Courtney Smith is a senior communications lead for the Pembina Institute, shaping communications on electricity and oil and gas work. She is based in Vancouver.
Courtney has previously worked in comms roles with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), including with their ClimateWest initiative to address risks and opportunities of climate change for Canada’s prairie provinces. Before that, she held roles at the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment & Security as well as at York University.
Courtney's interests in the correlation between environmental health and the well-being of local communities and ecosystems developed throughout her personal travel experiences. This encouraged her to focus her research on international climate negotiations and policy development in climate change mitigation and adaptation while completing her double master's in public and international affairs (York University) and international relations (Sciences-Po Strasbourg). She also holds a Bachelor of Journalism (Carleton University) and is fluent in English and French.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, hiking, and discovering new music.
