Diana Fox Carney, spouse of Prime Minister Mark Carney, is taking on a newly established, voluntary position dedicated to ocean conservation efforts.
In her capacity as Canada’s inaugural ocean envoy, Fox Carney aims to “promote Canada’s leadership by bridging ocean conservation, climate initiatives, Indigenous leadership, economic resilience, and maritime safety,” as stated in a press release.
She will also preside over the 12th annual Our Ocean Conference, an international event that brings together governments, organizations, and scholars to tackle contemporary ocean challenges.
This conference is scheduled to be held in Halifax next year.
According to Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, “Canada has a chance to demonstrate its leadership in ocean conservation, sustainable fisheries, ocean science, and Indigenous stewardship” at the 2027 conference.
“I am eager to collaborate with Diana Fox Carney on this significant conference for Canada,” Thompson added.
Atlantic Canada will host the Our Ocean Conference in 2027, which will address environmental, economic, and cultural issues, aiming to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030. The CBC’s Leila Beaudoin reports.
The announcement indicated that the forthcoming conference represents a crucial stride towards Ottawa’s goal of safeguarding 30 percent of Canada’s marine and coastal regions by 2030.
Fox Carney remarked, “The conference will create a platform for enhancing cooperation, exchanging knowledge and experiences, and securing commitments to maintain healthy and sustainable oceans for future generations.”
Background in Economics and Environment
Previously, Fox Carney’s involvement had mostly been in the background during her husband’s first 18 months as Canada’s 24th prime minister.
She initially caught Carney’s attention by outskating her hockey rivals while both were students at the University of Oxford, where the current prime minister played goalie for the men’s team. Fox Carney has since established a significant career as both an economist and environmental advocate.
Fox Carney possesses master’s degrees in agricultural economics from Oxford and international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Throughout her professional journey, Fox Carney has been involved with various non-profit organizations and held senior positions at leading think tanks in both Canada and the U.K., advocating for environmental concerns and income equality among other topics.
In 2013, she stirred controversy with a paper she contributed to the Canada 2020 think tank aimed at reviving discussions around carbon pricing in Canada.
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In 2021, Fox Carney assumed a new position as senior adviser at the Eurasia Group, a political consulting and research firm that provides guidance to businesses and politicians globally.