Beatrice Olivastri

Friends of the Earth Canada is one of 73 FOE groups worldwide, and Bea has played a critical part throughout, co-founding the Canadian organization in 1978 and becoming CEO in 1996. Since then, her 50+ years of environmental leadership include work with various environmental groups and, as Director of Development at the Centre for Our Common Future in Geneva, contributing to civil society engagement for the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio. She has tirelessly driven critical action across climate, biodiversity, and health through advocacy, public engagement, and strategic litigation for nearly half a century.

Under her direction, FOE launched Canada’s first climate lawsuit against the federal government regarding Kyoto Protocol commitments. Represented by Ecojustice, FOE has intervened in nine Supreme Court of Canada cases to uphold key principles like polluter-pays and environmental rights. Currently, FOE is intervening in the landmark Mathur youth climate case.

Another important “Bea cause” – she also spearheaded FOE’s “Bee Cause” campaign, keeping bees buzzing by securing victories against bee-toxic neonics in retail ornamental plants and forcing stricter oversight of harmful pesticides like glyphosate. And not slowing down, with two collaborating groups, FOE is also challenging Canada’s pesticide regulator over their registration of three PFAS pesticides.