CEN-RCE -

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Speakers' Biographies

Charles Caccia
René Coignaud
Roger Peters
Nashina Shariff

Charles Caccia

Former MP for Davenport (1968-2004)
Former Chair, Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (1993-2004)

Contact information
Institute of the Environment
Former MP for Davenport (1968-2004)
Former Chair, Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (1993-2004)
Work Telephone No. (613) 562-5800 EXT: 1041
Fax: (613) 562-5873
E-mail: chcaccia@web.ca

Charles Caccia was born on April 28th, 1930 in Milan, Italy. He was educated in Milan where he completed high school and graduated in Forestry Economics at the University of Vienna in 1954. Mr. Caccia immigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto. He was employed first by the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto, and later at the Italian Trade Commission. In 1959 he co-founded COSTI, an organization that promotes adult and immigrant education.

Mr. Caccia was first elected to public office as a member of City of Toronto and Metro Council in December 1964 and then re-elected in 1966. In 1968 he was elected to the House of Commons as the Liberal M.P. for Davenport, and re-elected in nine subsequent elections.

On September 22nd, 1981, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed him Minister of Labour, and on August 12th 1983, Minister of the Environment.

Charles Caccia has served on several House of Commons Standing Committees. He was Chair of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (1993-2004).

Charles L. Caccia (born April 28, 1930 in Milan, Italy) is a Canadian politician.

Caccia is a former Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons who represented the riding of Davenport between1968 and 2004. A professor of forestry at the University of Toronto Caccia is best known for his strong pro-environment views on the left of the Liberal party. He has served as Minister of Labour, Minister of the Environment, Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Manpower and Immigration. He most recently was the Chair of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, and of the subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

One of the most left leaning Liberal MPs known for his stance on environmental issues and his staunch opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq he was one of the few Liberal MPs to back Sheila Copps in the 2003 Liberal Party of Canada leadership race. His left leaning politics and support of Copps ended his political career when the more right leaning Martin took over and backed former Toronto city councillor Mario Silva for the nominatin battle. When Silva seemed poised to win the Liberal nomination Caccia did not challenge, and after some talk also chose not to run as an independent in the 2004 election.

René Coignaud

President of ENvironnemement JEUnesse (2004 - )
National Coordinator of the One-Tonne Challenge for Youth of the Youth Environmental Network (2004 - )

Contact information
Youth Environmental Network
Tel : 613 728-9810 #23
Cell : 819 351-8300
E-mail: renecoignaud@gmail.com

René is the national coordinator for the One-Tonne Challenge for youth with the Youth Environmental Network. He is also the president of ENvironnement JEUnesse, an organization created for youth, by youth. It has been active in all regions of Quebec for over 25 years. René has been involved in many youth initiatives for ten years. He’s been interested in climate change policies for many

Roger Peters

Roger is a professional chemical and environmental engineer with 30 years of experience in energy efficiency and renewable energy. At The Pembina Institute, Roger guides the organization’s work on national renewable energy and energy efficiency policy, and has authored several reports on innovative financing of energy efficiency improvements. He has also gained substantial expertise on climate change, providing assessment and technical assistance to project developers on using the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other sources of carbon financing. Roger has significant international experience in Asia, Latin America and Africa, working on energy efficiency and rural energy projects funded by the World Bank, Global Environmental Facility and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). He is a co-author of the White Paper on Energy and Climate Change.

Nashina Shariff

Nashina has a BSc in Physics and is the Associate Director of The Toxics Watch Society of Alberta. Nashina is co-chair of the Canadian government’s Stakeholders Advisory Committee on Greenhouse Gas Reporting and has taken part in consultations and discussions on the proposed large final emitters greenhouse gas emissions trading system. Nashina was an NGO representative on the Canadian delegation to the Tenth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Nashina is a participant or co-chair of several teams of the Clean Air Strategic Alliance’s Electricity Project Teams, which prepared recommendations accepted by the Alberta government in March 2004. She is a co-author of the White Paper on Energy and Climate Change.