March 28, 2024

Catherine McKenna, Former Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Joins Columbia University

Catherine McKenna, Former Canadian Minister of Environment and Environment Modification, Signs Up With Columbia University

Catherine McKenna, Canadas previous Minister of Environment and Climate Change, is joining Columbia University as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow with the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP). In this role, she prepares to deal with useful solutions to help scale climate action with CGEP and the new Columbia Climate School. The areas she will focus on include: accelerating the transition from coal to clean energy, advancing work on carbon prices, border carbon modifications and carbon markets, and supporting femaless climate leadership.
Catherine McKenna, Canadas previous Minister of Environment and Climate Change, is signing up with Columbia University as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow with the Center on Global Energy Policy
” The environment danger is the best crisis facing mankind today. We need brand-new designs of thinking and systems alter to ambitiously tackle environment modification now,” stated McKenna. “Im delighted to deal with the Center on Global Energy Policy and the Columbia Climate School, the very first school of its kind in the United States– to engage with its unbelievable trainees and faculty on useful services to the climate crisis. We urgently need to speed up the international transition from coal to clean energy and make sure a simply transition for communities and employees. We also require to expand carbon prices and move on border carbon adjustments to address competitiveness and develop more effective carbon markets. And critically, we require to support and empower ladies and women who are leading the battle versus environment modification.”
McKenna is the founder and principal of Climate and Nature Solutions and recently released “Women Leading on Climate” at COP26 in Glasgow last November. As Canadas first Minister of Environment and Climate Change, she was a lead arbitrator of the Paris Agreement (in specific Article 6 worrying carbon markets) before presenting and effectively defending landmark legislation that developed a carbon rate throughout Canada. She also led efforts to phase out coal and establish Canadas first Just Transition Taskforce for workers and communities, minimize plastics in oceans and waterways, and double the amount of nature protected in Canada in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples.
” Catherine is a trip de force,” stated Jason Bordoff, CGEP director. “Her energy and spirit along with her management and useful experience are whats needed if were to have a meaningful effect in resolving the climate crisis. Were pleased she chose to come to Columbia to bring all these qualities and much more to the students and faculty working on these crucial issues.”
As Minister of Environment and Climate Change, McKenna helped establish a number of global efforts, including the Powering Past Coal Coalition (with Canada, the UK and Bloomberg Philanthropies), the Ministerial on Climate Action, the Women Kicking it on Climate Summit and the Nature Champions Summit. McKenna was co-chair of the World Banks Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, and helped establish the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter. She has actually worked carefully with members of the Obama and Biden administrations on Canada-US and international climate and infrastructure contracts and policy.
She later became Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, where she made historic investments in public transit and resilient and green facilities, leveraged economic sector financial investment to get more public infrastructure developed through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, and led the advancement of Canadas first National Infrastructure Assessment to drive Canada to net-zero emissions by 2050.
A mother of 3, today she is concentrated on scaling environment and nature-based options to significantly minimize global emissions by 2030, including by empowering ladies and females and through public-private partnerships.
Tune in to the most recent Columbia Energy Exchange podcast with McKenna as she discusses her life and this new phase in her profession.
Check out Catherine McKennas complete bio here.

In this function, she prepares to work on useful options to help scale climate action with CGEP and the brand-new Columbia Climate School. “Im thrilled to work with the Center on Global Energy Policy and the Columbia Climate School, the first school of its kind in the US– to engage with its extraordinary trainees and faculty on practical options to the environment crisis. McKenna is the creator and principal of Climate and Nature Solutions and recently introduced “Women Leading on Climate” at COP26 in Glasgow last November. As Minister of Environment and Climate Change, McKenna helped develop a number of international efforts, consisting of the Powering Past Coal Coalition (with Canada, the UK and Bloomberg Philanthropies), the Ministerial on Climate Action, the Women Kicking it on Climate Summit and the Nature Champions Summit.