Climate coordinators will help prepare the Island for a changing future
Every provincial government department now has a designated climate change coordinator to help with the province’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and plan for climate change.
“As an Island province, climate change touches every single one of us. Part of government’s vision is to see climate change considered in each department and in every decision we make. Having climate change coordinators across government supports our public servants to take on the challenges and opportunities of climate change and fosters home grown solutions.”
- Environment, Water and Climate Change Minister Natalie Jameson
Climate change coordinators will be trained to apply a climate change lens to executive council policies and decisions and work together across departments to help solve problems. They will also offer training to their peers within their departments to help them better understand and manage the impacts of climate change.
Climate change coordinators include:
- Christine MacKinnon, acting director of municipal affairs, Fisheries and Communities
- Danielle Gillan, policy analyst, Justice and Public Safety
- Erin Montgomery, archaeologist, Executive Council Office
- Jaclynne Hamel, reconciliations coordinator, Executive Council Office
- Jennifer MacDonald-Donovan, manager of policy, planning, and regulatory affairs, Finance
- John Morrison, director of sport, recreation, and physical activity, Health and Wellness
- Kal Whitnell, executive director – economic and population growth, Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture
- Matt Angus, forest inventory analyst, Environment, Water and Climate Change
- Melanie Bos, climate solutions strategies coordinator, Agriculture and Land
- Olivia Cox, sustainable transportation coordinator, Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy
- Robin Phillips, program evaluation officer, Education and Lifelong Learning
- Spencer Matheson, policy and intergovernmental affairs coordinator, Executive Council Office
- Vernon MacIntyre, program analyst, Social Development and Housing
Some examples of work underway by climate challenge coordinators include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by developing sustainable transportation options, helping farmers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through the Agriculture Stewardship Program and working to manage Prince Edward Island’s forest to help sequester carbon.
“Trees and forests are possibly our greatest asset in offsetting carbon emissions, so my work is intrinsically linked to climate change,” said Matt Angus, forest inventory analyst, Environment, Water and Climate Change.
“Climate change is at the forefront of challenges that farmers face every day through the uncertainty, risk and economic impact it brings to the agriculture industry,” said Melanie Bos, climate solutions strategies coordinator, Agriculture and Land. “I see my work as promising and exciting because making changes in our farming practices can help reverse greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change.”
Prince Edward Island is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 as part its commitment to the Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. The Province is approximately 46 per cent of the way towards this goal.
As part of the five-year Climate Change Action Plan (2018-2023), Prince Edward Island is committed to helping Islanders understand and take responsibility for the environmental impacts of their actions by developing education programs and integrating climate change principles into learning environments. The Province is also committed to work with Indigenous, provincial, and regional partners to advance climate change research and knowledge in Prince Edward Island.
Media contact:
Leanne Ritchie
Department of Environment, Water and Climate Change
902-314-0134
lpritchie@gov.pe.ca