Reflection on the 2025 Leading Change and GLOBEXChange Summit
Author
Megan Devoe
My name is Megan Devoe and my pronouns are she/her/elle. I am a white settler-scholar with mixed Mi’kmaq and European ancestry currently living, working, and playing on the traditional lands of the Mi’kma’ki and the Wabanaki in what is colonially known as Halifax, Nova Scotia. In Nova Scotia, the Peace and Friendship Treaties were negotiated with the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, and Passamaquoddy peoples. Unlike many other treaties across so-called Canada, these agreements did not involve the surrender of Indigenous lands to the British Crown, but focused on guaranteeing peace and trade between Indigenous people and the Crown while protecting Indigenous rights. (1). This blog post was written on this unsurrendered and unceded land.Â
My work, academically and personally, is inspired by the disconnect I feel between the environment and humanity. I do not believe the current systems we are operating within (capitalism, colonialism, extractivism) are conducive to human and planetary flourishing. I believe, collectively we can start to rectify these wrongs through climate justice education and awareness within platforms like the Leading Change and GLOBEXChange Summit. I acknowledge that my position on environmental issues has been and is continuously shaped by my privileges and personal lived experiences, including being able to take time away from my day to day responsibilities to attend events like the Leading Change and GLOBEXChange Summit. I do not intend to speak on behalf of any communities which I do not belong to including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour or LGBTAI2S+ communities. I am always open to learning and having constructive conversations.
Editor
Mei-Ling Patterson, Asha Swann, Anna HuschkaÂ
From February 10th to 13th, I had the pleasure of attending the Leading Change and GLOBEXChange Summit on behalf of Shake Up the Establishment (SUTE). For the second time, Leading Change and GLOBE took place on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples (colonially known as Toronto, Ontario). I am grateful SUTE is able to provide me with the opportunity to attend such events to ensure youth are present in these important conversations and to advocate for climate justice priorities.Â
Leading Change and GLOBE are sister organizations part of Profoundry, a collection of like-minded sustainability and climate experts across North America. The Leading Change and GLOBE Summits are hosted annually.
Leading Change
On February 10th, Leading Change brought together over one hundred young professionals to foster collaboration, dialogue, and action toward a regenerative future. It also signified the end of the inaugural Leading Change Fellowship cohort. The program this year focused on the thematic areas of Nature, Human, and Systems.Â
The day was filled with a variety of keynotes, open discussions, and mentoring sessions. We began with an opening session hosted by Carole Monture from Indigenous Climate Action. This grounding session connected us to the land and set us up for open conversations the rest of the day. The session also reminded me that sustainability and climate justice are not about ownership but relationships. At our individual tables, we discussed how we, individually and collectively, can do things to protect the world around us which sustains us. I find myself still reflecting on the thoughts that Carole and others at my table shared.Â
Another portion of the Summit which stood out to me was the Pathways to Purpose: Exploring Sustainability Careers session. This session, in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada’s Science & Technology Internship Program, highlighted the various supports available to young people entering the green economy. Some notable examples were the events and resources offered by the Green Career Centre and Indigenous Clean Energy’s 20/20 Catalyst Program, which encourages participants to become clean energy leaders. As a young person, it is empowering to know that there are options to get youth ready for jobs in climate and sustainability.Â
The Summit ended with an inspiring intergenerational networking event. This networking event offered an important opportunity for folks from the Leading Change Delegation to interact with the larger GLOBE network. I was able to chat with folks from Natural Resource Canada, Canada’s Premier Business Association for Corporate Sustainability, and various municipal governments. I am also grateful I had the opportunity to meet several folks from Finance Engage Sustain, a fellow youth-led youth-serving organization who SUTE worked with in 2024 on Public Consultations on the Right to a Healthy Environment. It is always nice to see fellow climate justice activists in person at events like the Leading Change Summit!
GLOBEXChange
GLOBEXChange took place from February 11th to 13th. The yearly GLOBE Summit is a collection of plenaries, fireside chats, and workshops geared towards sustainability professionals from across so-called Canada.Â
Since the summit, I’ve been left thinking about a few of the phenomenal keynote speeches. On the first day of the summit, Paul Polman reminded attendees in his speech that the green economy is now driving economic growth, so it makes economic sense to continue investing in it. The same day the Canadian chapter of the Women Leading on Climate was launched. The Canadian chapter is working to bring together women leaders from across the country to push for ambitious climate action from both governments and business. The excitement in the room about the launch was palpable! It was inspiring to see everyone so excited and engaged at the launch.Â
The next day, the founder and CEO of Abacus Data gave us an important reminder that climate change is the most divisive and polarizing issue in so-called Canada right now. SUTE recognizes this as well as an organization founded in the lead up to the 2019 federal election to promote political action and civic engagement. We are working on an updated Get Out The Vote campaign ahead of the upcoming federal election to ensure folks across the country are equipped to vote with important issues in mind. As an organization, we are committed to being evidence-informed, community-centred, and non-partisan and we continue to work to enable youth across so-called Canada to make informed decisions about their civic engagement.Â
The last day of GLOBEXChange, I made some final connections and received an important recommendation about the importance of abundance. Swelem Andari, Senior Manager, Climate Resilience & Youth Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) reminded me that focusing on abundance during the climate crisis is crucial. I reflected on SUTE’s commitment to anti-capitalist organizing that centres this mindset. It is important to be reminded that there is still room for hope and dreaming. Hope, afterall, is an active act of resistance.Â
I am eternally grateful to have attended the Leading Change Summit and the GLOBEXChange Summit on behalf of SUTE. It was an amazing learning and personal development opportunity!
References
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Fair Sheet on Peace and Friendship Treaties in the Maritimes and Gaspè [Internet]. Government of Canada; modified 2010 Sep 15 [cited 2025 Mar 27]. Available from: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028599/1539609517566
