When Dr. Angela Carter urges global policy-makers to transition off fossil fuels, she does so with one steady conviction: that an energy shift must leave no worker or community behind.
This commitment to a fair transition led the former Grenfell Campus professor back to Memorial University in August 2023, when she joined the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences as an associate professor in the Department of Political Science, and was the university’s nominee for the tier 2 Canada Research Chair in equitable energy governance and public policy.
Valued at $100,000 annually for five years and renewable once, Canada Research Chair appointments go to researchers working to solve global problems. Officially awarded in April 2024, the honour and accompanying funding will support Dr. Carter’s research here in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“It is a joy and an honour to be able to come back home to pursue research and policy engagement that is vital to the next generations in our province.”
From local to global
Born in Corner Brook and raised in Conception Bay, Dr. Carter has built an impressive career presenting environmental policy research on the global stage.
Her collaborations include work with the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Public Health Association as part of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change.
She has also contributed to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, endorsed by national governments, major cities, the WHO and thousands of scientists and academics worldwide.
In 2022, this groundbreaking treaty was presented to the United Nations General Assembly.
“Massive energy system change is underway globally.”
Last year, Dr. Carter attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, where she joined Indigenous leaders, international policy-makers and leading researchers on a pair of panels discussing the need for an equitable transition away from fossil fuels.
For over a decade, Dr. Carter has been at the leading edge of research and advancements in Canadian and international climate policy.
Now, she is focused on defining a pathway to transition from oil dependence in Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure workers benefit from the clean energy boom.
“Massive energy system change is underway globally,” she said. “Now Newfoundland and Labrador stands at a crossroads: do we look backward, focused on oil and ignoring climate crisis, or do we look ahead to seize the opportunities of a just energy transition? This question will define the next decades of my work at Memorial.”
Focus on the province
Dr. Carter has already made substantial contributions to the province’s climate and energy policy landscape.
She is a cabinet-appointed member of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Net-Zero Advisory Council.
She’s also been instrumental in initiatives like the Peoples Recovery response and the Just Transition N.L. coalition.
Throughout this time, her goal has been to connect provincial policy-leaders with global climate evidence and experts.
In her Canada Research Chair role at Memorial, Dr. Carter launched the Equitable Transition Collaboration, an ambitious five-year project designed to support the province’s shift toward a low-carbon economy.
With additional resources from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund, the project includes researchers ranging from undergraduate students to post-doctoral fellows.
Together, they are creating a strong research foundation for an equity-based transition to a low-carbon society in this province.
Here at home
Dr. Carter is also strengthening her partnerships with labour organizations.
She presented research at Unifor’s national conference in the fall of 2023 and will speak at the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour’s annual convention later this month.
She has also prioritized making connections across Labrador.
Recently, Dr. Carter delivered a guest lecture in Happy Valley-Goose Bay as part of the Arctic Academy on Sustainability.
She is also involved in ongoing discussions with national and international research funders, seeking support for further studies that she believes are essential for advancing the province’s equitable energy transition.
While she is focused on the research and the impact of the Canada Research Chair position, Dr. Carter also emphasizes the personal rewards of returning to her home province.
“I am appreciating living back home where I can reconnect with family, run and hike on world-class trails, paddle on the North Atlantic and share it all with my son. It feels good to be home.”