Finding our way to a clean economy

Kirby Manià received her PhD in English from the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa) and holds a Master of Arts in Modern Literature and Culture from the University of York (United Kingdom). She has taught courses in the environment, literary studies, and academic writing at universities in South Africa and Canada. Her literary research and creative work focus on the crossover between urban spaces and the environment. She is particularly interested in post-apartheid South African literature(s), postcolonial urban ecology and environmental justice as well as community engaged learning, knowledge exchange, and writing pedagogy. Recent examples of her scholarly work can be found in The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, English Studies in Africa, and The Journal of Commonwealth Literature. She also co-edits an eco-urban poetry journal called Sprout (a creative project supported by the non-profit organization, The Nature of Cities).

Dr. Caggiano leads the PLACE lab and is an affiliate faculty member at the Centre for Climate Justice and the Clean Energy Research Centre, both at UBC. Her research explores social dimensions of climate change in the US and Canada, critically evaluating top-down and bottom-up approaches that aim to advance equitable climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. With a focus on local planning and politics, she asks questions about decision making, governance, and collective action. Her scholarship draws from interdisciplinary social science theories and methods and she prioritizes working collaboratively with people impacted by climate change and the plans and policies developed to mitigate its impacts.

Prior to joining UBC, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton’s Andlinger Center for Energy & Environment in the Behavioral Science for Policy Lab. She holds a PhD in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University.

Kookai is the Executive Director of the Centre for Climate and Business Solutions at UBC Sauder School of Business, known for her expertise in impact investing and ESG strategies. Her career includes launching a successful social enterprise startup, establishing SDG partnerships at the United Nations, and leading investments in sustainability-focused ventures through Venture Capital and Private Equity funds. Additionally, she serves as a Sessional Lecturer in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Kookai is a member of the ESG Advisory Council of the ESG Centre of Excellence within the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation (JEDI) for the Province of British Columbia. She is also the board chair at the Vancouver Entrepreneurs Forum and is a regular speaker and mentor in global climate-tech startup and responsible investment communities.

She holds an MBA from UBC Sauder School of Business and a BA from Chulalongkorn University. Outside of work, you can find her scuba diving in tropical oceans or taking multi-day backcountry hiking trips in the wilderness.

Walter is a scientist, entrepreneur and thought leader with over thirty years of experience in energy systems, hydrogen and clean technology development. He has led national and international partnerships with industry, communities and governments.

At UBC, he has served as director for the Clean Energy Research Centre, as Senior Advisor to the President, as co-Chair of the Climate Emergency Taskforce, and as a delegate to COP meetings. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and he serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Hydrogen Association and the Climate Change Advisory Board for Toronto Dominion Insurance.

Terre Satterfield is Professor of Culture, Risk and the Environment in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) at the University of British Columbia. She is an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist interested in problems of meaning and measurement in environmental management contexts. Her work adapts insights from anthropology and behavioral decision theory to understand how people perceive risk, and how biocultural approaches to assessment might improve our understanding of anthropogenic landscapes. Decision contexts in which this work has been trialed include: biodiversity conservation, climate solutions, impact assessment and the regulation of food, fishing and new technologies more broadly.