Canada’s Top Sustainability Leaders Honoured during Earth Week
Apr 19th, 2021 7:57 AM
Media Release
10th Canada's Clean50 List for 2021 drawn from record number of nominees
"There is no vaccine for climate change - but these remarkable Canadian leaders provide some hope…" says award's founder.
Toronto, April 19, 2021- The 2021 "Canada's Clean50" list celebrates the accomplishments of 50 sustainability leaders in 16 widely different categories and also identifies 20 Emerging Leaders and 5 Canadian business and climate heroes with Lifetime Achievement awards. The 2021 Clean50 champions have achieved measurable success in fighting climate change in innovative ways, while helping Canada make the necessary transition towards a lower-carbon economy, building a more prosperous future for the country.
"There is no vaccine for climate change - but these remarkable Canadian leaders provide some hope we can find ways to slow it down, and also ensure Canada is positioned for the low-carbon economy" says award founder and Clean50 Executive Director Gavin Pitchford.
A record 900+ nominations were considered before the 2021 Honourees were selected. Pitchford, who Is also CEO of primary award sponsor Delta Management Group observed, "While the contribution of some winners are more high profile, such as
Mayor Don Iveson's enormous contribution to prioritizing the environment and helping make Edmonton one of the greenest cities in North America - and Elizabeth May's career-long contribution to environmental policy in Canada, every person on the three Clean50 lists released today have made substantial and significant contributions to fighting climate change".
"Our list this year has sustainability heroes ranging in age from barely 16 and their very early 20's to a career scientist in her mid-70s who continues to regularly add new patents to the 25 she already has. The lists recognize truly remarkable accomplishments for work that is represented in virtually every province and territory, and all of which impact Canada in meaningful way".
Mr. Pitchford went on saying, "Selecting Clean50 winners becomes more challenging each year. Despite COVID, our committee had nearly double the number of nominees from whom to choose, and the exciting thing is both the wide range of climate focused activities and accomplishments being undertaken by organizations across Canada - and the way that impacts have increased over the years we have been delivering the Clean50 list. Initially we went into this cycle intending to name 10 Emerging Leaders, and have instead, our options were so strong, we named 20. We had the luxury of considering nominations from across the country from a very diverse range of backgrounds and actions".
For instance, this year's winners include
multiple world firsts: The young woman who has created the world's first "Hydrogen-as-a-Service" contract, the team who helped Canada's Maple Leaf Foods become first major food producer in the world to go carbon neutral, and the man leading the first housing development in the world to be endorsed by One World Living as carbon neutral.
The list is very much about leaders: It also includes a 16 year old who, at 15, represented her nation before the UN as a water warrior; a 20 year old who leads an organization whose efforts are already engaging over 150,000 people world-wide; the young leaders of two different organizations producing fresh produce in northern indigenous communities; the leading producer of electric buses in North America; leaders from some of the nation's largest financial institutions who are finding ways to leverage capital to enable a low carbon transition; an advocate who was #1 on Jason Kenny's list of public enemies at age 25; several people leading organizations turning organic waste into solid gold in different ways that is, in turn, powering homes, industry, and cleaner agriculture; and consultants helping their clients drive massive financial gains and cost avoidance through climate action. There are many remarkable accomplishments.
For the first time ever, and not by design, but based strictly on accomplishments and impacts, the Clean50 and Emerging Leader lists have achieved gender parity - 35 of 70 combined awards going both women and men.
On September 30th, 2021, (assuming COVID permits), over 120 Clean50 incoming and alumni members will gather in Toronto for the Clean50 Summit 10.0. During 30 Working sessions throughout the day, 10 different groups of 12 thought leader participants will propose and discuss transformational responses to climate change. Cross-sector collaboration in the implementation of innovative solutions is vital if Canada is achieve net zero carbon emissions in transportation, from buildings and by consumers, fast enough to save humanity. The Clean50 Summit provides both the inspiration and the forum. The all-day sessions are followed by dinner and awards.
The winners, their affiliations, locations and related information will be available, post 9:00 a.m. April 19th, 2021: go to
https://www.clean50.com for more information.
Media contact: Gavin Pitchford gpitchford@deltamanagement.com 416-925-2005 / 774-330-6606
The Canada's Clean50 award program and Summit were founded in 2011 by Canada's leading clean tech and sustainability executive search firm, Delta Management Group, and CEO Gavin Pitchford, in response to a trend the firm noted when performing executive searches on behalf of clients: While there was growing acknowledgement that climate change was real, and that broad solutions were needed, most were working within industry silos and not sharing information with anyone. Having identified the issue, Delta created the Clean50 award as a way to identify leaders from every sector, and then hosted the Summit as a way to bring those same leaders together. 98% of each year's honourees attend in person, and numerous past winners come back to continue to play a role in deliberations, learn new things, and get inspired one more time.
Including small teams and Emerging Leaders, The Clean50 now numbers over 700 of Canada's climate-change-fighting rock stars, and the Summit has led to numerous cross-sector and within-sector collaborations. In addition, the Honourees' stories have inspired hundreds of Canadians to do more, and in many instances, simply take the inspiration and copy what the honourees had already proven could be done.
Most honourees would be pleased to take media calls, and we would be pleased to facilitate those connections.
Advocates & ENGOs: (Clean16/ Category leader first, then listed alphabetically)
Steve Lee*, Founder - Foundation for Environmental Stewardship (ON)
Hadley Archer, Executive Director - Nature United (ON)
Valerie Courtois, Director - Indigenous Leadership Initiative (NL)
Andrea Moffat, Vice President - Ivey Foundation (ON)
Angels: Investors & Eco System Support:
Kenneth MacKinnon*, Co-Founder and Managing Partner - MacKinnon, Bennett & Company (QC)
Bryan Watson, Managing Director - CleanTech North (ON)
Building: Design, Development & Management:
Jonathan Westeinde*, Founder and CEO - Windmill Development Group (ON)
Joanne Perdue, Associate Vice President, Sustainability - University of Calgary (AB)
Natalie Voland, President - Gestion Immobilière Quo Vadis (QC)
Cities:
Mayor Don Iveson*, Mayor - City of Edmonton (AB)
Susan Ancel, P.Eng. FCSSE, Director One Water Planning - EPCOR Utilities (AB)
Clean Technology:
Ben Nyland*, President and Chief Executive Officer - Loop Energy (BC)
Karen Schuett, Co-Founder, CEO - Livestock Water Recycling (AB)
Jessica Verhagen, COO - Hydra Energy (BC)
Consultants & Enablers:
Hari Balasubramanian*, Managing Partner - EcoAdvisors (NS)
Philippe Dunsky, President - Dunsky Energy Consulting (QC)
Duncan Rotherham, Vice President and Managing Director Canada - ICF (ON)
Education & Thought Leadership:
Kevin Thomas*, Chief Executive Officer - SHARE (ON)
Sarah Burch, Ph.D, Associate Professor; Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation - University of Waterloo (ON)
Anouk Kendall, President - Decentralised Energy Canada (AB)
Prof. Katherine White , Academic Director Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics - UBC Sauder School of Business (BC)
Financial & Services Organizations: (Clean16/ Category leader first, then listed alphabetically)
Roger Beauchemin, CFA*, President and Chief Executive Officer - Addenda Capital (QC)
Margaret Childe, Managing Director and Head of ESG, Canada - Manulife Investment Management (ON)
Chandra Ramadurai, CEO & Matt Zipchen, President (Team) - Efficiency Capital (ON)
Lindsay Patrick, Managing Director and Head, Sustainable Finance - RBC Capital Markets (ON)
Alison Schneider, Vice-President, Responsible Investment - Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AB)
Manufacturing & Transportation:
Marc Bedard*, CEO & Founder - The Lion Electric Co. (QC)
Keith Lawless, Senior Director, Environment, ETS, and Strategic Projects - Air Transat (QC)
Sandra Phillips, Founder / Shared Mobility Architect - movmi Shared Transportation Service (BC)
Primary Resources:
Howard Field*, President & CEO - Greenfield Global (ON)
Alastair Handley, Founder - Radicle Group (AB)
Dr. Soroush Nazarpour, Ph.D., President & CEO - NanoXplore (QC)
Public Sector:
Shannon Phillips*, NDP MLA, Alberta Legislature - Alberta Legislature (AB)
The Honourable Senator Rosa Galvez, Ph.D., P.Eng., Senate of Canada / Laval University (ON /QC)
Renewable Energy:
Simon Doray P.Eng*, CEO - INNOLTEK (QC)
Amit Virmani, Founder & CEO - Naveco Power (NB)
Research & Development:
Prof. Umberto Berardi*, Canada Research Chair in Building Science, BeTOP Director - Ryerson University (ON)
Patricia Russell, CEO - Casa Duro (NL)
Anthea Sargeaunt, CEO - 2S Water (AB)
Retail & Consumer Products:
Tim Faveri*, Vice President, Sustainability and Shared Value & Patrick Huynh*, Director, Carbon & Energy (Team) - Maple Leaf Foods (ON)
Drummond Lawson, Chief of Staff - Arc'teryx (BC)
Nicholas Reichenbach, Founder & Executive Chairman - Flow Water (ON)
Jyoti Stephens, VP, Mission and Strategy - Nature's Path Foods (BC)
Technology, Telecom & Media:
Robert Ellis, LLB*, Senior Vice President, Legal & Sustainability - Celestica (ON)
Carolina Gallo, LLB, Vice President Government and institutional relations Canada - HITACHI ABB Power Grids Canada (QC)
Geoff Pegg, Director - Sustainability & Environment - TELUS (BC)
Traditional Energy & Generation:
Chris White*, President & CEO - ERTH Corporation (ON)
Caroline Karvonen , Manager, Sustainability - Alectra (ON)
Ryan Mitchell, P.Eng., Vice-President & Chief Development Officer - Saint John Energy (NB)
Stéphanie Trudeau , Executive Vice President, Québec - Énergir (QC)
Lifetime Achievement: (alphabetically)
Elizabeth May, O.C., MP, LLB, Member of Parliament, Saanich-Gulf Islands - Parliamentary Leader of the Green Party Caucus - Parliament of Canada, Green Party of Canada (BC)
Joel Solomon, Co-Founder - Renewal Funds (BC)
Robert Walker, Principal - LVC Strategies (BC)
Lucie Wheeler, P.Eng, President - Sweet Gazoil (QC)
Daryl Wilson, Executive Director - The Hydrogen Council (ON)
Emerging Leaders: (alphabetically)
Gabrielle Bastien, Founder and Executive Director - Regeneration Canada (QC)
Kehkashan Basu, Founder President - Green Hope Foundation (ON)
Alida Burke, Co-Founder & COO - The Growcer (ON)
Dr. Phil De Luna, Program Director - National Research Council of Canada (ON)
Domenic Di Mondo, VP of Technology and Business Development - GreenMantra Technologies (ON)
Jon Douglas, Director of Sustainability - Menkes (ON)
Ahmed Elganzouri, Sustainability Strategy Manager - General Motors (ON)
Corey Ellis, Co-Founder and CEO - The Growcer (ON)
Nate Erskine-Smith, MP, - Parliament of Canada (ON)
AJ Esquega, Mashkawiziiwin Energy Projects Coordinator - Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek - Gull Bay First Nation (ON)
Ana Gonzalez Guerrero, Co-Founder, Managing Director - Youth Climate Lab (ON)
Stefany Nieto, Executive Director - Green Iglu (ON)
Autumn Peltier, Chief Water Commissioner - Anishinabek Nation (ON)
Megan Poss, Executive Director - Leading Change Canada (ON)
Alienor Rougeot, Coordinator - Fridays For Future Toronto (ON)
Victoria Smaniotto, Head of Secretariat - CanadaCleantech (QC)
Dominique Souris, Co-Founder, Executive Director - Youth Climate Lab (ON)
Eryn Stewart, Director - Indigenous Clean Energy (ON)
Alexandra Tavasoli, CEO - Solistra (ON)
Crystal Vella, Business Performance Analyst - Walker Industries (ON)
