This summer the government announced its inclusive innovation agenda, and we're pleased to see that the objectives included making Canada a leader in promoting social enterprise. On that topic, I wish to recognize the report published last year by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities under the chairing of Mr. McColeman, which remains an extremely valuable road map for social finance and social enterprise in Canada.
We applaud Innovation, Science and Economic Development's recent creation of a directory of Canadian social enterprises and the definition they have established for that. Now specific measures related to social procurement and community benefit agreements, in addition to what is proposed in Bill C-227, could go a long way to creating a more favourable environment for social enterprises to develop, but our primary recommendation is to level the playing field for social enterprises when it comes to access to business development programs.
We strongly encourage the government to expand the capacity and access to existing SME services through the Canada Business Network and to other federal business development programs to enhance business supports and readiness for investment by social enterprises, co-operatives, and non-profits. This should be coupled with an awareness-raising effort for government officials to ensure a level playing field for alternative forms of incorporation.
The transition to a clean, low-carbon economy offers excellent local investment opportunities for urban, rural, and remote communities to enhance their resilience and contribute to economic growth that distributes socio-economic benefits. Community-based projects inspire a new kind of social entrepreneurship, building a strong social licence for clean technologies and empowering local citizens, especially indigenous peoples, with the opportunity to reinvest clean energy project returns into local infrastructure, education, and health. This would involve including criteria in new infrastructure investment that prioritize funding for clean energy projects in communities vulnerable to climate change and making affordable financing available to communities and project developers through the Canada infrastructure bank, including federal loan guarantees.
The Prime Minister's mandate letters instructed ministers Duclos and Mihychuk to develop a national strategy on social innovation and social finance. At the Global Social Economy Forum in Montreal last month, Minister Duclos announced the creation of a steering committee to guide that strategy. This is an excellent and essential first step. In dynamic, emerging fields like social innovation, an approach often called co-construction here in Quebec is the only way it can work. We encourage the government to adequately resource the development of the strategy and the sector partners that are required to participate in a meaningful dialogue.
It's fitting that this is the week of co-operatives and that we're sitting here talking about these initiatives.
Thank you very much.