Strong Local Economies

A strong local economy strengthens businesses, cooperatives, and social enterprise. The Green Party will strengthen local economies in both our cities and rural communities. This will create new work with green jobs supplying local food, constructing green buildings, producing local renewable energy, sustainably using forest resources and supplying more of what New Brunswickers need. Growth in the tech and information technology sectors will be essential to creating a new greener economy.

The Green Party will transform our infrastructure by replacing our electricity system with a smart grid that will enable the rapid adoption of electric cars and roll-out of solar power. This will be propel growth in New Brunswick's tech, IT, manufacturing, and construction sectors.

A Local Food Security Act, a Renewable Energy Act, a Green Transportation Act, and a new Forestry Act will provide the legislative foundation to strengthen our local economies. Additionally, the Green Party will expand the mandate of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Agency of New Brunswick to provide financial incentives, to collaborate with developers and entrepreneurs, and to support home and business owners. This will drive job creation in the trades and ignite start-ups, while lowering the cost of heating and shrinking our carbon footprint.

To support new start-ups and expansion of local enterprise, the Green Party will establish local investment tools such as Community Economic Development Investment Funds. In this way, we can keep money in New Brunswick, working for New Brunwickers, that people would otherwise invest outside of the province with the big banks or in the stock market.