University of Guelph PhD student Graeme Reed has been named among the national 2020 top 30 under 30 sustainability leaders in Canada by Corporate Knights.

Corporate Knights produces rankings and financial product ratings based on corporate sustainability and publishes a sustainable business magazine. Nominations for this year’s 30 under 30 were opened to the public. A shortlist of 50 nominees was submitted to a panel of judges who then narrowed it down to 30 finalists made up of Indigenous leaders, social entrepreneurs, non-profit founders and cleantech champions.

Reed is in his third year as a PhD candidate in rural studies. His work at U of G is focused on researching the intersection of Indigenous governance, environmental governance and the climate crisis.

An Anishinaabe-European scholar, Reed is also heavily involved in the national and international Indigenous climate movement. He is an Assembly of First Nations (AFN) senior advisor and plays a role in holding federal and international policy-makers accountable for ensuring climate policies respect and safeguard First Nations rights, jurisdiction and knowledge. During the pandemic, he has also been involved in pandemic-recovery discussion.

“The concept of ‘building back better’ is not value-neutral,” said Reed. “We must recognize the history of colonization, land dispossession and systemic racism as a starting point to recovery discourse. Canada must support self-determined Indigenous climate leadership in all of these efforts.”

Reed has represented the AFN at three UN climate talks and worked with Chiefs to pass a resolution at the AFN Annual General Assembly declaring a First Nations climate emergency.

The full list of Corporate Knights Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability leaders can be found on their website.