Celebrating Canada’s Sustainability Heroes

Accelerating collaboration towards a job-rich, cleaner, healthier, innovation based low-carbon economy, supporting all Canadians

The hunt for the 16th cohort – The 2027 Clean50 individuals nominees, and Clean50 Top Projects is underway!

All 2026 Clean50 Award Winners winners were announced publicly on October 15th 2025 and appear here on the website.

The Canada’s Clean50 Awards were founded to: Identify, Recognize and Connect impactful leaders from across the whole span of Canadian endeavour, whose work impacts climate, and then accelerate climate action in Canada through their subsequent collaboration.

Identify: Our team of Clean50 Analysts responds to external nominations as well as doing their own research. Nominees are invited to respond by providing further information, and then all who respond are considered in one of 16 wide-ranging categories for inclusion on the next Clean50 list, as an individual leader, an emerging leader, or as a lifetime contributor. Awards also go to Sustainability projects.

Recognition comes in the form of Clean50 award, delivered at an annual Summit held each fall in Toronto, via this website, and press releases.

Connection is built through a full day of solution seeking amongst 160 other senior professionals: New incoming and past honourees solve three different problems together over a full day, working in specifically curated groups.

So… Who do you know, or know of, who deserves a Canada’s Clean50 Award? We’re always looking for the most impactful 50 individual leaders, 20 emerging leaders, 5 lifetime contributors and Canada’s 25 top sustainability projects, for work completed between January 2024 and March 31st 2026, and that have demonstrated measurable leadership in fighting climate change and helping Canada transition to the clean, low-carbon economy. For more information see our “About” page. Or if it sounds like you? or sounds like someone – or a project – you know about? Tell us! Click to nominate someone you know! The short nomination form takes 30 seconds to complete, and functions year round.

We’re super proud that all of our sponsors joined the cause AFTER someone in their organization won a Clean50 Award! Each is a sustainability leader in their market segment

Delta Management Group is the leading sustainability, ESG and clean tech focused search firm in Canada. Delta is proud to have founded the Canada’s Clean50 Award program in 2011, and has been the primary sponsor for the past 13 years.

MACKENZIE Investments is pleased to support the recognition of Canada’s inventors in the R&D Categorys

We are pleased to sponsor the TELUS Community Engagement Champion’s Award

Alumni Participation in the Clean50 Summit is powered by HP Canada – Canada’s most sustainable technology company

Co-operators is a Canadian financial services co-operative driven by our purpose – Financial security for Canadians and our communities. We’re guided by a vision to be a catalyst for a resilient and sustainable society.

Vancity is a co-operative financial institution with a vision of a transformed economy that protects the earth and guarantees equity for all. We are proud to support Clean50.

Proud to support the Clean50 in recognizing Canada’s sustainability champions.

EcoStrategy and founder Don Huff have seen the impacts, and are pleased to support the ongoing Clean50 initiatives to accelerate climate action and advance the clean economy in Canada

The Clean50 Individual awards are selected from 16 diverse categories that transcend industries, academia, different levels of government, thought leaders and advocates, and are based on accomplishments delivered over the prior two years.

Meet The 2026 Clean50 Previous Clean50 Award Winners

The leader in each of the 16 categories is also declared to be part of the Clean16, depicting those 16 Honourees as the top contributor in their respective categories.

Meet The 2026 Clean16 Previous Clean16 Award Winners

The Clean50 Emerging Leaders are selected from amongst those under age 35 whose contribution is outsized compared to their age, and otherwise based on essentially the same criteria as the Individual Clean50 awards.

Meet The 2026 Emerging Leaders Previous Emerging Leaders

The Clean50 Lifetime Achievement award is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated leadership in sustainability over the course of their entire career.

2026 Lifetime Achivement Winners Previous Winners

Do you know a Clean50 person?

Nominate

Top Projects

The Clean50 Top Projects annually recognize those projects completed in the prior two years based on their innovation, their ability to inform, and inspire other Canadians. The Top Project of the year is then selected each year at the Clean50 Summit, from votes cast by both incoming and Alumni members of the Clean50.

View all Projects