PRESS RELEASE
Calgary, Alberta, Feb. 13, 2024 –
ECO Canada hosted its seventh annual ECO IMPACT event at the Downtown Westin in Calgary, Alberta on February 8th-9th. ECO IMPACT is a highly anticipated learning series and awards gala where industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts from across the country come together to learn, collaborate and celebrate. The in-person event facilitates peer-to-peer industry dialogue and provides insight into trending environmental workforce topics. This year’s event had 340 registrants, 27 sponsors, over 22 learning sessions, and an awards gala to celebrate eight environmental awards. Nearly 95 attendees were certified through ECO Canada’s Environmental Professional designation, representing diverse regions across Canada. Participants represented the 9 out of 10 provinces and 2 out of 3 territories, traveling across Canada to attend the conference in Alberta. The event generated substantial online attention, with ECO Canada gathering over 275 mentions and 173,000 impressions on social media, developing excitement and interest in the event. Thank you to our sponsors of ECO IMPACT 2024. They can be found at ecoimpact.ca/sponsors.
“ECO IMPACT has continued to grow each year and our expectations are continuously exceeded,” says ECO Canada President and CEO, Kevin Nilsen. “The passionate discussions held by our speakers have sparked important conversations and inspired those in their professional careers. We are honoured to hold a space for collaborative ideas that attendees can take to their workplace to make considerable strides in the environmental industry.”
The event delivered two days of learning sessions and workshops, followed by an awards gala, where ECO Canada recognized the champions of the environmental sector. The gala showcases ECO Canada’s certified Environmental Professionals (EP®s), Environmental Professional Auditors (EP® Auditors), and Environmental Professionals in training (EPts). In a new addition to this year’s event, the first Yukon Sustainability Awards were celebrated. The Yukon Sustainability Awards are a partnership between the Government of Yukon’s Department of Economic Development and ECO Canada. The Awards recognize the contributions of Yukon-based businesses towards responsible business practices, local economic development, Indigenous engagement and inclusion, and their overall environmental, social and governance practices.
The ECO IMPACT Awards were judged by a committee of industry-leading professionals. The EP® Award recipients include:
- EPt award winner: Benjamin John, Georgian Bay Biosphere
- EP® award winner: Anahita Jami, CSA Group
- EP® Auditor winner: Harley Hutchinson, City of Calgary
The next two awards were shortlisted by the judges, then decided by the public vote over the course of three months. These award winners include:
- Top Employer Award: Helping Nature Heal
- Community Impact Award: Dexterra Community Initiatives.
And finally, the Yukon Sustainability Awards included three different honours:
- Small Business: High Latitude Energy Consulting
- Medium Businesses: EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc.,
- Regional Business. Parsons Inc.
On the second day of sessions, Honourable Minister Rajan Sawhney joined the event as the lunch keynote speaker. The Minister of Advanced Education is responsible for providing accessible, affordable and high-quality education for Albertans, resulting in skilled working professionals.
“The opportunities are tremendous, there are jobs that we can’t even imagine today that will be implemented in the next 5-10 years,” says Minister Rajan Sawhney. “It’s a very exciting space for all of you who are professionals in the environmental and energy sphere.”
ECO Canada is proud to be the host of an innovative event for Canada’s Environmental Professionals. What began as a celebration of yearly achievements has evolved into a comprehensive platform that combines award recognition with professional development, and it is only continuing to grow.
Thank you to the Government of Canada and our funding partners, Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, Student Work Placement Program, Science & Technology Internship Program and Environmental and Climate Change Canada.
Stay tuned for 2025 ECO IMPACT dates coming soon and learn more about ECO Canada at staging2.eco.ca.
About ECO Canada:
ECO Canada is the steward of the Canadian environmental industry. From job creation and wage funding to training and labour market research – we champion the end-to-end career of an environmental professional. We aim to promote and drive responsible, sustainable economic growth within the industry while ensuring that environmental care and best practices are priorities. Over the past 30 years, we have forged academic partnerships, tools, and research to train and certify environmental job seekers and help fill the labour market.
We work alongside government, policymakers, academia, students, employers, professionals, industry, and international audiences to ensure we support Canada as a global leader in innovative workforce solutions and job creation. We remain the go-to source in the environmental labour market; our research provides unmatched statistics and analysis on the industry’s economic and labour trends that identify workforce gaps.
For more information, contact:
Aaron Wilson
VP, Marketing & Sales
ECO Canada
media@eco.ca
