Environment Funders Canada holds learning webinars and members’ briefings throughout the year. Through our Shared Learning Series, a partnership between Environment Funders Canada and the Sustainability Network, a number of our webinars are open to all interested participants. Other webinars are for members only. For more info and to register, contact ashley@EnvironmentFunders.ca.
Upcoming Webinars
Check back regularly for information about upcoming webinars.
Past Webinars
EFC Speaker Series – Connected Waters: Funder Collaboratives and Water Health (April 6, 2023)
Connected Waters: Funder Collaboratives and Water Health Water. The lifesource of ecological and human health. Watershed. An easily understood unit that connects people and communities to the natural world that supports us and provides a lens for action. Water needs us to work together and watershed security necessitates a new collaborative approach. Canadian funders have a history of seeding national and regional water initiatives that ensure we’re working together for water. For example, the National Water Funders Group of EFC seeded the emergence of Our Living Waters, the only Canada-wide organization uniting water leaders towards the ambitious goal of all waters in Canada in good health by 2030. At a regional level, the BC Water Funders Collaborative has supported a network of water leaders who just secured $100 million in provincial funding to kick start the BC Watershed Security Fund. This new Fund will be co-developed between the province and BC First Nations and could become a global model for advancing UNDRIP. Join us to hear from Andrew Stegemann, Director of Our Living Waters, and Tim Morris, Director of the BC Freshwater Legacy Initiative (and former coordinator of both the National & BC Water Funders Groups) to learn to about the history of water funding efforts within EFC, the developments and outcomes that have occurred since those early days and the opportunities for funders to work together to advance tangible outcomes on water and watersheds.
EFC Speaker Series: Cellular Agriculture (Feb 23rd, 2023)
The field of cellular agriculture is based on the idea that cells—not organisms—should power agriculture. It is a simple idea with profound promise for animal welfare, biodiversity, and climate. Demand for animal products and economic development are closely linked, making it likely that animal agriculture’s global footprint will only continue to grow. The world needs a protein transition to accompany the carbon transition. Growing animal products without raising animals just might save the planet!
Join us for a conversation with some of the experts leading Canada’s protein transition. The session began with introductory remarks from Geoff Burt from the Consecon Foundation, and then we head from our outstanding panelists:
- Isha Datar, Executive Director at New Harvest
- Lejjy Gafour, CEO at CULT Food Science
- Dr. Cameron Semper, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Calgary
EFC Speaker Series – Making Connections: A Conversation among Complementary Collaboratives (Oct 24, 2022)
Environment Funders Canada’s Oceans Collaborative (OC) brought together funders with a shared interest in restoring and protecting healthy, productive oceans and coasts across Canada, and a recognition that Indigenous and community-rooted leadership is fundamental to reaching this goal. The OC is aware that there are several collaboratives doing complementary work to ours but that we have had limited opportunities to connect with one another. This was an opportunity for us, along with our respective broader memberships, to come together in shared space to learn about the goals, approaches, challenges and successes of each collaborative and to explore opportunities to work more closely together. As a first step in doing so, the OC hosted a fireside chat that brought together a number of collaboratives whose focus may be different, but whose work intersects with efforts to advance and support Indigenous-led, community-based conservation.
Moderated by Meaghan Calcari Campbell, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Chair of the OC, this discussion brought together:
Arctic Funders Collaborative – Liz Liske, Director
Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund – Wanda Brascoupe, Co-Principle
NWT On the Land Collaborative – Steve Ellis
Oceans Collaborative – Darcy Dobell, Program Consultant
Rights Relations Collaborative – Jess Housty, Co-Lead
Target 1 Funders Collaborative – Peter Kendall
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here.
EFC Speaker Series – Philanthropy and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Solutions in Canada (Sept 29, 2022)
The Clean Economy Fund and Environment Funders Canada hosted an expert-led discussion that summarized the cases both for nature-based CDR solutions and for engineered CDR solutions. Asking the questions: What are their respective advantages and disadvantages? Where in Canada are we seeing effective deployment? And where is philanthropic giving best allocated to accelerate uptake?
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here. *Please email ashley@environmentfunders.ca for the password.
On May 21, 2022 the citizens of Australia voted for change after nine years under the conservative Liberal-National Coalition government, and delivered a resounding win for climate action and environmental protection.
So, what can we learn from the Australian experience? How did change happen? What role did philanthropy play in bringing about this seismic shift? Can it be replicated in Canada and the US?
Join us for a fascinating conversation with three Australian climate leaders who not only bore witness to this change, but contributed directly to it in a hands-on way:
• Simon Holmes à Court, cleantech investor, climate philanthropist and founder of Climate 200
• Amanda Martin OAM, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network
• Dr. Barry Traill, Coordinator, Australian Climate Action Network, conservationist and ecologist
In conversation with Devika Shah (Environment Funders Canada) and Paige Brown (Biodiversity Funders Group).
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here.
EFC Speaker Series – Talking to Albertans (May 30, 2022)
Alberta’s 2023 provincial election is a key moment to shift the narrative and secure support for climate leadership and Canada’s energy transition. Join us in conversation with some of Canada’s top campaign strategists as they unpack their independent but coordinated initiatives to help activate the hearts and minds of Albertans in support of this transition. By investing resources into communications, grassroots organizing, and digital campaigning in key communities, they aim to mobilize thousands of Albertans to prioritize progressive issues (including climate leadership) at the ballot box and accelerate long-term cultural change.
Panelists include:
• Amber Bennett, Canadian Associate, Climate Outreach
• Natalie Odd, Executive Director, Alberta Environmental Network
• Aaron Myran, Executive Director, Future Majority
• Will Horter, Executive Director, Salal Foundation
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here.
EFC Speaker Series – Indigenous Leadership in Climate Action Policy (April 19, 2022)
Acknowledging and upholding the role of Indigenous leadership in climate policy advocacy is one of the most important moral and strategic issues facing the climate movement in so-called ‘Canada’. It’s also one of the most complex, because it challenges deeply held, deeply entrenched systems of belief, knowledge, and identity (especially within the white colonial structures of power that have dominated until now). The processes of creating space for whole movements of people to learn and unlearn together is often messy, emotional, fraught with mistakes, and ultimately (hopefully) some of the most fruitful and enduring good work we can do.
Featuring: Eriel Deranger & Sheila Muxlow of Indigenous Climate Action, in conversation with Teika Newton of Climate Action Network & Devika Shah of Environment Funders Canada as they explore questions such as:
1) How does Indigenous leadership on climate policy inspire more effective action and processes to create durable climate solutions, and what can settler-led climate organizations learn from this approach?
2) What would it look like for non-Indigenous policy work to push for decolonization justice and not further entrench white privileged / white supremacist power structures?
3) What is the way forward as we try to build a ‘whole movement’ where the strategic importance and value of each component within the broader ecosystem is understood by all, and where those different components work together in mutually reinforcing ways?
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here.
EFC Speaker Series – Organizing for Nature (March 15, 2022)
Building ‘people power’ for nature is no easy task, yet it is often a major prerequisite for successfully advancing the policies and regulations needed to conserve the threatened ecosystems upon which we and other species depend. Please join us for this roundtable discussion among four environmental leaders in Canada, whose organizations are finding innovative ways to engage and mobilize people inside and outside of the ‘enviro bubble’ to advocate for nature protection and conservation.
How are they doing it? What challenges are they currently grappling with? What lessons learned can others benefit from?
Featuring:
Mike Balkwill, Campaign Director, Wellington Water Watchers
Tim Gray, Executive Director, Environmental Defence
James Littley, Operations and Grants Manager, Okanagan Basin Water Board
Graham Saul, Executive Director, Nature Canada
Moderated by: Devika Shah, Executive Director, Environment Funders Canada
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here.
EFC Speaker Series – Strategic Grantmaking Through Environmental Justice & Community Engagement (February 7, 2022)
Devika Shah, Executive Director of Environment Funders Canada, in conversation with five community leaders about the strategic importance of environmental justice and community engagement for effective environmental grantmaking. Featuring:
- Dr. Imara Ajani Rolston, Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
- Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Professor & HOPE Chair in Peace and Health, McMaster University; Founder, Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities & Community Health Project (The ENRICH Project), and Co-Founder, Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice (CCECJ)
- Emmay Mah, Executive Director, Toronto Environmental Alliance
- Naolo Charles, Founder, Black Environmental Initiative and Co-Founder, Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice
- Julius Lindsay, Director, Sustainable Communities, David Suzuki Foundation
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here
EFC Annual General Meeting
June 3, 2021
EFC AGM Meeting Presentation
June 9, 2020
EFC AGM Meeting Presentation
The New Plan for Climate Action in Canada – Funder Webinar – January 28, 2021 @ 1:30pm ET
The Federal Government recently made a series of climate announcements to indicate their approach to ensuring Canada reaches net zero by 2050. This includes a reliance on market mechanisms, consumer incentives, support for the clean tech sector, and incentives for the fossil fuel sector to reduce emissions. The Government also announced legislation to hold this and future governments accountable to reaching their climate targets.
EFC is pleased to host a webinar for funders to review the recent climate announcements and the implications for Canada’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2050. Topics will include an assessment of the recent announcements, the role of provinces in securing high ambition, and challenges and opportunities to shaping the energy pathway. Speakers will also provide an overview of the priorities, goals, and strategies for 2021 and explore how philanthropic investments could help address challenges and capitalize on opportunities.
Moderated by Annie Bérubé, Program Director with McConnell and Chair of EFC’s Low Carbon Funders Group, this webinar will include Cat Abreau, Executive Director, Climate Action Network; Josha MacNab, National Policy Director, Pembina Institute; and Jen Lash, Sisu Consulting.
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here
Investing in Canada’s Low Carbon Economy: A Total Portfolio Approach to Investing your Endowment – Webinar – January 21, 2021 @ 10am PT/1pm ET
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an opportunity to reposition the Canadian economy and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Institutional investors have a key role to play as capital providers in driving this transition. While many may assume that investor leadership must come from the largest institutional investors, the role that smaller investors like foundations can play as innovators is critical.
This virtual session will look at opportunities for foundations to invest and steward their endowments to support the transition to a low-carbon economy across asset classes. We will introduce a total portfolio approach with specific emphasis on decarbonization of portfolios and consider strategies in public markets, private markets and fixed income. The session will also explore how foundations can evaluate managers and products effectively.
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here
Building Canada’s Low Carbon Future: Opportunities for the Philanthropic Sector
Webinar – October 8, 2020 @ 1:00 – 2:00pm ET (Please note this webinar is for funders only. Thank you.)
In 2015, Environment Funders Canada (then the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers’ Network) commissioned Dunsky Energy Consulting to produce a report exploring the role for philanthropy in advancing a low carbon future for Canada. With insights from more than 40 leaders, En Route to a Low Carbon Future, summarized key climate trends and pinpointed opportunities for the philanthropic sector to accelerate climate action in Canada.
In the five years that have passed, significant progress has been made and the momentum for climate action has grown. Public opinion, policy and citizen engagement have evolved, leading to new opportunities for philanthropy and sustainable impact investing. However, key headwinds remain, and the pace of change must accelerate rapidly if we are to meet our climate targets and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
With that in mind, in early 2020, EFC once again engaged Dunsky Energy Consulting to update and extend our thinking around the critical role of the philanthropic sector in accelerating climate action in Canada. At the same time, the world was rocked by another global crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic presents a new set of challenges, along with an historic opportunity to ‘build back better’.
Funders are invited to join us for a webinar on October 8, 2020 from 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET where we will introduce our new report and explore the evolving role of the philanthropic sector in accelerating climate action in Canada. Building Canada’s Low Carbon Future: Opportunities for the Philanthropic Sector assesses progress on major climate initiatives, identifies key gaps and opportunities, and concludes with recommendations for the philanthropic sector. It also touches on COVID-19 and its potential impacts on climate action in Canada. The report was generously supported by the Trottier Family Foundation.
This webinar will be introduced by Thea Silver of Environment Funders Canada, with remarks and moderation by Annie Bérubé, Chair of EFC’s Low Carbon Funders Group and Program Director, The McConnell Foundation, and Eric St-Pierre, EFC Board member and Executive Director, The Trottier Family Foundation. It will include a presentation of the report by Patricia Lightburn, Dunsky Energy Consulting, followed by a moderated discussion.
View webinar recording by logging into the members section here
June 11th, 2020
Activating The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
This year marks 5 years since the Philanthropic Community’s Declaration of Action (The Declaration) was created and signed. The Declaration is a commitment made in response to Philanthropy’s role activating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (TRC), which was created on the foundation of The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
This webinar is an opportunity to remember the intentions and calls to action of The Declaration and recognize how UNDRIP can be a catalyst for increased justice and partnership with Indigenous-led and Indigenous-informed organizations.
Funders are invited to join us on June 11th from 1 PM- 2:30 PM EST to hear from our panel, consisting of:
• Jessica Wood, Assistant Deputy Minister, Reconciliation Transformation and Strategies Division, Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Province of British Columbia;
• Ginger Gosnell-Myers, Fellow, Simon Fraser University
• Andrea Reimer, Former Councillor, City of Vancouver;
The session will be moderated by Kris Archie, The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. They will share their unique and powerful stories on how they’ve worked on municipal, provincial and/or national levels to activate UNDRIP in their organizations and institutions.
Webinar participants will leave this webinar with:
– Increased understanding of the importance of UNDRIP
– Resources to learn more about how to activate and uphold UNDRIP in your organization
– Awareness on how and where to find support in this work
View webinar recording by logging into members section here
April 23, 2020
Leveraging Technology for a Healthy Planet (Members & Funders only)
The current pandemic crisis offers a reminder of the critical role technology plays in solving humanity’s urgent social and environmental challenges. We cannot afford to lose momentum in our efforts to address climate change, biodiversity loss and other pressing environmental issues. Emergent technologies such as AI, blockchain, big data and smartphone applications offer a new opportunity to enhance the speed, scale and precision of our critical work. From our urban centres to our most remote coasts, change-makers across Canada and around the world are already leveraging these technologies for a healthy planet. What do we know about their social and environmental implications? Furthermore, how are funders well positioned to support their social and environmental upsides?
With generous support from the RBC Foundation, Environment Funders Canada commissioned a new report by ASI Canada exploring how emerging technologies are already advancing environmental solutions, protecting our planetary systems, monitoring vulnerable species and supporting at-risk communities and the opportunities this presents for philanthropy and investors.
Funders are invited to join us on April 23, 2020 from 1:00 – 2:00PM ET for a webinar where we will present the findings in this new report and, together, explore opportunities for purposeful investment, creative partnerships and exciting pathways for engagement.
This webinar will be introduced by Thea Silver of Environment Funders Canada and be moderated by Ed Whittingham, ASI Canada. It will include remarks by Navi Brar, RBC Foundation, a report presentation by Nicole Doray, ASI Canada, followed by a moderated discussion.
View webinar recording by logging into members section here