'It's a green light': Memorial University political scientist recognized among the country’s 'Clean50'
Ref. No.: 107
A Canada Research Chair in equitable energy governance and public policy at Memorial University has been recognized among the country’s leading sustainability innovators.
Dr. Angela Carter, a faculty member in the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, has been honoured by Delta Management Group as one of Canada's Clean50. Delta Management Group is a corporate search firm specializing in sustainability professionals.
The Clean50 Award recognizes 50 individuals across 16 categories who have made the most significant contributions to advancing Canada’s clean economy over the previous two years. Dr. Carter was further recognized as a "Clean16," the top contributor in her Education and Thought Leadership category.
“Dr. Carter's inclusion in the Clean16 is truly indicative of nationwide and personal leadership,” said Gavin Pitchford, CEO of Delta Management Group.
This year’s competition drew a record number of nominations, with Dr. Carter selected from an initial pool of more than 1,000 qualified candidates.
For her part, Dr. Carter says the recognition came as a surprise.
“I never expected to land on the Clean50 list, much less among the Clean16,” she said. “I take it as a good sign that the selection committee considered the research I’m doing to be contributing to a low-carbon, jobs-rich Canadian economy. It’s a green light to keep going.”
The oil conundrum
Dr. Carter’s work examines one of the most pressing and complex challenges of our time: how to transition away from fossil fuels in a way that is both feasible and equitable.
Her research focuses on how governments can phase down oil production to prevent worsening climate impacts, all while ensuring that workers and communities are supported throughout the transition.
As a Canada Research Chair, she leads a research team at Memorial exploring the social and policy dimensions of such transitions.
Her work has already informed national and international policy discussions. She has testified before Canada’s Senate, served as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Net-Zero Advisory Council and convened Indigenous and civil society leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Global impact
For over a decade, Dr. Carter has been at the leading edge of research and advancements in Canadian and international climate policy.
Her collaborations include work with the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Public Health Association as part of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change.
She has also contributed to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, an initiative endorsed by national governments, major cities, and thousands of scientists and academics worldwide.
She says her appointment as a Canada Research Chair marked a turning point in her career and that the position gave a "huge" boost to the research program she's been building over the last number of decades.
“Better yet, it allowed me to bring the work back home to Memorial University to build a team of researchers who can address the knowledge gaps about oil, climate policy and energy transition in our province. This is a dream job.”
Looking ahead
Dr. Carter recently returned from the awards ceremony in Toronto, where she joined fellow Clean50 honourees from across the country.
The experience, she says, reaffirmed her belief that the country has the capacity to make real, substantive change.
She says the next five years will define the future of Canada's and Newfoundland and Labrador's economy, and whether the province will "do its part to stop global climate chaos."
“There are barriers, especially the influence of oil and gas firms over political systems, but the Clean50 community is a reminder that thousands of people across the country are building the alternatives we need. We know what needs to be done. Now we need to build out those solutions — and much faster.”
With climate-related disasters intensifying and global energy markets rapidly shifting, Dr. Carter says the stakes for Newfoundland and Labrador could not be higher.
She says the oil-fuelled climate crisis is hitting Newfoundland and Labrador harder and harder, while the risks of banking on oil production are growing.
“Energy and climate policies in Newfoundland and Labrador need to reflect these realities," she said. "My role is to provide the evidence and examples that can ensure an equitable, climate-safe and jobs-rich future for the next generations here at home. This is the challenge of our time, and I’m excited to be doing this work at Memorial.”
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For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact Chad Pelley, media relations manager for Memorial University, at chad.pelley@mun.ca or 709-853-4281.