Jeanette Jackson
CEO, Foresight Canada
Nothing beats an underdog story, especially when that underdog is up against the biggest threat we’ve ever faced: a changing climate.
In 2021, when the Group of Seven (G7) announced its collective commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Canada might have been perceived as an underdog in the emissions-reduction race compared to France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
But don’t underestimate Canada’s determination!
We have the ability to become a world leader in cleantech innovation, creating a future where the worst effects of climate change are mitigated and our planet is protected for future generations. Imagine a world where our grid is powered entirely by renewables, our vehicles run off clean hydrogen, and methane emissions from cattle are drastically reduced. These aren’t just dreams. Canadian innovators are actively building this reality.
After decades of working with cleantech innovators and enablers, I know Canada can be the first G7 country to reach net zero. We have the innovation, the determination, and the resources to get there. And Foresight Canada is the organization that will bring people together to spur this change.
Pursuing Canada’s path to net zero
Since 2018, Foresight has supported nearly 900 ventures and more than 150 industry partners through its programs. Our expertise has helped secure $2 billion in capital and almost $348 million in revenues and created over 7,000 high-paying jobs, with an economic impact of over $1.5 billion. We have a strong history of strategy, ecosystem mapping, and partnership building that positions Canada as a global leader in cleantech innovation.
Foresight is enabling Canada to win the net-zero race. But this audacious goal wasn’t dreamt up in a vacuum. Canada is ranked 39 in the world when it comes to population, but we consistently punch above our weight class in innovation, progressive policies, and environmental stewardship. Canadians have given the world game-changing inventions like insulin, the telephone, and pacemakers — improving the lives of countless people on this planet.
And now, our cleantech innovators are at the forefront of global change in spaces like water, agriculture, carbon capture, energy, and the built environment.
Join in the fight
Foresight’s Annual Report outlines the steps we’ve taken and the steps we’ll take to help Canada become the first G7 country to reach net zero. But to triumph in this underdog story, we need all the brainpower and tenacity we can muster. And we need to work together. Join our free Community of Innovators network to help make this big audacious goal a reality. This community consists of over 1,000 cleantech innovators and enablers actively moving us toward a net-zero reality.
