Green Action Centre is known for promoting practical green solutions such as composting, active transportation, and steps towards a green economy. But social justice is also a driving principle of sustainability – “such that the needs of present and future generations are met.”
For that reason, Green Action Centre (and 86 other organizations) recently endorsed The View From Here 2015: Manitobans Call For a Renewed Poverty Reduction Plan. We insured that the document contained an explicit link to a green economy (22-23):
A comprehensive and coordinated approach to poverty reduction and social inclusion must also fit with the principles of a green economy. We acknowledge and endorse the provincial commitment for Manitoba “to be one of the most sustainable places to live on earth” with the promise that “a strong, resilient green economy will be built to reduce environmental risks and ecological scarcities, while improving well-being and social equity for Manitobans.” Green jobs, low energy and water bills through greener housing, affordable and eco-efficient public transportation, and prevention and mitigation of environmental impacts on vulnerable persons are parts of a socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable economy. These measures should ensure that poverty reduction and social inclusion are integral to the building of a green economy.
Green Action Centre is all about stepping lightly on our home planet, but this can’t be done without finding ways to insure limited resources are stretched fairly to meet basic needs and open opportunities for all. That’s why you will find on our website references to Fair Trade products, and policies that link conservation and fairness, such as our call for fair taxation of motor vehicles and the promotion of green and fair electricity rates.
By Peter Miller
Green Action Centre Policy Committee Member
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