It can be tempting, in the face of the U.S. government’s all-out war on climate progress and the inertia of fossil fuels in the energy system, to succumb to despair on behalf of future generations. But that is a luxury we cannot afford, and young people know this best of all.
When we look to youth, we see a defiance that should make petro-powers nervous. We see creativity coupled with practicality. We see realism and inventiveness together. In short, we see the kind of power that real change actually requires.
At Corporate Knights, we have the privilege every year to open a window on some of the brightest and most creative young minds that are rising to the climate and energy-transition challenge. From Indigenous renewables champions to healthcare advocates; from the founders of boutique green-finance firms, to activists, scholars and fungi enthusiasts, the 2025 crop of Canada’s leaders in sustainability under 30 reminds us that hope is, indeed, not lost.
In fact, it is in full bloom, with a maturity that understands that there is no sense in sidestepping the enormity of what looms ahead. Our 30 Under 30 have deep ties to parts of the planet hardest hit by climate change. Or they’ve used their own experiences navigating climate grief to write books that will help other children do the same. They’re working on cutting-edge innovations, stripping greenhouse gas emissions out of old buildings and supply chains, mentoring others in climate advocacy and effecting political change.
“I’ve learned that true progress comes from the courage to question, learn, unlearn and relearn,” says Samita Rimal, Nepal’s only female hydropower engineering graduate in 2019, who now leads a green hydrogen project in Nova Scotia.
We also found inspiration in a conversation with U.K. climate activist Mikaela Loach, the 27-year-old author of a climate-justice road map called It’s Not That Radical. Loach brought it back to courage, too. Bite-sized doses of courage to keep marching forward. She had a prescient message for her peers that we asked this year’s 30 Under 30 to reflect on: “You’re not being asked to become someone different than who you are. We need a diverse movement with different perspectives, ideas and skills. But we need all of us to try to be a little bit brave, every day.”
Read on about this year’s winners and where they each find courage.
How we found the 30:
Every April, Corporate Knights opens the 30 Under 30 nominations to the public. An internal team narrowed the list of submissions down to a short list of 50, then our panel of judges each submitted their top 30 picks, and we tallied the votes. (Note: Judges abstained from voting for anyone involved in their organization.)
Judges
Kyra Bell-Pasht
Director of research and policy
Investors for Paris Compliance
Rosa Galvez
Canadian senator and president of the
ParlAmericas climate change network
Adria Vasil
Former managing editor at Corporate Knights
Bestselling author of the Ecoholic book series
Julien Beaulieu
Environmental policy researcher at Imperial College London and lecturer in law at the University of Sherbrooke
Past 30 Under 30 winner