CEP Toronto Presents: Emerging Climate Tech

The climate crisis has quickly become one of the most pressing and widespread problems of our time. Could technology be the answer?

As many locations around the world suffer the devastating impacts of climate change like wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts - developing innovations that can effectively address the climate issue is now more urgent than ever.

Join us on March 3rd as we chat with three sustainability leaders with expertise in ground-breaking sustainability technologies. They will introduce the audience to four highly promising climate cleantech solutions that might just save our planet: Hydrogen Power, Carbon Capture, and Energy Storage.

Our speakers will discuss:

• What exactly are these technologies, how do they work and how effective are they at reducing carbon emissions?
• Why do companies invest in these technologies?
• What challenges do each of these technologies face in scaling up nationally or globally? Are there any downsides to them?
• What have been some recent or emerging exciting discoveries or breakthroughs?
• How can these technologies, combined with investments and partnerships from governments and the private sector, potentially solve our climate problem?

Panelists: 

1. Shivani Chotalia, Manager, Engineering and Community Partnerships, NRStor 

Shivani is an engineer and finance-professional focused on the intersection of clean technologies and social impact. She works with NRStor Inc. to build own and operate first-of-a-kind energy storage projects, including Canada’s first commercial flywheel energy storage facility and the first fuel-free compressed air energy storage (CAES) facility in the world. Shivani helps to lead NRStor’s work with remote, off-grid Indigenous communities building partnerships and projects reducing dependence on diesel fuel while supporting local economic growth.

Shivani is a Board Member of Environmental Defence Canada and a co-founder of Bold Realities – a platform for dialogue regarding the role of corporate Canada in reconciliation. Previously, Shivani worked to develop biogas projects in Ontario and California and worked in finance as an investment banking analyst in Calgary.

Shivani holds a BESc. in Green Process Engineering from Western University and an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. She is a Venture for Canada Alumni – a fellowship program focussed on fueling the Canadian startup ecosystem.

For more information on Shivani and her work visit her LinkedIn profile here.

2. Ahsan Syed, Project Manager, Protium Green Solutions

Ahsan has been working in the environment and climate change space for the last 5 years, which has cultivated his experience across climate and energy policy, environmental compliance, corporate climate change strategy, and emissions quantification and reporting including life-cycle assessments. 

Ahsan has worked with clients across the public and private sectors on industrial energy efficiency, carbon offset protocol development, GHG and climate change training for corporate teams, and circular economy integration into corporate practices. He started his career in Alberta, helping the oil and gas industry reduce its emissions, then moved to the UK to work on the circular economy, and is now working on hydrogen. 

Ahsan combines strong commercial and technical skills and brings a holistic perspective to projects from across a range of climate change issues. He has an HBA degree from the Ivey Business School, a BSc in Environmental Sciences, and recently acquired an MSc in Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics as a Canadian Chevening scholar.

For more information on Ahsan and his work visit his LinkedIn profile here.

3. Anna Stukas, VP Business Development, Carbon Engineering

Anna Stukas is a Vice President of Business Development at Carbon Engineering Ltd. (CE), a Canadian-based clean energy company. CE is leading the commercialization of ground-breaking technology that captures carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, and a second technology that synthesizes it into clean, affordable transportation fuels.

Anna is a professional engineer with over 15 years’ experience bridging the gap between technology and business to overcome barriers to cleantech commercialization. Anna previously worked with Angstrom Power and BIC developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, where her responsibilities spanned IP and licensing strategy, product safety, and international regulatory development. She currently leads a variety of CE’s partnering and strategic business development efforts, and previously led CE initiatives ranging from strategic projects to government programs. Anna’s work has been recognized by the Minerva Foundation’s Women In™ Energy Award for Philanthropy and Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 Award.

For more information on Anna and her work visit her LinkedIn profile here.

Moderator:

Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy

Meredith Adler is the Executive Director for Student Energy, a global youth-led organization creating the next generation of energy leaders who will accelerate our transition to a sustainable energy future. With a network of over 50,000 students in 120 countries, Student Energy is the leading energy organization for youth empowerment, skill development, and intergenerational collaboration for our energy future. 

Meredith knows that youth innovation can deliver the sustainable solutions we need and that they need a seat at the table wherever their future is being determined. She works to develops young people’s capacity to be change agents while working with the energy industry, governments, and organizations to create space for intergenerational collaboration. Under Meredith’s leadership, Student Energy was named one of the top 50 youth solutions in the world delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Meredith’s energy leadership has been recognized by Women In Renewable Energy as their Woman of the Year for 2018, as a Clean50 Emerging Leader, and as a 2020 YWCA Women of Distinction Award recipient.

Meredith’s leadership in energy has been recognized by GLOBE Series through the Peter MacConnachie Collaboration Award, her position as a Smart Prosperity Leader, by Women In Renewable Energy as their Woman of the Year for 2018, as a Clean50 Emerging Leader, as one of BCBusiness’s Top 30 under 30, and as a winner for YWCA women of the year.

For more information on Meredith and her work visit her LinkedIn profile here.

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Register your spot soon as space is limited!

A special thanks to our incredible event sponsor Green & Frugal!  One of our favourite sustainable living shop in the city with the goal to make green living more accessible.

CEP Toronto is a self-funded, non-profit, and volunteer-powered organization that strives to create opportunities for all professionals to collaborate and learn, ultimately driving sustainability and climate action. Please consider leaving a donation upon registration to help support financing our operational expenditures so that we continue offering you virtual events that generate invaluable insights into the sustainability field.