource value chain.

Advance the production and use of biofuels and bioenergy

Nova Scotia currently depends largely on fossil fuels for its energy needs and advancing the production and use of alternative biofuels and bioenergy will be essential for a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. Locally sourced biofuels can displace traditional fossil fuels while regional bioenergy projects can support low-carbon economic development, improve utilization of existing (waste) biomass, and support energy independence in Indigenous communities. Expanding the production and use of solid and liquid biofuels and bioenergy would maximize the forest sector’s contribution to Nova Scotia’s emission-reduction targets.

Support the use of mass timber and off-site prefabrication techniques in construction

Lightweight, resilient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly, mass timber^{Footnote 2} and wood-based off-site prefabrication techniques can provide low-carbon options for meeting building and housing needs. Mass timber demand is increasing, and commercial opportunities have significant growth potential based on the near-universal use of traditional construction materials such as steel and concrete in large construction projects. Wood-based off-site prefabrication, including for modular construction, offers opportunities to expedite construction efforts. Nova Scotia is well-positioned to capitalize on this transition if the province can increase its capacity to produce mass timber and prefabricated structures.

Mass timber construction offers exceptional strength-to-weight ratios, impressive service lives, and load capacity benefits. For example, the reconstruction of the Peter Dillman bridge used prefabricated mass timber components transported to the site for construction. The reconstruction, completed by Timber Restoration Services under a $1.8 million contract with the province, was less costly than an equivalent concrete option. Another mass timber bridge was constructed from pressure treated glue laminated timber in Nappan, NS and opened in December 2019. The 65-metre bridge’s carbon sequestration capacity is estimated at 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide. In addition, the largest mass timber building in Atlantic Canada is under construction in Membertou, Cape Breton and will be a 5-story commercial and office facility. The mass timber structure was prefabricated at a mass timber plant and assembled on site. Dora Construction is responsible for the project, and it is slated to open in August of 2025.

Nova Scotia’s renewable energy resources, including onshore and proposed offshore wind projects, can be used to support the production of low to zero-carbon fuels, such as green^{Footnote 3} hydrogen and derivatives such as ammonia and sustainable aviation fuel. With global demand for clean hydrogen increasing, there is a significant opportunity for Nova Scotia to become an export hub to European markets. Nova Scotia has several large, deep-water harbours that are ideally located for exporting green hydrogen and its derivates. In addition, hydrogen could be used within Nova Scotia as stored energy or to help decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors.

Although exports represent significant economic potential for Nova Scotia, the province’s long-term success will also require strong domestic demand for green hydrogen, paired with a skilled energy workforce. Identifying the most effective domestic end-use markets for hydrogen in Nova Scotia is a key first step in understanding the potential of the industry in the province.

Complementary to the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada and Nova Scotia’s Green Hydrogen Action Plan (PDF, 8.2 MB), Canada and Nova Scotia seek to collaborate on 3 main pillars to advance the clean hydrogen industry:

• Advancing Green Hydrogen Production and Export Opportunities
• Supporting Domestic Hydrogen Use-Cases
• Ensuring a Skilled Hydrogen Work Force in Nova Scotia

Advancing green hydrogen production and export opportunities

The Joint Declaration of Intent signed by Canada and Germany in 2022 sent a clear signal to the private sector and provinces that Canada is committed to a policy and regulatory environment that will facilitate investment in the hydrogen value chain. Further to this, the federal and provincial governments will work together to advance a regional hydrogen hub, while advancing its competitive advantage to international parties seeking offtake agreements.

Supporting domestic hydrogen use-cases

Nova Scotia is developing domestic flagship uses for hydrogen in the province. Some potential uses, such as reducing the intensity of the natural gas system by blending low-carbon hydrogen with natural gas, have already been identified for provincially produced hydrogen. 3 of Nova Scotia's biggest industrial manufacturers (The Shaw Group, Michelin, and Port Hawkesbury Paper) are looking into using green hydrogen to power parts of their operations. As well, Dalhousie University recently opened its Hydrogen Applications Research Laboratory to test the limits of blending hydrogen into Eastward Energy’s natural gas system as well as the use of hydrogen-enriched natural gas in household appliances. However, more collaborative work is needed to understand the viability of other uses for hydrogen in the transportation and shipping industries, and for energy storage.

Ensuring a skilled hydrogen work force in Nova Scotia

To support a successful hydrogen industry in Nova Scotia, collaborative work is needed to identify the relevant skills, training and re-training, and education required to develop a workforce and public, including underrepresented groups like Indigenous Peoples, that are prepared for the energy transition.

With its significant tidal resources and enormous potential for offshore wind, Nova Scotia is uniquely positioned to unlock the opportunity offered by marine renewable energy from wind and tides. The province is already a world leader in tidal energy research and development and has committed to developing the long-term enabling conditions for offshore wind. Advancing the marine renewables sector will continue to be an ongoing priority as Nova Scotia transitions toward a low-carbon, net-zero emissions future.

The province remains committed to the development of its marine renewable energy resources in a manner that is staged, collaborative, consultative, and adaptative. Engagement with Indigenous communities in the marine renewables sector will present opportunities for Indigenous involvement. Indigenous Knowledge could also help to inform project development (e.g., site selection) and environmental monitoring could leverage a two-eyed-seeing approach.
With existing commitments and the development of enabling regulatory frameworks for marine renewables, Canada and Nova Scotia seek to collaborate on 4 main pillars:

• Support Nova Scotia's position as a leader for offshore wind development in Canada
• Work together to support grid readiness for offshore wind energy
• Understand provincial needs for ports and related infrastructure
• Advance and grow the tidal industry through collaborative efforts

Support Nova Scotia's position as a leader for offshore wind development

Harnessing Nova Scotia’s world-class offshore wind resources will require significant investments in infrastructure as well as efficient regulatory regimes. Through the Regional Table, the Government of Canada and Nova Scotia will collaborate to de-risk first-mover projects by facilitating discussions on how to leverage existing programming, identify where there may be gaps in the funding landscape, and explore other financial support mechanisms. Furthermore, continued collaboration on offshore renewables legislation and regulations will send a signal that Nova Scotia is a promising new offshore wind market.

Support grid readiness for offshore wind energy

Ahead of offshore wind development, it is critical that the province and utilities understand how offshore wind energy would be fed back into the grid to supply clean electricity to Nova Scotia and other parts of eastern Canada or be used to produce hydrogen and derivates for domestic use or export.

Understand provincial needs for ports and related infrastructure

Ports and related infrastructure and an experienced supply and service sector in Nova Scotia are already playing a key role in the offshore wind industry by serving as the base for specialized European vessels to transfer large components, change crews and take on supplies before heading to wind projects offshore of the northeastern United States. For example, Novaporte plans to develop a multi-use port facility to accommodate offshore wind marshalling and other marine services in Sydney, Cape Breton. A key to realizing the province’s full potential with the industry will be understanding which ports are best suited to support Nova Scotia’s offshore wind industry and benefit from US developments. Important considerations include infrastructure needs, supply chain capacity, and workforce readiness.

Advance and grow the tidal industry

Nova Scotia has already created the enabling conditions for tidal energy development through its Marine Renewable Energy Strategy and its support for Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy, which leads innovation and research into how the exceptional tidal energy capacity in the Bay of Fundy can play a role in the province’s clean energy future. Continued technology innovation in the tidal sector is crucial for driving down the costs and sustaining the growth of the industry. The Bay of Fundy is also home to diverse marine species that are of economic, social and cultural importance to Indigenous and coastal communities, including aquatic species at risk. Therefore, tidal energy projects must be developed in a responsible and sustainable manner that is consistent with the protection of aquatic species and their habitat, in a manner that complies with Canada’s robust environmental protection standards.

The Task Force on Sustainable Tidal Energy Development in the Bay of Fundy, co-chaired by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Natural Resources Canada, with membership from the province, industry, and research organizations, was established to provide advice on how to clarify requirements for fish protection and reduce turnaround time for regulatory decisions for tidal energy projects in the Bay of Fundy. The Final Report by the Task Force identifies the Nova Scotia Regional Table as a vital opportunity for the responsible parties to engage on further collaboration in efforts to develop the tidal sector.

Sustainable jobs

To ensure a prosperous net-zero future where the notion of environmental protection is prioritized, governments will need to ensure their workforces keep pace with the changing nature of the labour market and the variety of new skills that could be in demand.

In Nova Scotia, similar to other eastern provinces, the aging population results in more retirees leaving the workforce than there are new labour-market entrants each year. The Atlantic provinces are also geographically isolated, with small populations and resource-dependent economies, creating challenges for attracting and retaining new workers. However, as the province increases its energy supply from renewable sources and diversifies its energy industry, foundational technology, skills and expertise are being established and opportunities for career growth and horizontal career pathways are emerging.

Initial work through the Nova Scotia Regional Energy and Resource Table has confirmed a need to further expand our understanding of the skills and workforce that will be required to advance the province’s 6 opportunity areas. This Framework explored some of those key labour and workforce considerations in the sections above dealing with marine renewables, hydrogen and critical minerals.

More broadly, job security and wages are paramount considerations when workers contemplate re-skilling and re-training. Other considerations include how long their new training will take, the educational prerequisites they will need to have, whether their re-skilling and re-training can occur close to home, and whether the training will meet the needs of small communities, particularly rural ones that are historically dependent on a single industry. The advancement of sustainable jobs linked to the transition to a low-carbon economy also presents opportunities for greater participation of historically under-represented groups, including Indigenous peoples.

Implementation and next steps

The 6 areas for early collaboration identified in this document represent initial opportunities and actions that, when taken together, will help generate increased momentum, mobilize partners and attract investment that are key to Nova Scotia’s economic prosperity, now and into the future.

This Collaboration Framework serves as a foundation for fostering meaningful dialogue and driving action aimed at building a prosperous low-carbon economy. Ongoing collaboration between governments will continue to explore more systematic and effective ways to identify, prioritize and advance regionally significant projects in Nova Scotia, including through improving program alignment and complementarity, exchanging technical expertise and co-funding strategic projects.

The Framework also serves as a foundation for fostering meaningful dialogue with Indigenous partners and for integrating Indigenous perspectives and priorities into this work as we advance to a net-zero emissions future.

As this work is taking place, implementation of the actions listed in this Collaboration Framework will be a primary focus in the coming years. Several actions are already underway, while others will require mobilizing partners and securing opportunities to leverage various funding and financing instruments to support priorities and projects. Efforts will continue to demonstrate and deliver tangible results with updates on progress provided on key elements over the coming years, including after the first year of implementation.