CHANGE MAKERS HUB
What We’re Talking About
Joint Equity with First Nations creates a Just and Equitable Energy Future
A Call to Industry and Government on Indigenous Community Engagement
It has been an honor to say I am from the Treaty 3 Nation considering their advancements within the Energy Sector. In recent years there has been a Nuclear Waste Management Organization proposal for a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) in Ignace, Ontario. Grand Council Treaty 3, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories have been taking Reconciliation into consideration as they move forward with their advancements by facilitating community consultations with educational resources to discuss their Nuclear Waste storage and a proposal for a Canadian DGR.
Community consultations and educational sessions are essential steps for industry and governments, not optional extras. These practices should be mandatory for all developments with significant environmental impacts, ensuring informed and inclusive decision-making. This shouldn’t be required for just Indigenous communities either, it should be mandatory for any developments that have high environmental impacts. When you create relationships and inclusion with the communities you are impacting, it reduces eco-anxiety and creates an opportunity for society to be properly informed on environmental, social, and economic impacts and the benefits of their developments. It creates trust and also encourages innovations and perspectives from people whose voices might not have been considered in the process otherwise, so in turn creating equality.
Indigenous Peoples have a deep-rooted connection to land stewardship and sustainability, guided by traditional ecological knowledge that offers valuable insights for sustainable development. Our identities and culture are so ingrained in protecting the Earth that we should be at the forefront of all decision-making when it comes to environmental impacts because we have ancient traditional ecological knowledge on best sustainable practices. Indigenous communities should not just be participants in these conversations but active leaders guiding environmental decision-making.
Indigenous communities are the first communities to suffer the negative impacts of development and climate change and are also often the ones doing the hard advocacy work against hurtful resource extraction and within the mitigation processes.
A Call to Industry and Government
Indigenous knowledge can and will transcend the energy sector in a good way. In Anishinaabemowin we call this Mino Pimatiziwin; living the good life in a good way. Indigenous Inclusion will bring Mino Pimatiziwin to the Energy Sector, so I challenge industry and government to start building these relationships with Indigenous communities and watch it transcend your work.
I challenge industries and governments to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities whose lands they impact. These collaborations are not only vital for reconciliation but also essential for achieving economic, social, and ecological justice. I would like to challenge all industry, economic developers, and governments to practice and incorporate Indigenous Inclusion.
I suggest using these frameworks as a starting point for your Reconciliation advancements: the Sustainable Development Goals numbers 8, 10, 12, 16 and 17. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) also has direct recommendations for industry under Article 3, 5, 11, 17-21, 23, 24, 26-32, 36-41. Article 43 of UNDRIP underscores that ‘The rights recognized herein constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of Indigenous Peoples of the world.’ This serves as a foundational guide for industry practices.
Along with the SDG’s and UNDRIP the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has published 94 Calls of Action that were developed because of the high missing and murdered indigenous people statistics in Canada which were directly tied to industry developments within Indigenous territories. It is especially more important than ever for industry to adopt these legislations and frameworks to obtain economic, social and ecological justice.
These Calls to Action are a great start to Canadian industry-based reconciliation: 7, 42, 43, 44, 50, 55, 57, 65, 79, and most importantly Call to Action 92 “We call upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms, and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources.”
Building these relationships may seem daunting, but as experts in development, you are well-equipped to initiate meaningful engagement. Indigenous communities across so-called Canada are ready to collaborate—let’s begin this journey together. By integrating Indigenous perspectives and fostering equitable partnerships, industries can transcend traditional practices and achieve sustainable, inclusive growth. The time for action is now—let us work together to build a just and equitable energy future.
Resources on Indigenous Engagement and Indigenous Inclusion:
1. Beyond Conservation: A Toolkit for Respectful Collaboration with Indigenous Peoples
2. Compilation of Resources for Indigenous Consultation
3. First Nation Consultation Framework
4. First Nations Communications Toolkit
Resources on Joint Equity Agreements with First Nations:
2. First Nations need equity to help drive a cleaner Canadian economy – Policy Options
Leading Change Asks
We’re excited to introduce ‘Leading Change Asks…’ where we tackle some of the tough questions that our community cares about. In these discussions, we engage with leaders from various sectors to understand their perspectives and hold them, and ourselves, accountable.
Our first series features Susannah Pierce (President & Country Chair, Shell Canada) in conversation with Jania Husbands-Jackson (ESG & Sustainability Analyst, Colliers), Emily Lau (Program Coordinator, Leading Change Canada), and Laj Kaur (Executive Director, Leading Change Canada).
While we acknowledge the complexities of engaging with major players in the energy sector, like Shell, we believe that open dialogue is essential for bridging gaps and working together towards a sustainable future.
Partner Spotlight: Ocean Wise
We asked Nicole Straughan, Vice President of Youth & Education at Ocean Wise a series of questions to delve into her efforts empowering young leaders who are passionate about ocean conservation.
Nicole offered invaluable insights into the intersection of ocean conservation and climate action, highlighting the pivotal role and opportunities for youth in addressing these urgent issues. Additionally, she shed some light on skill gaps within the industry and outlined diverse pathways for youth who are looking to build capacity and break into this sector. Nicole also dispelled common misconceptions and what she wishes more people knew about ocean conservation!
Innovation Leading with Technology: Co-creating a more sustainable future. Interview feat. ABB Canada & the Academy for Sustainable
June 7, 2023 – Watch ABB Canada and the Academy for Sustainable Innovation (ASI) in an interview hosted by Leading Change to explore a future vision of innovation and opportunity for young leaders to leverage technology to build a more sustainable, equitable, and just future.
Biboye (Bo) Aganaba, Leading Change’s former Executive Director is joined by Taylor Stimpson (Program Manager, Academy for Sustainable Innovation) and Katie Bessette (Country HR Manager, ABB Canada) for an incisive conversation about building capacity, collaboration, courage, curiosity, and care.
Katie shared how ABB’s core make space for young leaders to challenge the status quo and make a positive change in the world. Taylor also shared how ASI’s work is helping individuals and organizations take action on the multiple crises that young people are facing.
Leading Change Youth Roundtable: The Circular Economy
October 8, 2021 – After the 2021 World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), circularity remained a top-of-mind topic for discussion among leaders in sustainability the world over. Building on the role Leading Change played as an official WCEF Studio, post-forum we gathered a group of young sustainability leaders to talk about their perspectives on the circular economy and the future.
This conversation is the first in a new series of roundtables from Leading Change.
Water in Canada: A Vision for 2050
By Alan Shapiro, Director of Foresight Canada’s waterNEXT network and Bo Simango, CEO and Co-Founder of Aquafort
September 8, 2021 – It’s been said that if climate change is the shark, then water is its teeth. From flooding and drought to ocean acidification and coastal erosion, we are already seeing these impacts unfold across Canada and around the world. Inevitably, impacts are never isolated to a single Earth system. The complex web of relationships that defines our water, energy, and food systems–known as the water-energy-food nexus–means that the security of one cannot be achieved without also investing in the other two. The collective health of these systems provides a necessary foundation for community well-being, economic prosperity, and reconciliation.
What does a net-zero 2050 mean for water in Canada? In its simplest form, the future we envision for water is sustainable, secure, and equitable.
A Five-Point Plan for Canada to Reach Net-Zero by 2050
By Phil De Luna, Green Party of Canada Candidate for Toronto-St. Paul’s
August 11, 2021 – I have spent my entire career developing technologies to help decarbonize Canada. It started with my PhD in Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto, where I discovered new renewable ways to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals. From there I co-founded a venture, Team CERT, to scale that clean technology out of the lab and became a finalist in the Carbon XPRIZE. I joined the National Research Council of Canada as its youngest-ever Director where I built and led a $57M collaborative R&D program to develop made-in-Canada technologies for decarbonization. Along the way, I have studied, discovered, developed, funded, mentored, and advocated for the development and expansion of cleantech.
At some point on this journey, I had a realization – technology alone is not enough to get us to net-zero.
Canadian Communities Can Apply Now to Host Save Pond Hockey Events
May 26, 2021 – The Climate and Sport Initiative has launched a call for applications for communities to host Save Pond Hockey events featuring top athletes, funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Climate change is threatening the future of Canada’s favourite sports. The Climate and Sport Initiative shines a spotlight on the direct effect of climate change on the sports we love—and on our nation—and empowers us all to get in the game of preserving both.
So You Want to be a Cleantech Entrepreneur? Start Here.
June 30, 2020 – The times they are a-changin’. Millions of people on every continent marched in climate change protests last September. Leaders around the world are mobilizing to limit global warming to 1.5oC. More and more companies are committing to carbon-neutral targets. As we ramp up our climate ambition, innovative clean technology solutions are needed more than ever.
Five Tips on How to Launch your Sustainability Career During a Pandemic
By Megan Poss, Executive Director, Leading Change
May 26, 2020 – Over the last decade, I’ve had hundreds of conversations with students and young professionals seeking advice on how to “break into” the sustainability field. Although the COVID-19 economic and health crisis has placed unprecedented challenges on job seekers, it doesn’t change the fact that there are still many passionate, courageous and visionary people out there who are determined to land their dream sustainability job—or at the very least, take steps to get there.
While there is no single path or secret formula, I’ve learned a few tips and frameworks in my time supporting youth in sustainability that I would love to share with you. I recognize that, as a white, cis-gendered woman with an easy-to-pronounce name, privilege has been on my side in many job-seeking experiences. Knowing this, much of the advice I offer has been informed from listening and learning from young people who inspire me and mentors I admire who hold different identities, backgrounds and experiences from myself. I encourage you to research broadly, test different strategies and apply what works best for you.