Week 7: Net Zero solutions for all
Thursday, June 13th, 2024
1:00 to 3:00 PM ET
This panel will explore how American and Canadian communities are dealing with a changing climate, and strategies for achieving net-zero emissions. Speakers will discuss impacts they have seen, how communities are leading on innovative approaches and the actions those in power can take to create net zero solutions that work for all citizens.
AGENDA
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm: Introduction and overview of the topic by Cory Witter, Executive Director, Youth Climate Lab
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Panel discussion with guest speakers
2:30 pm - 2:50 pm: Peer discussions in breakout rooms
2:50 pm - 3:00 pm: Concluding remarks and feedback
Pre-session reading materials
Make your favourite hot drink, find a quiet corner, and read through these materials ahead of the session.
Report: Generation Overwhelmed, the Dais
Article: Biden's Victory Raises The Clean Growth Stakes for Canada, Canadian Climate Institute
Report: Building Stronger, More Climate-Resilient Communities, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Article: Common Ground: Navigating the Climate Crisis, Andrew Hohmann
Article: What is the Sunrise Movement For?, New York Intelligencer
Podcast: An Engineering Experiment to Cool the Earth, New York Times
Moderator: Cory witter
Cory (she/they) is an environmentalist and driven for her passion in sustainability and youth-led work. She was born in Belgium but grew up in Hong Kong, Ireland, England and immigrated to Canada at 15. Cory graduated with a first class honours degree in international development and economics from Dalhousie university with certificates in intercultural communication and indigenous studies, where they won the green impact award.
They are currently pursuing a graduate diploma in business administration at John Molson School of Business. Cory has worked in the nonprofit sphere since 2017 with a focus on finance, operations, and business development for youth-focused organizations. Her passions revolve around climate justice, food security, LGBTQ+ social justice, mental health, and empowering/supporting youth to be changemakers in their communities.
When not at work Cory is either painting, enjoying nature, or dragon boating.
Cory's Contact Details:
Email: cory@youthclimatelab.org
PANELISTS
Sara Hastings-simon
Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon is an associate professor in the department of Earth, Energy and Environment, and School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. She is a macro energy system researcher and her work is focused on understanding how low-carbon energy transitions happen within different sectors of the economy, and how policy responses can improve outcomes. Sara is also co-founder and co-host of Energy vs Climate a webinar and podcast that explores the energy transition in Alberta, Canada, and beyond. She is a member of the expert panel for Clean Growth with the Canadian Climate Choices Institute and a member of the board of directors of the Pembina Institute.
Her previous roles include Director of Clean Economy at the Pembina Institute, founder of Business Renewable Centre Canada, and practice manager for Clean Technologies at McKinsey & Company. Dr. Hastings-Simon holds a PhD in physics from the University of Geneva.
Sara's Contact Details:
Bob inglis
Bob Inglis (he/him) is the executive director of republicEn.org. He previously represented Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, in the U.S. Congress from 1993-1999 and again from 2005-2011.
In 2012 Inglis launched the Energy and Enterprise Initiative (“E&EI”) at George Mason University. It’s now known as republicEn.org, a growing grassroots community of more than 10,000 Americans educating the country about free-enterprise solutions to climate change.
The organization is a 501(c)(3) operation hosted at the George Mason University Foundation and educates, recruits and organizes conservative voices for action on climate change.
For his work on climate change, Inglis was given the 2015 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. He appears in the film Merchants of Doubt, in the Showtime series YEARS of Living Dangerously, and has given TED talks in Jacksonville, FL and in Boston, MA.
Bob's Contact Details:
Email: bob.inglis@republicen.org
ankit mishra
Ankit Mishra (he/him) is an energy contributor at Forbes, where he provides regular insights on economic growth, energy transition, and the future of work through interviews with industry experts. He is also a Fellow at Energy Future Labs.
Previously, Ankit worked for early-stage startups in the Bay Area, the Ontario Government, and the OECD. Alongside his professional duties, Ankit mentors aspiring entrepreneurs at Futurpreneur Canada and undergraduate business students at Ivey Business School (Western University).
Currently based in Montréal, he has lived and worked in London, Paris, Brussels, San Francisco, New Delhi, and Toronto. Ankit holds a master’s degree in international economics from Sciences Po Paris and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from York University.
Ankit's Contact Details:
Email: ankitmishra01@gmail.com
Twitter: https://x.com/ankitmishra013
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankitmishra3/
Personal Website: https://www.ankitmishra.ca/
Sharene shafie
Previous to working as a Project Lead with the Climate Action Team in the City of Toronto's Climate & Environment Division Sharene served as the Research Coordinator at the Urban Farm at Toronto Metropolitan University. She completed her Masters of Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in the Strategic Foresight and Innovation Program, where the focus of her research was to assess the business viability of rooftop urban agriculture in Toronto. Sharene also worked at Green Roofs for Healthy Cities as their Education Coordinator and Marketing Assistant for more than a year before joining the Urban Farm at Toronto Metropolitan University. Sharene is also a proud graduate of the Urban Farm’s Market Garden training program. Sharene stewarded her own plot for several years at the Alex Wilson Community Garden before establishing her own backyard garden.
Sharene's Contact Details:
Email: sharene.shafie@toronto.ca
Honourable mentions
MIT Climate Policy Simulator: https://www.climateinteractive.org/en-roads/
Canadian Climate Policy Simulator: https://www.pembina.org/eps
Alberta's Procurement Program Assessment by Sara-Hastings Simon and Others: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421522004852
OECD Chart demonstrating 13/20 high-emission cities are in the USA:
https://www.oecd.org/cfe/cities/tacar.htm
Brookings Institute Report:
Iron & Ore:
https://www.ironore.ca/en/sustainability/indigenous-participation
Alberta EV Charging:
https://peakstoprairies.ca/history/
Toronto Turtle Protectors: