On March 9, 2026, in recognition of International Women’s Day, the Lawson Climate Institute (LCI) at University of Toronto was delighted to host “Your Career in Climate” with Catherine McKenna, lawyer, climate leader, and former Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada, and Katharine Hayhoe, Global Chief Scientist of Nature United and Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech University. The sold-out event saw more than 100 guests, who received copies of McKenna’s memoir Run Like a Girl, engaged throughout the discussion and networking reception.
University of Toronto Professor Jessica Green (Political Science and School of the Environment) opened the afternoon by announcing the appointment of both Catherine McKenna and Katharine Hayhoe to the Lawson Climate Institute’s External Advisory Committee. LCI’s External Advisory Committee, the complete membership of which is to be announced, will help to strengthen the Institute’s work at the intersection of research, policy, and climate action. McKenna also joins the U of T community as a Distinguished Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Munk School Fellows form a community of academics and practitioners in civil society, business and government who mentor and advise faculty and students.
Welcoming the two speakers by framing the conversation was Joannah Lawson, co-founder and president of the Brian and Joannah Lawson Family Foundation. The Lawson Climate Institute is named in honour of Brian and Joannah Lawson, in recognition of their transformative $60-million donation to help establish the institute. As co-founder and president of her family foundation, Joannah partners with universities, not for profits, think tanks, and other foundations for maximum impact. The foundation’s mandate is the widespread adoption of sustainable practices to promote human health and to protect the natural world.
McKenna and Hayhoe’s conversation explored climate leadership, resilience, and the power of storytelling to drive meaningful change, offering students and alumni inspiring insights into the many paths toward climate solutions – and the importance of taking action in any form.
LCI extends its gratitude to Catherine McKenna and Katharine Hayhoe for sharing their perspectives, and to Jessica Green and Joannah Lawson their remarks. We are also grateful to the Munk School and School of the Environment for their support in convening this special event. We look forward to future opportunities convening students, climate leaders, and industry experts to further sustainability initiatives and leadership at the University of Toronto.
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