Top Sustainability Leaders Across Canada Honoured by Clean50

Toronto, September 21, 2015 — Led by Premiers Kathleen Wynne of Ontario and Philippe Couillard of Quebec, the 2016 list of “Canada’s Clean50” celebrates the accomplishments of 50 sustainability leaders drawn from 16 widely different categories.

These champions have achieved measurable results in fighting climate change, and are helping transition Canada toward a low carbon and more prosperous future.

The annual list of honourees, now in its fifth year, was announced today in Toronto by Clean50 Executive Director, and Delta Management Group CEO Gavin Pitchford, and includes leaders from virtually every corner of Canada and every field of endeavour.

The list spans a wide variety of Canadians, including TD Bank’s “other CEO,” Chief Environment Officer Karen Clarke-Whistler; PEI’s mussel farmer Jerry Bidgood; Whistler Blackcomb’s Arthur De Jong; Scott Thomson of Manitoba Hydro; and Brian Bentz of PowerStream — to name a few.

Other honourees include renowned economists Chris Ragan and Stewart Elgie, as well as inventors, clean tech entrepreneurs, chief corporate sustainability officers, bankers, landlords, consultants, senior executives, and investors. Past honourees include Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside, and former Surrey Mayor Diane Watts.

Combined, this year’s Clean50 has saved fresh water lakes, diverted and recycled thousands of tonnes of waste, eliminated significant greenhouse gasses, cut energy consumption, created clean energy in the thousands of megawatts, invested in countless clean tech startups that have themselves created thousands of jobs, and have, overall, contributed significant efforts and leadership to fighting climate change.

If Canada wins the battle, these are the champions who are proving every day that environmental sustainability does not come at the cost of economic prosperity. (The full list of honourees can be found here).

Over 100 of past and incoming members of the Clean50 will gather in Toronto on September 23rd for the Clean50 Summit 5.0 to debate solutions to problems caused by climate change.

Both Premiers Wynne and Couillard will be in attendance to accept their awards, mingle with fellow honourees and host a fireside chat.

This year’s award plaques are fashioned from the famous “Maple Leaf Forever” tree. Said to have inspired Alexander Muir to pen Canada’s unofficial anthem in 1867, the “Maple Leaf Forever“ tree was felled after an extreme storm in 2013, and pieces have previously been given to Pan Am athletes, among others.

Details of all the winners and their respective categories are available at www.clean50.com beginning at 9 AM tomorrow.