Bridging civic engagement and climate policy.

Kate O’Connor is a climate and youth activist who is passionate about intergenerational approaches to climate change, decolonization and public policy.

She is the youngest Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) candidate in British Columbia’s provincial history and was named one of Canada’s 2020 Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25 by The Starfish. During her BC Green campaign, she advocated for a just green economy, intergenerational leadership, youth participation in politics and Indigenous-led conservation.

Kate has worked across climate policy, sustainable finance and public engagement. She developed and operationalized a strategy for Vancity to provide on-reserve mortgages to Indigenous clients and has provided research and strategic support to OneEarth Living initiatives focused on sustainable living and climate philanthropy. She has also worked with impact investment and social impact organizations through the Montreal Propel Impact Fund.

Kate is earning her M.A. in International Governance and Diplomacy with a concentration in Risk at Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs. She has been awarded the Sciences Po Emile Boutmy scholarship for the best international students as well as the Excellence Eiffel scholarship for top students studying in France.

A graduate of McGill University, Kate earned her B.A. in Honours Political Science and a double minor in Indigenous studies and Islamic studies. She completed her degree on the Dean’s Honours List and in the top 5% of academic performers in the McGill Faculty of Arts.