TOCW's Official Kick-Off: True North Rising | The Canadian Competitive Advantage
The in person event is SOLD OUT! Livestream tickets are still available.
Toronto Climate Week and the Lawson Climate Institute at the University of Toronto present True North Rising, the anchor flagship event that is designed to set the tone for the days to follow. Under the theme Canada’s Competitive Advantage, this full-day gathering convenes senior leaders across government, finance, industry, and civil society to align around shared priorities for Canada’s climate-driven economic leadership.
The program will feature keynote addresses and cross-sector panels examining how climate policy, trade, capital deployment, innovation, and infrastructure strategy are shaping Canada’s next era of growth. With an intentionally curated audience of approximately 200 senior decision-makers and influential media representatives, the kickoff event serves as a strategic platform for pivotal discussions to take place, that will influence the investable vision for Canada’s future.
TOCW's Official Kick-Off: True North Rising | The Canadian Competitive Advantage Agenda
8:30 - 9:00
Breakfast & Networking
9:00 - 10:30
Opening
Introductions & Housekeeping with MCs Darren Clifford, Founder & Managing Director, Adapt [us] Capital & Michelle Li, Founder, clever carbon & Women and Climate
Welcome by Chief Margaret Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Welcome & Acknowledgements by Becky Park-Romanovsky, Founder, Toronto Climate Week
Keynote Presentation by Diana Fox Carney, Economist and Climate Policy Expert
Fireside Chat with Diana Fox Carney
Moderator: Michelle Li
Opening Remarks by Minister Todd J. McCarthy
Opening Remarks by Toronto's Mayor Olivia Chow
Opening Remarks by Joannah Lawson, Co-founder, The Lawson Foundation
10:30 - 10:50
Networking Break
10:50 - 12:20
Keynote Presentation by Rick Smith, President, Canadian Climate Institute
Panel: International Collaboration in a Changing World: Canada's Climate Opportunity
As geopolitical tensions reshape trade, energy, and international cooperation, how can Canada remain competitive while accelerating the clean transition? Join leaders from industry, academia, and the city-led subnational action movement for a timely discussion on climate leadership in a changing world. From energy security and economic resilience to clean technology, sustainable transportation, and cross-border collaboration, this panel explores where climate momentum is accelerating, where Canada risks falling behind, and how cities, businesses, and international partnerships can help build a stronger, more prosperous, and climate-ready future.
Moderator: Jessica F. Green, Professor, Department of Political Science, and School of the Environment at the University of Toronto
Panelists:
Kate Johnson, Regional Director for North America, C40 Cities
Laura Tozer, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough
Meryem Baskoun, Director, Sustainability Reporting, Engagement and Quality Assurance, Air Canada
Greetings from Leah Cowen, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Toronto
Panel: Community Resilience is Climate Action
Join RBC for a compelling discussion on creating climate-resilient communities, featuring local leaders who are advancing resiliency across three sectors: The Bentway on the built environment, Evergreen on climate-ready schools, and Toronto & Region Conservation Authority on climate-ready homes. Moderated by Theresa Do, RBC’s Director of Climate Strategy for Personal Banking, this panel showcases the power of collaborative action in creating a revitalized, climate-ready Toronto.
Moderator: Theresa Do, Director of Climate Strategy for Personal Banking, RBC
Panelists:
Jennifer Taves, Senior Manager, Sustainable Communities, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Jennifer Angel, CEO, Evergreen
Ilana Altman, CEO, The Bentway
12:20 - 1:10
Lunch Break
1:10 - 2:30
Sports and Nature are Deeply Connected
Keynote Presentation by Brian Burke, veteran National Hockey League executive, Lawyer, Broadcaster, and Philanthropist, Ambassador to Ducks Unlimited Canada
Fireside Chat - Nature as Infrastructure: Reimagining Canada’s Path to Climate Resilience and Prosperity
Nature has always underpinned Canada’s economy, identity, and prosperity – but today, it is increasingly under strain. This fireside chat explores what it means to treat nature as essential infrastructure in the climate transition. From wildfire resilience to governance, stewardship, economics and finance, we’ll examine what it takes to move from extraction and optimization to resilience and regeneration. Together, these perspectives point to a powerful Canadian opportunity: to lead the world in building a more resilient, nature-positive future.
Moderator: Elizabeth (Shirt) Gamble, CEO, Profoundry
Speakers:
Irena Creed, Professor, Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences and Geography & Planning, University of Toronto Scarborough
Valérie Courtois, Executive Director, Indigenous Leadership Initiative
Panel: The Great Reallocation: Capital, Climate, and Canada's Moment to Lead
A global race for capital, talent, and clean economic leadership is underway. As investment floods into clean energy, resilient infrastructure, and emerging technologies, Canada faces a pivotal choice: lead, or fall behind. Join leaders from finance, investment, academia, and Indigenous economic development for a dynamic discussion on climate finance, competitiveness, innovation, and long-term prosperity. From clean energy and resilient infrastructure to Indigenous ownership and stewardship, explore how capital can accelerate the transition and help build Canada’s next economic advantage.
Moderator: Sandra Odendahl, Strategic Advisor to Catalyst Climate Capital & Toronto Climate Week
Panelists:
Nelson Switzer, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Climate Innovation Capital
Jan Mahrt-Smith, Associate Professor of Finance, Rotman School of Management, School of the Environment, University of Toronto
Mark Sevestre, General Manager, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Community Trust & Senior Advisor, Mokwateh
2:30 - 2:50
Networking Break
2:50 - 4:35
Panel: From Emissions Reductions to Economic Advantage: Building Canada’s Clean Energy Future
What will it take for Canada to turn the energy transition into a lasting competitive advantage? This dynamic Toronto Climate Week panel brings together leaders in clean energy, business sustainability, carbon management, Indigenous clean energy leadership, and climate law to explore how Canada can accelerate deployment, unlock investment, strengthen resilience, and build the infrastructure of the future. Moving beyond a narrow focus on emissions reductions, the discussion will examine how innovation, partnership, and execution can help create a cleaner, more prosperous, and globally competitive Canadian economy.
Kai Alderson, Partner & Energy, Indigenous and Climate Change Lawyer, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Panelists:
Sanders Lazier, Founder, Carbonhound
Lindsay Hampson, Founder, ThisRock
Eric Muller, Director of Policy for Ontario, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)
Kwatuuma Cole Sayers, Executive Director, Indigenous Power Coalition
TransformTO Net Zero Strategy Progress Report 2022-2025 led by James Nowlan, Executive Director, Environment, Climate & Forestry
Panel: Climate Change and the Future of the City
This session explores how climate mitigation is most effective when it emerges as a co-benefit of broader city-building goals — including neighbourhood improvement, walkable communities, business growth, affordable housing, and local employment generation. Rather than treating climate action as a standalone objective, the discussion will examine how it can be embedded within practical urban priorities.
Moderator: Diana Fox Carney
Speakers:
Ralph Torrie, Director of Research, Corporate Knights
John Robinson, Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Presidential Advisor on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability, Professor, School of the Environment at the University of Toronto
Emily Smit, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto
Remarks - Systems Change and Culture Shifts - Tonya Surman, CEO, Centre for Social Innovation
Panel: Does Climate Need a Rebrand?
"Climate change." "Net zero." "Sustainability." The language of the environmental movement has been with us for decades, but is it working? Public urgency has stalled, polling shows growing fatigue with climate messaging and critics on all sides argue the vocabulary has become either too technical, too elitist, too apocalyptic, or too easily co-opted by the very industries it was meant to challenge. Is it time to reframe the narrative?
Moderator: Jocelyn Butler, CEO, Orchestra Marketing
Panelists:
Jason Agar, Founder, Pomelo Studio Inc.
Sarah Roberton, Senior Vice President, Corporate and Public Affairs, Environics Research
Matt DiPaola, Senior Vice-President, Marketing & Innovation, BIMM
4:35 - 5:00
Closing with MCs Darren Clifford & Michelle Li
Thank you & Acknowledgements by Sarah Clayton, Head of Operations, Toronto Climate Week
5:00 - 6:00
Social Hour
Registrations will be accepted on a rolling basis.
This event is co-hosted by:
The Lawson Climate Institute will combine and catalyze U of T’s multidisciplinary strengths in engineering, science, finance, law, economics, business, and agriculture, as well as foster collaboration with governments, the private sector and public-sector institutions, in translating solutions-oriented research into real-world sustainable technologies and equitable, practical climate policies.
The event is sponsored by:
The Brian and Joannah Lawson Family Foundation is a Canadian family foundation that invests in and engages with ideas, people and organizations that contribute to the healthy development and wellbeing of children and youth in Canada.
The City of Toronto is committed to fostering a positive and progressive workplace culture, and strives to build a workforce that reflects the citizens it serves. We are committed to building a high performing public service, with strong and effective leaders to enable service excellence, through high engagement and healthy and safe workplaces.
The RBC Foundation is a Canadian registered charity funded by Royal Bank of Canada, dedicated to fostering vibrant communities and prosperity. It focuses on empowering youth, protecting the environment, promoting diversity, and supporting mental well-being.
Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada's climate ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Carbonhound automates high credibility climate reporting by integrating with thousands of primary data sources to unlock revenue opportunities and operational savings for our clients in a landscape of changing regulatory and customer expectations. Our platform simplifies carbon management to make it easy and affordable for businesses to take climate action and compete in greening supply chains.
Clever Carbon's goal is to raise carbon footprint literacy and create a carbon literate society in order to accelerate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, reach net-zero targets faster, and create scalable technologies and solutions.
ThisRock helps businesses meet sustainability requirements like EcoVadis, CDP, CSRD and SBTi while measuring emissions and building real programs.
KRGinsure is the trusted tradename of the RRJ Insurance Group Limited, with a legacy of over a century in providing personal and commercial insurance solutions
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