{"id":93375,"date":"2024-08-12T11:20:36","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T15:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&p=93375"},"modified":"2025-10-17T16:24:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T20:24:17","slug":"climate-change-diplomacy","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/climate-change-diplomacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Change Diplomacy: Carleton Grad Serves as Canada\u2019s Global Ambassador"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n\n \n \n \n \n
\n\n
<\/div>\n \n
\n
\n\n

\n Climate Change Diplomacy: Carleton Grad Serves as Canada\u2019s Global Ambassador\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

Last June, during Climate Action Week<\/a> in London, England, the international Powering Past Coal Alliance<\/a> (PPCA) hosted an event<\/a> at the iconic Battersea Power Station<\/a> \u2014\u202fan enormous, decommissioned coal-fired power plant on the River Thames that re-opened in 2022 as one of the city\u2019s premier multiuse venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The symbolism was powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The PPCA was launched in 2017 by Canada and U.K., spearheading a campaign to eliminate the use of coal in energy systems around the world because these emissions are the single largest contributor to the climate crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 180 governments, businesses and organizations have become members of the alliance, and according to Catherine Stewart<\/a>, Canada\u2019s Ambassador for Climate Change, its success at accelerating the shift away from coal shows how important it is for the international community to work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Woman
Catherine Stewart at the Nuclear Energy Summit at COP28 in Dubai.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCanada is committed to phasing out coal<\/a> power by 2030,\u201d says Stewart, who spoke at the Battersea event.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cWe need to share our experience and expertise with other nations. But we also need to recognize that every country has a different starting point and that there are a variety of measures we can use to support a just transition.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In recognition of her exemplary work around sustainability and international negotiations, Stewart is this year\u2019s recipient of the Bissett Alumni Award for Distinctive Contributions to the Public Sector<\/a> from Carleton University\u2019s School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I talk about climate change internationally, my focus is on a few things,\u201d says Stewart, who graduated from SPPA with a Master of Public Administration<\/a> and will be presented with the award at an alumni reception in September.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cOne of them is mitigation and what we\u2019re doing domestically to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. Secondly, it\u2019s adaptation and what we’re doing in Canada to help build resilience to the impacts of climate change. And thirdly, it\u2019s climate finance \u2014\u202fwhat we\u2019re doing to support developing countries so that they can also mitigate and adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Dynamics Between Developed and Developing Countries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After serving in various senior executive positions at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) for eight years, Stewart was appointed as Canada\u2019s Ambassador for Climate Change in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Catherine Stewart while Chief Negotiator in Katowice, Poland at COP24 in 2018. (Photo by IISD\/ENB | Kiara Worth)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before joining ECCC, she worked on a range of public policy issues, including international affairs and economic development, in federal departments such as Public Works and Government Services Canada, the Privy Council Office and the Department of National Defence. Prior to those positions, she worked on a United Nations peacekeeping and electoral mission in Mozambique.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cI have a lot of familiarity with diplomacy and negotiations,\u201d she says, \u201cand a lot of familiarity with the dynamics between developed and developing countries on big issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As Ambassador for Climate Change, Stewart\u2019s job is rooted in engaging with other countries at senior levels \u2014 ministers, ambassadors, business and NGO leaders \u2014\u202fto advance Canada\u2019s priorities and defend our interests. She interacts with an array of partners, holds bilaterial meetings on topics like renewable energy, and plays a key role in the UN\u2019s annual climate change conference, which is coming up in Azerbaijan in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these situations call for two-way dialogue, Stewart says. \u201cCanada wants to know what other countries need to continue to move the needle on climate change, but we also have to explain our reality. For example, Canada is a major oil and gas producer and people want to know what we\u2019re doing to mitigate emissions from that sector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Beginning of a Lifelong Network<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Looking back at her time at Carleton, Stewart says she really learned how to articulate an argument as a graduate student.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cWords are important,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve worked in government policy for practically my entire career, and my ability to talk to people \u2014\u202fand to put ideas down on paper \u2014\u202fis invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

She also made many lifelong friends at university, several of whom have gone on to work in or with government as well \u2014\u202fa supportive network that helped Stewart begin and sustain her career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"woman
Stewart giving a speech at the 2023 UN Security Council in New York on climate and security.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The mix of instructors and speakers she was exposed to during her master\u2019s was similarly helpful. Many worked in government and could back up theory with real-world knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was a real richness to the program,\u201d she says, \u201cand there was a nice mix of students, some of whom were already working and could bring their firsthand experience to our conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that she\u2019s an experienced leader herself, Stewart is often approached by people who are concerned about climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe advice I give is to go and talk to people who are making a difference,\u201d she says.\u202f\u201cGo talk to clean tech companies, go talk to innovators, go talk to people who are out there doing amazing things. That\u2019s inspiring, and that\u2019s what gives me hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013
\nMore Stories<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last June, during Climate Action Week in London, England, the international Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) hosted an event at the iconic Battersea Power Station \u2014\u202fan enormous, decommissioned coal-fired power plant on the River Thames that re-opened in 2022 as one of the city\u2019s premier multiuse venues. The symbolism was powerful. The PPCA was launched […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":93376,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[17],"cu_story_tag":[1924,1921,1926],"class_list":["post-93375","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-alumni","cu_story_tag-advancement","cu_story_tag-faculty-of-public-and-global-affairs","cu_story_tag-international"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/93375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/93375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97461,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/93375\/revisions\/97461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=93375"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=93375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}