| OUR GOVERNANCE

Alan is the climate program director at Ecojustice, where he leads a team of lawyers across Canada who use litigation and law reform to combat climate change. Prior to joining Ecojustice in 2018, Alan headed the clean air team at ClientEarth (a European environmental law non-profit) in London and Brussels. He started his legal career at the international law firm CMS Cameron McKenna before making the transition to environmental law through a master’s degree in environmental law from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). He is passionate about law’s potential to empower people to stand up for their right to a healthy environment.

Brent Kopperson is the founder and Executive Director of Windfall Ecology Centre, a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to building sustainable communities. The creation of Windfall was inspired by a vision of sustainable communities, where economic, social, and environmental needs achieve balance through social innovation, community partnership, and community action.

Catherine Abreu is an internationally recognized, award-winning campaigner whose work centres on building powerful coalitions to advance action on climate change. One of the world’s 100 most influential people in climate policy as named by Apolitical in 2019, she has over 15 years of experience campaigning on environmental issues including 7 years in the heart of the climate movement.

Dr. Christian Holz is a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa and the Senior Research Associate of the Climate Equity Reference Project. His focus is on research and advocacy in the context of international climate change politics, especially the multilateral UN climate regime. He is a co-author of an influential series of annual equity and ambition assessment of countries’ climate action pledges, whose first installment – Fair Shares: A Civil Society Equity Review of INDCs (civilsocietyreview.org/report) – was described as the single most influential climate justice intervention at the 2015 UN Paris Climate Summit (and even made it into the speeches of some Heads of States). Christian is also a past Executive Director of Climate Action Network Canada (2012-2014). An active and long-standing participant in the UN climate negotiations, he aims to combine rigorous scholarship and effective advocacy to address the global climate crisis. In general, this research and advocacy work centres on the role of equity and fairness as enablers of ambitious domestic and international action on addressing climate change while protecting the right of the world’s poor to a better life.

Émilie works as Director of Operations at the Climate Reality Project Canada. The organization, based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), is the Canadian branch of an international organization spanning over 10 countries. Its mission is to build and connect networks of empowered individuals in communities across Canada by equipping them with the tools and knowledge to bring about new behaviours and policies that lead to a low-carbon, resilient and just future. Her role mainly consists of developing tools and offering support in order to optimize the organization’s workflow, overall efficiency, and impact. She is also heavily involved in fundraising and reporting, as well as partnership development. Previously, she held the role of Community Engagement and Program Development Manager, during which time she had the immense privilege of supporting Climate Reality Canada’s 1500+ passionate volunteers across Canada.

Of mixed Anishinaabe and European descent, Graeme works at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) as a senior policy advisor, ensuring federal and international climate policy safeguards First Nations rights, jurisdiction and knowledge. He has presented to the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment (CCME), participated in the First Minister’s Meeting negotiating the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, and participated in multiple expert committees, such as the Expert Panel on Climate Adaptation and Resilience Results. During this time, he has had the opportunity to represent the AFN at the COP 23, COP 24, and COP 25 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Since 2019, he has been the Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change. In his spare time, he is a doctoral candidate at the University of Guelph, studying the intersection of Indigenous governance, environmental governance, and the climate crisis. He is an Action Canada Fellow, a Top 30 Under 30 in Sustainability, and a St. Paul’s Young Alumni Award winner.

Jana Jandal Alrifai is an Arab-Canadian climate justice organizer living in so-called Windsor, Ontario. She is passionate about social change and the diverse voices that help lead it. She is a co-founder of Fridays For Future Windsor-Essex and an activist with Climate Strike Canada. She has worked on a variety of campaigns like Save Okavango Delta, national days of actions and other local issues.

Joy Kennedy is a consultant on ecological justice issues. A long-time member of various social and ecological justice boards, networks and committees, she served on the board as treasurer of the Climate Action Network (CAN-Rac) for many years.

Miranda Baksh is an environmental educator, climate action catalyst, and one of York University’s top 30 changemakers under 30 making a difference in the world. She obtained her Masters in Environmental Studies from York University and shortly after co-founded a non-profit organization based in her hometown, Brampton, The Community Climate Council. Her passion for biodiversity conservation led her to study EcoHealth and Disaster Risk Reduction in Costa Rica and Belize which brought her closer to local climate activism. She currently works at Environmental Defence and enjoys hiking on trails across Ontario.

Nhattan (he/him) was born and raised in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), on the traditional unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk). Second generation Vietnamese, his family fled the aftermath of the war in their country. Nhattan started as an Executive Assistant with Indigenous Climate Action in June 2021.

Tara Peel works as Political Assistant to the President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). Previously, she was the National Representative for Health, Safety and Environment at CLC, where she was responsible for developing national campaigns and providing analysis on a variety of workplace health, environmental health and sustainability issues. Tara is a member of the Board of Directors of Climate Action Network Canada and the national steering committee for the Green Economy Network. She also serves as a Member of the Council of Governors for the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Previously, as Policy and Special Projects Coordinator for the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL), she was responsible for implementing MFL priorities, including a focus on health, safety and environment.

Tony Snow is a member of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. One of seven children of the late Dr. Rev. Chief John Snow Sr., Tony was raised with his traditional cultural teachings and has worked for decades as an environmental technician and cultural advocate for Indigenous people in the resource development industry. As a traditional knowledge keeper, theologian and environmental activist, Tony has worked to protect the interests of First Nations in mediation, reclamation and traditional land use. He currently works as the Indigenous Minister for the Chinook Winds Region in southern Alberta and serves on the United Church of Canada Climate Advisory Circle and with the For The Love Of Creation campaign. Tony attended COP25 and COP26 with the UCC observer delegation in Madrid and Glasgow. Tony Snow is now Rev. Tony Snow.

Anna Johnston is a Staff Lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law, where her work focuses on strengthening federal environmental laws and environmental assessment reform. She earned her law degree from the University of Victoria in 2010, where she was enrolled in the Environmental Law Clinic intensive stream and was an active member of the Environmental Law Club. In 2010 Anna interned at the Institute of Environmental Law and Governance in Nairobi, Kenya before completing her articles at Ecojustice Canada. Called to the bar in 2011, Anna practiced as a sole practitioner in Aboriginal and environmental law before she joined West Coast in 2013.