Announcement – Leadership Transition at the Climate Risk Institute

Press Release – January, 23, 2025
The Board of Directors of Climate Risk Institute announces the retirement of President and Co-Founder, Al Douglas. We thank Al for his dedication, passion, and expertise in climate change risk and adaptation, and for leading the Institute to its current success.
We are also very pleased to introduce you to our new president, Stephanie Gagnon. Steph is a registered professional planner and has a long history of climate and sustainability strategy development and collaborations. In past roles, Steph has championed municipal and corporate sustainability programs, led multi-party climate collaborations and built municipal governance capacity through elected official education.
“On behalf of the Board, we wish to thank Al Douglas for his dedication to and expertise in the field of climate risk and adaptation, and most of all for his ever-enduring leadership at the Climate Risk Institute and its predecessors,” said Paul Payette, founding Board of Director.
The Climate Risk Institute has benefited greatly from Al’s leadership through these first 6 years including highlights such as:
- Successful creation of a national non-profit corporation that has grown from 5 staff to 16 staff and 25 associates and contractors.
- Contributions to 3 iterations of national assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation in Canada (OCCIAR and CRI).
- Together with the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) creation of the PIEVC Alliance, successful adoption of the PIEVC Protocol and expanded climate risk assessment options through development of the PIEVC @Family of Resources. The Protocol and the larger family of resource have become the “go-to” for climate change and infrastructure risk assessment, particularly in Canada and increasingly abroad.
- Successful adoption of the Infrastructure Resiliency Professional (@IRP) credentialling program and course base, and the continuous graduation of engineers from across Canada. Through this program and through other training programs at CRI we have offered more than 200 training sessions in themes that cover infrastructure, forestry, agriculture, planning and climate risk assessment.
- Leadership and collaboration on 7 unique province-/territory-scale risk assessments in Canada, each having unique methods, focal themes and engagement. These assessments underpin and help prioritize resilience actions in those regions.
- In collaboration with various partners and @CRI Associates, advanced the export of Canadian knowledge and capacity to more than 10 different countries around the world. International project work in the area of climate change risk assessment and adaptation continues in Africa, Central and South America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
- CRI continues to contribute expertise through participation on various panels, committees and working groups across Canada to enhance regional and national climate initiatives.
- Continued support for Canadian municipalities and professions to better understand climate risk assessment and adaptation planning and support for climate-focused upskilling and competency improvement to mainstream climate action in professional practice.
“I am excited about this transition for CRI and as I move into retirement, I’m well pleased with the legacy that stands after the first 6 years of the Climate Risk Institute. Since its inception, CRI has been a prominent contributor to advancing practice related to the assessment and management of climate risk, and the development of policy, programs and actions to build more climate resilient communities and sectors across Canada and beyond. The organization has also played a role in mentoring young professionals who will continue to lead in the climate adaptation space. Together with @ErikSparling, it’s been an extraordinary pleasure to lead this amazing group of people. We have also been highly fortunate to be able to convene and routinely work with an extraordinary group of @CRI Associates”, said Al Douglas. “Furthermore, I think we have had great luck in finding Steph who will help CRI further grow its impact.”
“I’m so pleased to be joining an amazing team of climate resilience professionals and am excited to contribute to the continued success and growth of the Climate Risk Institute. Together, we will build on CRI’s strong foundation and drive forward our mission to create more resilient communities and sectors,” said Steph Gagnon.
We invite all stakeholders, partners, and supporters to join us in thanking Al Douglas for his leadership and congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement. We also encourage you to welcome Stephanie Gagnon as the new president of CRI.
Stay connected with us for updates on our initiatives and follow us on LinkedIn for more information about upcoming capacity-building opportunities and evolving resilience practices.
Media Contact:
Stephanie Gagnon, President, Climate Risk Institute
info@climateriskinstitute.ca