May 20 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Each year, Engineers and Geoscientists BC, in collaboration with our Climate Change and Sustainability Advisory Group, hosts a Sustainability Panel event that is focused on integrating sustainability into professional practice. At this event, we bring together panelists who can focus on some of the initiatives being led across BC and share with us their approaches to creating a sustainable future. The theme for 2026 is:
Sustainability in the Fast-Tracked Era of Major Projects
Recently, federal and provincial governments have shifted toward streamlined approval and permitting processes for major projects designated as strategic or in the national interest. These reforms raise questions about how regulatory efficiency, social and environmental outcomes, and professional due diligence can be balanced in practice. During this event, a diverse group of panelist will share their insights into:
• How evolving government priorities affect environmental assessments, Indigenous engagement and risk management responsibilities for professionals involved in major projects
• Ways professionals can navigate uncertainty, professional accountability and sustainability considerations within evolving federal/provincial frameworks
• What “streamlining” means in practical terms for project design, permitting and decision-making
How major projects can respect Indigenous titles and rights, support meaningful partnerships and advance reconciliation through collaboration and shared decision-making
• The panelists will share their approaches with some examples of how incorporating sustainability into major projects looks like in practice, from an Indigenous perspective, a consultant perspective and a regulator perspective. Join us for an insightful discussion!
The panel portion will be recorded and a livestream option is available.
Schedule
• 6:00 to 6:30 PM: Registration
• 6:30 to 8:00 PM: Panel discussion
• 8:00 to 9:00 PM: Networking
Simple refreshments will be available during the networking.
Panelists
Steve DeRoy
Steve DeRoy is the Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Director of Firelight. Steve founded the annual Indigenous Mapping Workshop and Indigenous Mapping Collective. He is an award-winning Anishinaabe professional and entrepreneur with expertise in mapping and geographic information sciences, business development, natural resources management, and project management. He has applied his expertise to lead Indigenous Knowledge Research for numerous Indigenous groups affected by large-scale energy developments.
Steve is an advisory board member of the Institute for Integrative Conservation at William & Mary, a moderator of the Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and Technologies, and a trainer of the Google Earth Outreach Trainers Network. He has also supported both Google and Apple to ensure Indigenous lands are represented on their maps. He holds a Master’s degree in Geographic Information Science from University College London and a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Cartographic Specialist diploma from Fleming College.
Lourette Swanepoel, MASLA, RPP, ENV SP
Lourette Swanepoel is the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) Envision® Canada Program Manager. The program is a partnership between the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) to advance the use of the Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Framework in Canada. Lourette serves on the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) Technical Envision Review Board and played a pivotal role as one of the early adopters and market leaders of the Envision framework. She has been an Envision Sustainability Professional since 2013 and has been engaged in more than a dozen projects seeking third-party verification, in addition to many more using the framework to improve sustainability and resilience performance outcomes. She is also an ISI-approved third-party verifier and Envision trainer. Lourette has 25 years of experience working with public sector agencies on their sustainability and resilience challenges. She has a diverse background in community planning, strategic management, landscape architecture, asset management, sustainable capital infrastructure delivery, and facilitation. Lourette is also Principal and Owner of Calibrate Collaborative Inc. in Vancouver.
Sean Shaw, Ph.D., P.Geo.
Sean is a registered P.Geo. with over 20 years of experience in the natural resource sector. He holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in geology, specializing in aqueous geochemistry. Sean is currently an Executive Director with the BC Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals, where he leads the Major Mines Office. In this role, he oversees a multidisciplinary team of more than 40 technical experts responsible for permitting all new and existing mineral and coal mines in British Columbia, including the review of environmental assessment projects.
Moderator
Jennifer Campbell
Jennifer Campbell is a Métis business leader and is the Founder and CEO of Two Worlds Consulting (TWC), a Canada‑wide consulting firm grounded in the values of respect, integrity, trust, and reciprocity. A Project Management Professional and Environmental Professional with over 20 years of experience, Jennifer is a leader in human environment work for major projects, specializing in Indigenous engagement, impact assessment, and regulatory processes. Jennifer is deeply committed to advancing reconciliation through meaningful collaboration, shared decision-making, and respect for Indigenous titles and rights.
Jennifer brings a pragmatic perspective to sustainability in an era of fast‑tracked approvals. She regularly advises clients on navigating evolving federal and provincial regulatory frameworks, balancing efficiency with professional accountability, and integrating social, environmental, and Indigenous considerations into project design and decision-making. Central to her approach is the use of more than one lens—acknowledging and valuing both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems and ways of knowing.
As Founder and CEO, Jennifer provides strategic advice and oversight to multidisciplinary project teams, ensuring high‑quality deliverables that align with regulatory requirements, client expectations, and long‑term sustainability outcomes.
MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION
For more information and to register for this event, click on the following link: EGBC Registration Website