It’s been just over two weeks since the Toronto Climate Week events calendar launched, and there are already 25 events to choose from — food, nature, climate-ready homes, cleanups around the city, and lots more!
Check back frequently as we aim to hit 200 events, double the number from October 2025. March 31 is the deadline to join us as a sponsor. Two flagship events have sold out of sponsorship slots, and only one slot is available for many events.
In this edition:
Events Roundup: Introducing the first batch of featured & flagship events
Changemaker Chat: Q&A with Sanders Lazier, Founder of Carbonhound, on going about business in an ethical way and succeeding
Partner Spotlight: Centre for Social Innovation, TOCW’s official hub
Join Our Team: Volunteer opportunities available
Dates to Note: Including event submission & general information webinar
Registration for these events will begin at the end of March. In meantime, mark your calendars!
Official Kick-Off: True North Rising — Canadian Competitive Advantage | June 1
Where Canada’s climate conversation begins — uniting leaders across government, finance, industry and civil society to advance a prosperous climate future.Leading Change Summit 2026 | June 2
Full-day experience convening the next generation of sustainability leaders (ages 19–35) to learn, connect and drive action.
(Registration will open in April)Sustainable Finance | June 2
Invite-only event uniting Canada's leading finance and sustainability leaders to discuss the intersection of sustainability, capital and competitive advantage.
(Registration will open in April)Natural Resources, Infrastructure & Energy | June 3
Bridging vision and investment — an exploration of the real-world tools, from credible certifications to Indigenous partnerships, that unlock private capital and drive Canada's long-term economic strength.Carbon Solutions: Canada’s Competitive Edge | June 3
Turning carbon solutions into opportunity — examining the capital, policy and market pathways that create competitive edge.Food: the other big climate lever | June 4
Experiential exploration of food as one of climate’s most powerful, accessible and delicious tools for change.The Climate Tech Journey: From Ideation to Industrialization | June 4
Joined by MaRS and the Lawson Institute — an honest and inspiring look at what it takes to grow Canada’s next generation of climate tech companies.Nature & Blue Economy | June 5
Exploring how Canada's land and water are defining pillars of global competitiveness and investment opportunity.
This week we spoke with Sanders Lazier, Founder at Carbonhound, a software platform that helps businesses measure and reduce their impact on the climate, and one of TOCW’s earliest sponsors.
Q: What inspired you to start Carbonhound?
A: Carbonhound was really born out of frustration more than anything else. I was trying to build a different company focused on decarbonizing the built space. I had a list of 54 different vendors on the GHG and reduction side, and what I noticed was that everything was designed for large businesses. It was really difficult to find high-credibility options that weren’t incredibly expensive that would allow me to take action in a responsible and data-driven way.
So, I wanted to create a world-class technology platform that levels the playing field so companies of all sizes can take advantage of opportunities and avoid the risks of a changing environment.
My concern was that if we just have tools for large businesses, you’re going to get a situation of haves and have-nots. Where those who can execute with sustainability as part of their strategy enjoy better access to capital and improved economic outcomes. And hopefully along the way, if everyone is winning, then we can reduce political polarization around climate action as well.
Q: How does Carbonhound make life easier for businesses that want or need to reduce their climate impact?
A: One of our customers just got an email that said “Hey, just so you know, because you’re one of our tier-one suppliers, you need to reduce your emissions by 50% by 2030.” Businesses forward this type of email to us all the time, asking, “What are we going to do about this?”
Carbonhound solutions automate the workload of measuring, reducing, certifying, and marketing carbon emissions. Every client gets assigned a point of contract here, so you can ask questions whenever you need — you’re never left on your own.
Compared to a spreadsheet-based approach, this means you can have more confidence in the reports generated, which allows companies the backing to leverage the outcomes of the reports in marketing collateral and sales conversations with big customers to differentiate your proposition. We’ve found that level of confidence is really important to help make sure our customers are getting business value out of the work.
We support almost 300 businesses now, across Canada, the United States, and internationally, including over a dozen publicly traded companies. I’m really proud that we’ve managed to maintain accessible pricing, through partnerships with nonprofits and through our own pricing schemes. We don’t say no just because you’re a small business.
Q: What’s giving you optimism in 2026?
A: The economics are on our side for an energy transition that will have massive impacts. We’re starting to see the implementation of clean technologies at scale and very clear business cases that show that this is not only the right thing to do, but also the best thing to do for your business as well.
And we’re just at the beginning of this transformation:
China is starting to build electric boats for freight transportation.
New sodium batteries will be much cheaper than lithium-ion batteries, with less resource intensive materials.
Electric cars are coming out with 800+ kilometre range this year.
Q: What inspires you to support TOCW?
A: First and foremost, Becky [Park-Romanovsky, Founder and Executive Director of TOCW]. I’ve known her for a while, and I wanted to make sure we supported her to bring this vision to life.
Moreover, if I’ve learned anything in my time running this business over the last five years, it’s that community is critical to progress. Climate is so interdisciplinary — we need the finance specialists, technology expertise, scientists, and the reporting and regulatory experts to move the ball forward. The more we can promote community and interconnection through platforms like Toronto Climate Week, the higher chance we have of building momentum and progress.
Q: Why do you love what you do?
A: For as long as history has been written, we’ve seen that companies have existed in a mindset of exploitation for the hope of profits. If you look at the narratives around some of the most successful people, the message is that nice guys finish last.
We want to show that you can build a company that can do good and do well — and that doing well doesn’t need to be at the expense of others. You can go about your business in an ethical way and succeed.
My happiest moments involve working with businesses and a team that shares this mission.
Which food is more climate intensive? Test your knowledge with the Carbon Corgi Race game developed by Sanders. Fun fact: David Miller, former Toronto mayor, played at TOCW 2025!
We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) located at 192 Spadina Avenue, just north of Queen Street East.
For hosts: Hosting at CSI offers a great opportunity to promote your event, as CSI will actively promote CSI-hosted events in the lead-up to June 1–7. The venue can accommodate groups ranging from 2 to 200 people, making it suitable for both small and large gatherings. It also features several spaces designed for food-related events, including access to a full kitchen.
For attendees: During TOCW, CSI will serve as the official hub. The main floor will be open for anyone participating in TOCW to use as a space to gather, relax, work, and connect with the community.
Volunteering for TOCW helps you build your skills, your network, and your impact. Every contribution counts, from professional expertise to simply a desire to get involved.
We’re currently looking for support across several areas, including Data Analyst, Operations Coordinator, Designer, and Accountant/ Bookkeeper.
You can learn more about all open roles and apply here.
Next General Information Webinar — April 14, 2026; register on Luma
Deadline for sponsorships and partnerships — March 31, 2026; submit your interest here
Deadline to have events public on Luma with details finalized — May 15, 2026
With gratitude,
The TOCW Team
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