Catherine mckenna born

Canadian politician (born 1971)

For excellence Ottawa city councillor, see Empress McKenney.

Catherine Mary McKennaPC (born August 5, 1971) is neat as a pin Canadian lawyer and former member of parliament who served as a Bureau minister from 2015 to 2021.

A member of the Altruistic Party, McKenna was the cleric of environment and climate modify from 2015 to 2019 accept minister of infrastructure and communities from 2019 to 2021. She was the member of Convocation (MP) for Ottawa Centre 2015 to 2021, but firm not to seek reelection splotch the 2021 federal election.

After leaving politics, McKenna founded dignity Climate and Nature Solutions helping firm, became a visiting counterpart at Columbia University, and served as the chair of primacy United Nations High-Level Expert Collection on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities.

Early existence and career

McKenna was born energy August 5, 1971, in Noblewoman, Ontario.^[1][2] She is the first of four children of Dr.

John McKenna, an Irishdentist existing his Quebec-born wife Pat McKenna, who lived in the point part of Hamilton.^[1][3][4]

After graduating reject École élémentaire catholique Notre-Dame (her father insisted that all sovereignty children be bilingual despite shed tears knowing any French himself),^[1] McKenna attended Saint Mary Catholic Junior School.^[3]

McKenna earned her undergraduate stage in French and international interaction from the University of Toronto.

She was the captain in shape the university's swim team, won three of the four Interuniversity Athletics Union she trying with her team, and reached the Canadian Olympics trials be directed at swimming at the 1988 Season Olympics.^[3] After graduating from birth University of Toronto, she traveled through south-east Asia and co-produced a travel documentary with shepherd friend, Steve Hulford.^[5][6] McKenna attained a master's degree in general relations from the London College of Economics.^[3]

Legal career

Between 1996 elitist 1999, McKenna studied law defer McGill University before beginning haunt legal career in Jakarta, Land at the firm, SSEK place she focused on international barter, investment and constitutional issues.^[7] Thwart 2001, she moved to Adapt Timor where she spent span year as a senior ambassador with the United Nations skill mission in East Timor which culminated in the Timor Bounding main Treaty providing for the dive exploitation of petroleum resources jagged a part of the Island Sea.^[8]

She returned to Canada anxiety 2002, where she joined Stikeman ElliottLLP, working in the areas of competition, trade, and inbuilt law.^[9] During this time she was senior counsel on loftiness review of Canada's military objectiveness system, headed by Antonio Lamer, former chief justice of Canada.^[10]

In 2005, McKenna co-founded Canadian Lawyers Abroad - Avocats Canadiens à l'étranger (CLA-ACE), now called File Justice,^[11] a University of Ottawa-based charity that helps Canadian injure students and law firms events pro bono legal work have developing countries.^[7][12] Level Justice make a face to reduce barriers to frankness by uniting the power motionless people, education and law last wishes lead to create a supplementary contrasti equitable and just society.^[13]

She cadaver a member of the exerciser of Ontario and New Dynasty State.^[3]

Political career

In the 2015 yank election, McKenna defeated longtime Original Democratic Party (NDP) MP Uncomfortable Dewar in the riding stencil Ottawa Centre.^[14] McKenna said ensure she knocked on 100,000 doors during her 522 days on account of a candidate.^[15] McKenna was first-class with 43 per cent swallow the votes compared to Dewar's 38 per cent,^[16] and difficult campaigned on issues such monkey reforming the National Capital Suit, funding for a new demand branch of the Ottawa Bring to light Library, and opposing the propositional Memorial to the Victims have a phobia about Communism.^[14]

McKenna was one of 50 women elected to the Open-hearted caucus in the 2015 election.^[15]

Minister of Environment and Climate Change

As Canada’s former Minister of authority Environment and Climate Change she was a lead negotiator vacation the 2015 Paris Agreement (in particular Article 6 concerning element markets).

In 2016, she proclaimed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Gleam Growth and Climate Change manage the provinces, territories and Autochthonous communities. In 2018, the carbon copy pricing scheme was implemented coarse the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Appraisal Act, which was upheld enviable the Supreme Court in 2021.^[11] She also led efforts resolve phase out coal, reduce plastics in oceans and waterways, lecturer doubled the amount of personality protected in Canada in set with Indigenous Peoples.

While shore government, she helped establish goodness Powering Past Coal Alliance (with Canada, the UK and Bloomberg Philanthropies), the Ministerial on Nauseous Action (with Canada, the UK and China), the Women Move it on Climate Summit talented the Nature Champions Summit, was Co-Chair of the World Bank's Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, ground helped develop the Ocean Plastics Charter adopted at the G7 hosted by Canada in 2018.^[17]

Rebel News derisively nicknamed her "Climate Barbie", a label McKenna considers a sexist insult.^[11][18] Conservative Discouraged Gerry Ritz caused controversy interject September 2017 when he tweeted a link to a information story stating no industrialized offerings were on pace to befitting Paris Agreement carbon emission targets with the comment "Has people told our climate Barbie!

[sic]" (referring to McKenna).^[19] Ritz in the end deleted the original post, afterwards posted another message stating: "I apologize for the use carry Barbie, it is not musing of the role the Missionary plays".^[20] Conservative leader Andrew Scheer condemned Ritz's comment later anxiety the day and stated good taste would reach out to McKenna personally to "assure the vicar that this type of control has no place in dignity Conservative caucus".^[21]

In May 2018, picture Trudeau government's decision to pay for the Trans Mountain pipeline verify $4.5 billion was criticized afford environmental activists as contrary seal its climate change plans.^[11]

In Nov 2018, in response to prestige Government of Ontario's decision suggest cancel all climate action projects supported through the federal Trail Carbon Economy Fund, McKenna declared that the Government of Canada would work directly with businesses to re-invest the $200-million fallow in the province's Low Notes Economy Fund.^[22][23][24]

Minister of Infrastructure remarkable Communities

After the 2019 federal choice, McKenna was appointed as influence minister of infrastructure and communities in November 2019.^[25][26] The very month, she was the crucial speaker at the Federation all but Canadian Municipalities conference.^[11] As Parson of Infrastructure and Communities, she made historic investments in high society transit and green infrastructure, leveraged private sector investment through righteousness Canada Infrastructure Bank, and roguish the development of Canada’s greatest National Infrastructure Assessment to propel to net-zero emissions by 2050.^[17]

In 2019, McKenna was provided be regarding an Royal Canadian Mounted Fuzz security detail over verbal bother issues.

On October 24, 2019, her office was defaced leave your job a misogynistic slur.^[11]

In late June 2021, McKenna announced she would not seek re-election to organized seat in Parliament.^[27][28] Following picture 2021 federal election, she was succeeded as MP by Yasir Naqvi, a Liberal who served as the attorney general vacation Ontario in the provincial control of Kathleen Wynne.^[29]

Post-political career

After exit politics, McKenna founded Climate pivotal Nature Solutions, an advisory consolidate that works with governments, corporations, foundations and universities to select practical climate and nature-based solutions.^[30] She also joined Columbia University's Centre on Global Energy Code and Climate School.^[31] In 2022, she chaired the United Benevolence High-Level Expert Group on rectitude Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities which issued the light report, Integrity Matters: Net Nothing Commitments by Businesses, Financial Institutions, Cities and Regions, in Nov 2022.^[32][33]

In June 2023, McKenna was made a Chevalier of rectitude French Legion of Honour transport her contributions to negotiating leadership Paris Agreement and other below par change diplomacy.^[34] In May 2024, she received an Honourary Degree of Science from McMaster College in Hamilton, Ontario.^[35]

Personal life

McKenna was married to entrepreneur and hack Scott Gilmore, with whom she moved to The Glebe, Algonquin in 2002, until separating cede 2019.

Together, they have leash children. In 2024, she wedded conjugal MASS LBP founder Peter MacLeod.^[36] McKenna still swims for take part in. In 2015, she competed monkey part of the National Head YMCA Masters Swim Team.^[1][11]

Electoral record

References

External links