NEW Episode - Green Giving: Climate Philanthropy
Ed chats with four movers & shakers in Canadian climate philanthropy.
On Nov. 13, 2024, nine prominent Canadian family foundations, including EvC's David Keith’s, announced a combined pledge of $405 million, all dedicated to accelerating Canada’s shift to a low-carbon economy. By Canadian standards it’s unprecedented and a pretty big deal. They touch on:
- Why this financial commitment occurred and why now
- The challenges facing climate advocacy today and in the near future
- What needs to succeed in the next 3-5 years
- How philanthropy should respond when governments start to roll back key pieces of climate and environmental legislation - just like what we’re seeing already happening in the US post-inauguration.
About Our Guests:
Claire Seaborn is an expert advisor to the Clean Economy Fund, former Chief of Staff to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and now a lawyer practicing at Torys LLP.
Devika Shah is the Executive Director of Environment Funders Canada, an umbrella organization for environmental foundations.
Bruce Lourie is President of the Ivey Foundation, one of the largest climate funders in the country.
Eric St-Pierre is the Executive Director of the Trottier Family Foundation, also one of Canada’s largest climate funders.
Show Notes:
(0:22) - Nine prominent Canadian family foundations announced a combined pledge of 405 million
(0:56) - Claire Seaborn
(0:59) - Clean Economy Fund
(3:13) - The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
(6:13) - Joe Manchin
(6:53) - Canadian Electricity Regulator
(7:53) - Biden-Harris Administration Permitting Council
(8:43) - Devika Shah
(8:48) - Pembina Institute
(8:48) - Environment Funders Canada
(9:25) - Less than 2% of global philanthropic funding is dedicated to addressing the climate crisis
(15:15) - Bruce Lourie, Ivy Foundation
(18:09) - Federal Environment Minister, Stephen Gilboe
(21:00) - Éric St-Pierre, Trottier Family Foundation
(22:36) - Peter Gilgan Foundation commits $100M to solving climate change
(22:42) - Ronald Roadburg Foundation
(23:11) - More than half of new cars sold in China are now electric or hybrid
(23:33) - 1.5°C: what it means and why it matters
(25:18) - Carbon Removal Canada
(27:07) - In 2022, the oil and gas sector was responsible for 31% of Canada's GHG emissions
About Your EvC Co-Hosts:
David Keith is Professor and Founding Faculty Director, Climate Systems Engineering Initiative at the University of Chicago. He is the founder of Carbon Engineering and was formerly a professor at Harvard University and the University of Calgary. He splits his time between Canmore and Chicago.
Sara Hastings-Simon studies energy transitions at the intersection of policy, business, and technology. She’s a policy wonk, a physicist turned management consultant, and a professor at the University of Calgary and Director of the Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development.
Ed Whittingham is a clean energy policy/finance professional specializing in renewable electricity generation and transmission, carbon capture, carbon removal and low carbon transportation. He is a Public Policy Forum fellow and formerly the executive director of the Pembina Institute, a national clean energy think tank.
Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts
Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systems
www.energyvsclimate.com
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