FALL RIVER/HALIFAX: The 2026 Clean50 Awards proudly celebrate outstanding leaders and transformative projects committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
This year, with 20 Emerging Leaders and 5 Lifetime contributors, a total of 74 individual honourees from across Canada have been chosen from a record 1,100 + nominees.
Listed below is the list of individual honourees and special projects by category and the jurisdiction they are from.
Gavin Pitchford, CEO of executive search firm Delta Management Group and founder of The Clean50, speaking on behalf of the organizing team commented.
“It was both humbling and a very difficult task to have chosen just 74 2026 honourees—the exceptional dedication and innovative approach of all nominees have significantly advanced sustainable practices and embodied the spirit of positive change in our country.”
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The winners from Atlantic Canada include: (Justin MacDonald is a Fall River resident).
| Canada’s Clean50 | Kaitlyn Gillis, MScArch / EnvPsych | Founder/Principal, Human Nature Connections | Fredericton | NB |
| Canada’s Clean16 | Dr. Angela V. Carter | Canada Research Chair in Equitable Energy Policy, Memorial University | St. John’s | NL |
| Emerging Leader | Thomas Green | Chief Executive Officer, EcoAxis | St. John’s | NL |
| Lifetime Achievement | Senator Mary Coyle | Senate of Canada | Antigonish/Ottawa | NS |
| Canada’s Clean16 | Sarah Chiasson, MBA | Executive Director HCi3, EfficiencyOne / HCi3 | Dartmouth | NS |
| Emerging Leader | Rachel Mitchell | Director, Community Climate Initiatives, Clean Foundation | Dartmouth | NS |
| Emerging Leader | Emma Norton | Co-founder and Executive Director, The ReCover Initiative | Dartmouth | NS |
| Canada’s Clean16 | Nancy Foran, CPA, FCPA, C.Dir. | President and Founder, ESG Partners | Halifax | NS |
| Canada’s Clean50 | Prof. Mita Dasog, PhD,FRSC | Associate Professor, Dalhousie University | Halifax | NS |
| Emerging Leader | Justin MacDonald, P.Eng | Director, Energy Engineering, EastPoint Engineering | Halifax | NS |
MacDonald has orchestrated one of Canada’s largest recommissioning portfolios, spanning over 200 buildings and with an impressive 90%+ implementation rate of deliverables.
At DND Halifax alone, his team identified 61,000 GJ thermal and 46,000 GJ electrical savings across 76 buildings, translating to $2.3M in annual utility savings and 8,000 tonnes of GHG reductions in under three years.
He also developed GHG reduction plans for major Nova Scotia agencies, unlocking over 90 million kWh of renewable energy annually and cutting 45,000 tonnes of emissions.
Leading a team of 15 engineers and mentoring 45 more, Justin also champions knowledge-sharing through the AEE Canada East and the annual STEER conference.
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Pitchford observed, “At this time of transformational change in both climate and the economy, these people represent the people around whom our nation should be built—representing a clean path forward into a world where the demand for clean and climate tech is expected to triple in the next 10 years, as the need for fossil fuels continues to decline.
“If Canada keeps pace, by 2035 the clean tech industry will contribute twice as much to GDP as the oil and gas industries do now—while they shrink.
“If we’re going to be ‘elbows up,’ it should definitely be while we’re skating towards where the puck is going to be.”
In addition to recognition of individual contributions, this year the awards highlight 40 groundbreaking projects that exemplify innovative solutions to pressing environmental challenges often with a climate focus.
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The Clean50 Summit and award ceremony was held at the Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto.
Now in their 15th year, the Clean50 Awards are Canada’s pre-eminent sustainability awards for individuals and projects.
It continues to shine a spotlight on the vital contributions of leaders and project teams working tirelessly to build a cleaner, greener, and more responsible and resilient economy.
For further information, visit https://clean50.com