Power to the People—Sustainably

Karen Campbell Staff Counsel & Policy Director, B.C.,

The Pembina Institute pembina.org

by Tara Lee

photo by Jaime Kowal

When Karen Campbell was studying law, she believed that a corporate career on Toronto’s Bay Street was inevitable. Fortunately, she found a way to combine her legal talents with her deep passion for combatting climate change.

After seven years at West Coast Environmental Law, Campbell joined the Pembina Institute, a national not-for-profit environmental policy and education organization, where she now serves as B.C. staff counsel and policy director. The Institute’s active commitment to sustainable energy aligns perfectly with Campbell’s own environmental conscience.

“I’m very much about finding solutions to do something about climate change. I believe in framing solutions to find out what people can do and giving them power.”

Campbell effects this empowerment by providing people with a precious resource: information. She is currently working on a report that will outline concrete steps for meeting and exceeding new provincial greenhouse-gas targets.

As well, last summer, she ran workshops that raised community awareness about government-proposed coal-fired power plants. “The people were really grateful that someone had come and given them a different perspective on these proposals. What motivates me is going into these communities and finding out that people care,” she says.

Ultimately, Campbell works for a sustainable future because she wants her two-year-old son, Seamus, to experience joy in nature. “I feel really strongly that I need to do my absolute best [so] there are intact ecosystems on the planet for him,” she explains. “I really want Seamus to have the same experiences that I have.”