The global climate emergency represents one of those rare occasions when the interests of youth, business and politics converge. Even as the social and economic impacts of climate change are increasingly apparent, questions persist about how to move forward and from where leadership will come.

At the intersection of talent development and business innovation, Canada’s polytechnics are well-positioned to address environmental sustainability in three important ways:

• As publicly funded exemplars of net-zero and eco-friendly buildings, behaviours and experimentation
• As hubs for the development of “green skills” among the thinkers and doers who will drive continuous improvement
• As innovation intermediaries, helping businesses rethink their processes, products and systems