All too often we tend to think that growing the green economy means a loss of jobs.   

According to the Ecology Action Centre, Nova Scotia needs new climate goals, and a new report commissioned by a local non-profit found that working to combat climate change could be extremely important for the creation of tens of thousands of jobs across Nova Scotia.

"We're living in a climate emergency," said Stephen Thomas of the Ecology Action Centre. "We know that taking strong action on climate change is a good thing anyway when it comes to a livable future for ourselves, for our children."

The Nova Scotia Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act was enacted in 2007, but it's coming to an end and there are no legislated climate and environmental goals for the province past 2020.

"The targets as part of the cap and trade system simply aren't strong enough," Thomas said. "They're not based in science and they simply don't get us to a place where we are doing our fair share to keep global warming below that catastrophic level."

The Ecology Action Centre recently commissioned a report exploring new climate goals for Nova Scotia.

Some of the goals include clean transportation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supplying 90 per cent of Nova Scotia's electricity needs with renewable energy by 2030.

They also found growing Nova Scotia's green economy could result in the creation of thousands of jobs.

"This report, just from the goals that we put forward, is 15,000 jobs every year between now and 2030, that accounts for people shifting from high-carbon industries to low-carbon industries," Thomas said.

Gregor MacAskill is the author of the report. "These are transformative targets to meet and certainly it would make a big impact on the Nova Scotia economy in creating new, green jobs," MacAskill said.

The Nova Scotia NDP say green jobs are

"We know that if we do this in the right way, this opens great opportunity for all kinds of work in retrofitting in the fast growing renewables industry," said NDP leader Gary Burrill. "If we play our cards right, Nova Scotia can be in a place where all kinds of economic growth and development can come out of us making this transition in the way we need to."

The act was first introduced by the Progressive Conservatives. Today, they say the Liberals waited too long to update it.

"The actual amendments should have started about two years ago," said Progressive Conservative MLA Brad Johns. "Amendments should have been coming forward from the government. The government's really been kind of sitting on their hands with this, which we find really, really frustrating."

For their part, the province's environment minister says Nova Scotia is a leader in a lot of environmental targets and that new legislation is expected to be in place soon.

"Stay tuned for when the legislature sits and we're hoping to have something in the legislature this fall," said Environment Minister Gordon Wilson.

Wilson says Nova Scotians can have their say over how the Act could be amended through online consultations, which are open until Sept. 27.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Natasha Pace.