Abstract

Climate change is not only an environmental challenge—it is also a challenge of leadership, power and our ability to make change happen. Drawing on her experience as Canada’s former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna will reflect on what it takes to advance ambitious climate policy in a polarized political environment. The conversation will explore how gender and identity shape who holds power, whose voices are heard and how leaders are treated when they challenge the status quo. McKenna will share lessons from the frontlines of climate politics, including confronting opposition, misinformation and sexism while working to deliver meaningful climate action. Drawing on themes from her memoir, Run Like a Girl, she will also discuss resilience, ambition and the importance of creating space for more women to lead.

In conversation with Danielle Lackey, Executive Director of ClientEarth USA and moderated by Nurit Katz, UCLA’s Chief Sustainability Officer, McKenna will consider what effective climate leadership looks like today and how the next generation can help build a more sustainable, equitable and resilient future.

Bio

Catherine McKenna is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Climate and Nature Solutions. She served as Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and chaired the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments, which established standards for credible net-zero commitments by companies, financial institutions, cities and regions. McKenna founded Women Leading on Climate and hosts its podcast. She is a Visiting Professor in Practice at the Grantham Institute at the London School of Economics and a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. A Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, McKenna is also the author of Run Like a Girl, a memoir about ambition, resilience and fighting for change. She is a frequent global speaker on climate action, net-zero leadership and women’s empowerment.

Registration
Reception immediately following the discussion