Welcome to a Distinguished Fellow With a Global Perspective

The Center on Global Energy Policy was founded to convene ambitious, creative minds who can solve the planet’s climate and energy challenges in a thoughtful, evidence-based, and actionable manner, and when I think of someone who applies their knowledge and expertise in climate policy to guide decision makers toward practical decisions, I can think of few better than @CatherineMcKenna . That’s why I’m so pleased to welcome her to the Center as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow.?

In this role, Catherine will research innovative financing tools to scale the transition from coal to clean energy, and best practices for a just transition for workers and communities. She will also advance work on a global price on carbon, carbon-border adjustments, and effective international carbon markets.?

Catherine and I have known each other for some time, and despite our friendly ongoing disagreement about whether NYC or Montreal has the best bagels (this should not be a hard question #NYC), she will be a tremendous thought partner for us at Columbia, bringing a global perspective to our work. During her tenure as Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine was a lead negotiator of the Paris Agreement and successfully pushed landmark legislation that established a carbon price across the nation. She led Canada’s efforts to phase out coal, reduce plastics in the oceans and waterways, and make historic investments in public transit and green infrastructure.

Catherine was also co-chair of the World Bank's Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, in which role she worked closely with members of the Obama Administration on international climate and environmental issues. CGEP aims to fill the gap between academic research and policy, and Catherine’s proven experience bridges thought to action.

Finally, just recently, at COP26 in Glasgow, Catherine launched Women Leading on Climate, part of her Climate and Nature Solutions initiative. Meshing with the CGEP’s objective of training a diverse pool of tomorrow’s leaders, these initiatives aim to: empower women and girls leading the climate revolution and amplify their voices, support? nature in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, and support clean tech companies to help scale solutions.

Catherine’s accomplishments are remarkable. But perhaps the most admirable thing about her is her passion for working with students. She loves new ideas, and speaking to young people about their vision for the future is one of the things that motivates her most. In a world where it’s easy to look at the data and the trends on climate change and feel pessimistic, the thing that keeps me optimistic is getting to spend time with young people on a campus like Columbia every day. I know Catherine shares this sentiment, which is just another reason why I’m so glad she’s on board with us at Columbia. I can’t wait to see the ways in which she works with and inspires our students.