So German!
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and its partners present
Keynote speech by Christian Hochfeld, Director of Agora Verkehrswende
Followed by a panel discussion with:
Cara Clairman, President and CEO Plug’n Drive
Raed Kadri, Director, Automotive Technology and Mobility Innovation, Ontario Centres of Excellence
Dr. Josipa Petrunic, Executive Director & C.E.O of CUTRIC
Moderator: Sarah Petrevan, Senior Policy Advisor Clean Energy Canada
Wednesday, November 29th, 2017, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Location: George Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Pl, Toronto
For many developed countries, reducing vehicle emissions is essential to meeting their climate commitments. Zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) promise to make our neighborhoods quieter, our air cleaner and our lives more sustainable. As governments are encouraging drivers to move towards zero or ultra-low emission vehicles, the automotive industry is experiencing a disruptive period. Innovation is happening at unprecedented pace; new companies are emerging and taking over market share from the established car manufacturers. As software and new technologies gain importance, new market niches emerge and traditional supply chains are disrupted. What does this mean for traditional automotive industry in Germany and Ontario? What opportunities and challenges does the transition to ZEVS hold for automotive companies of all sizes?
Bringing together experts from government, academia and the private sector, the panel will discuss the challenges and opportunities of greening the transport sector.
About Christian Hochfeld
From 1996 to 2004, Dipl.-Ing. Christian Hochfeld worked on environmental and climate protection in traffic as a research assistant at the Oeko-Institut, a research institute for applied ecology. He was a member of the management team of Oeko-Institut from 2004 to 2010. Christian Hochfeld then worked as a programme director for sustainable traffic in China at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) a leading provider of international cooperation services for sustainable development. He has been the Managing Director of Agora Verkehrswende, an initiative of Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation, since February 2016. Christian Hochfeld has been a member of the International Advisory Committee of the China Association for Electric Vehicles (China EV 100) since 2015.
About Agora Verkehrswende
The activity of Agora Verkehrswende revolves around societal discourse on environmentally friendly, sustainable ways to develop the traffic sector. Its highly decorated council, featuring representatives from the fields of civil society, politics, economics and science, provides a central forum for this dialogue. The discussions of the council are complemented by public workshops and conferences and lay the basis for insightful academic analysis. In 2017, Agora published the in-depth report ’Transforming Transport to Ensure Tomorrow’s Mobility – 12 Insights into the Verkehrswende’, an essential read for anyone wishing to understand Germany’s path toward green mobility.
About Cara Clairman
Cara Clairman is President and CEO of Plug’n Drive, a non-profit that is accelerating the deployment of EVs to maximize their environmental and economic benefits. In just over six years, Cara has taken Plug’n Drive from an idea to a thriving non-profit, recognized as a leader in the EV space. Cara has more than 20 years of experience working in the environmental and sustainability fields, including 12 years working at Ontario Power Generation, initially as OPG’s environmental lawyer and later in the role Vice President of Sustainable Development. Prior to joining OPG, Cara spent five years practicing environmental law with the Torys law firm. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall and a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University, as well as an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from Queen’s University. Cara is currently driving the 100% electric Chevy Bolt!
About Raed Kadri
Raed Kadri is Director of Automotive Technology and Mobility Innovation at Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). He leads the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) program, which is focused on unlocking the economic potential of connected/autonomous vehicles in Ontario and helping the province’s transportation systems and infrastructure plan for and adapt to this emerging technology.
Raed also leads the Automotive Supplier Competitiveness Improvement Program (ASCIP), which seeks to increase the sourcing capabilities of Ontario-based small and medium sized automotive suppliers, while encouraging innovation and productivity initiatives that increase success in export markets. He has also worked as an engineer for several years and worked for AUTO21 Inc. as Business Development Officer supporting Connect Canada. Raed earned a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Wayne State University in Detroit as well as a Master of Science in Business and Management Research from Henley Business School, where he is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration.
About Dr. Josipa Petrunic
Josipa G. Petrunic is the Executive Director & CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), which has more than 100 private and public sector members across Canada. She is leading the formulation of several national transportation technology trials related to zero-emissions transportation and “smart vehicles” innovation. Previously, she served as the lead researcher in electric vehicle policy studies at McMaster University, and as a senior research fellow at University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom in Science and Technology Studies and the history of mathematics and engineering. Dr. Petrunic was elected to sit on the Board of Directors for InnovÉÉ (Observer) to ensure cross-pollination and innovation symbiosis in electrified vehicle technology development across Ontario and Quebec. In September 2017, Dr. Petrunic was awarded a Canada Clean50 Award for her leadership in forging and launching the Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration & Integration Trial, which integrates 20 electric buses with 7 overhead charging systems across three Canadian municipalities to demonstrate and promote the standardization of charging technologies.
About Sarah Petrevan
A passionate policy advocate and commentator, Sarah uses her more than a decade of public policy experience to advance policies that support clean energy and tackling climate change. Sarah serves as a board member of Blue Green Canada, a steering committee member for the Clean Economy Alliance, and regularly collaborates with industry and business leaders to advocate for policies and programs to leverage Canada’s clean energy opportunity. Before joining Clean Energy Canada, Sarah held several senior positions within the Government of Ontario, and worked for a leading non-profit. She holds a degree in Political Science with a specialization in public policy. Most recently, Sarah is the recipient of the 2018 Clean 50 Emerging Leader Award, in recognition for her leadership in clean capitalism. She is based in Toronto.
