Virtual Green Drinks: Climate Edition – SMARTNet Alliance

For Virtual Green Drinks May, SMARTNet Alliance is excited to present the Climate Edition. Climate change has moved to the forefront as one of the biggest issues of our day, and for this edition we will feature two organizations who are leading the way in the battle against climate change. We will get an inside glimpse as to the work that is going on both nationally and locally while also taking a look ahead to examine the policies and initiatives that will shape Canada’s transition to a more sustainable economy. Joining us will be representatives from the Environmental Defence and CAFES (Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability) Ottawa. Both organizations have become renowned for the hard work they are doing to help curb climate change.

First up we will hear from Julia Levin who is the National Climate Program Manager at Environmental Defence. Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities. During her presentation Julia will highlight the key challenges we’re up against when it comes to pushing the Government of Canada to tackle the climate crisis. She will give an overview on climate action happening at the Federal level and she will highlight some of the initiatives that her organization is undertaking that is helping everyday Canadians take action against climate change.

After Julia we welcome Angela Keller-Herzog who is the Executive Director over at CAFES Ottawa. They have been working since 2010 to help community associations in Ottawa share ideas and achieve common environmental goals. CAFES acts as a network between community associations and citizens who are working to promote environmental sustainability in our city and our neighborhoods, sharing info on concerns, community events, best practices and research. Angela, who is an experienced leader, energetic community builder, small-business owner, and former diplomat, will give us an introduction to CAFES and highlight some of the important work they are doing in Ottawa.

Lastly we welcome another representative from CAFES Ottawa, Board Member Marion Siekierski, who is an accomplished project manager and passionate environmental advocate. Marion will speak about Ottawa’s High Performance Development Standard and compare key aspects with jurisdictions from other municipalities in Canada and beyond. She will share her surprising findings with you and is looking forward to your views on how to promote more ambitious climate action at the city level and beyond.

Don’t miss this vitally important Virtual Green Drinks: Climate Edition. It takes place Thursday May 12th starting at 615pm EDT on the online Zoom platform. Register now to hold your spot.

Speaker Bios:

Julia Levin is the National Climate Program Manager at Environmental Defence. Julia obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology from McGill University and a Master of Education in Adult Education and Community Development from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. In her current role with Environmental Defence Canada, she works to advance climate action at the federal level. She has previously worked with both Greenpeace Canada and Oceana Canada. Julia has been organizing around climate justice for over a decade.

Angela Keller-Herzog is the Executive Director of Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) and principal at Horizon Green consulting. She has over 20 years experience working in international development including at Transparency International and the Canadian federal government. She has represented Canada overseas and at United Nations conferences. Angela believes in local action, taking responsibility and getting things done to create the world we want to live in. Preserving biodiversity and taking climate action are two of Angela’s priorities. She is a former director on the boards of Ottawa Renewable Energy Coop (OREC) and the Glebe Community Association. She is a co-founder of Ottawa Centre Refugee Action and the Glashan Schoolyard Greening Project. She has received multiple awards recognizing her progressive community leadership.

Marion Siekierski is an accomplished project manager and passionate environmental advocate, who currently calls Ottawa home. Originally from Germany, her work took her to nine countries on five continents, affording her a varied international perspective. She managed projects for Reuters, the United Nations, and the European Commission in Southeast Asia and West Africa. Over the last few years, driven by a sense of urgency about the climate crisis, she pivoted to running environmental education programs in international schools, where she inspires the next generation. Her current focus is climate action at the city level. With a Master’s degree in Political Science, she’s particularly interested in the driving forces for change and how to effectively support them.

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Missed passed Green Drinks?  to watch the virtual Green Drinks over the past few months.

Click here to join the Ottawa Renewable-Green Energy Meetup Group and view our upcoming speakers.

If you have any questions about this event please send an email to info@SMARTNetAlliance.ca.