McGill’s SGI Annual Grand Challenge Finale
The Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI) at 51łÔąĎÍř hosted its second Annual Grand Challenge on Sustainability, inviting students from across Canada to tackle urgent issues in the sustainability space. This year’s challenge, sponsored by and co-organized by SGI’s Office for Decarbonization and the 51łÔąĎÍřCentre for Innovation in Storage and Conversion of Energy (), focused on greenwashing, an increasingly pressing topic.
With the passing of Bill C-59 in June 2024, Canada introduced anti-greenwashing amendments to the . This bill aimed to combat the alarming and growing practice of greenwashing, a misleading marketing strategy used by organizations to make false environmental claims about their services, goods, and other brand activities. Greenwashing not only damages consumer trust, but also undermines genuine climate efforts by eroding trust in sustainability initiatives.
This year’s challenge invited students to develop innovative, real-world solutions for implementing the new anti-greenwashing law in the sustainable energy transition sector. The goal was to bridge the gap between policy and practice to translate legislation into real-world, tangible impact.
Innovative approaches to Bill C-59
The competition drew in 21 interdisciplinary student teams from universities across Canada, each integrating legal, business, creative, and technological perspectives into their proposals. After months of preparation, the top four teams advanced to the finale, where they presented their solutions to a panel of industry experts, receiving valuable feedback and recognition for their exceptional work.
The Annual Grand Challenge finale opened with a land acknowledgment by , Associate Director of SGI, who also announced that the event’s Platinum Sustainability Certification from McGill’s Office of Sustainability. Jeffrey Bergthorson, Associate Director of McISCE and Office Head of SGI’s Office for Decarbonization, delivered opening remarks on SGI and McISCE’s commitment to sustainable innovation. He then introduced the panel of judges who would evaluate the student presentations on feasibility, impact, and alignment with Bill C-59’s objectives.
Team Eco-Espoire, composed of students from 51łÔąĎÍř and UniversitĂ© de MontrĂ©al, was the first team to present. Their proposal centered on a rating system for to help enforce Bill C-59 within the industry. Recognizing the sector’s rapid growth, the team emphasized the need for transparency in environmental claims. “Given Canada’s goal of achieving 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, the industry will have to grow very fast,” they explained in a written statement. “The increased competition may lead to increased greenwashing, and we wanted to provide a solution to this risk.”
Team Dalacordia, composed of students from Dalhousie University, Acadia University, and Concordia University, followed with a plan to tackle greenwashing in the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) industry. Their proposal advocated monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) into Bill C-59’s framework. Two team members currently work in the CDR sector, which inspired their focus. “We really heard an industry call for MRV and thought it was a solution that policy could address,” they said in their interview. “We chose to handle the physical science side of greenwashing rather than the marketing side.”
Team Munk Wonks from the University of Toronto took a policy-driven approach, proposing the Environmental Claims Oversight Board (ECOB), an independent body that would certify sustainability claims before they are released to the public. “The biggest gap we saw was the lack of clear guidance for companies navigating this new regulation,” they explained. “Consumers also have no way of verifying claims. We felt that advertising standards could provide much-needed clarity for both businesses and the public.”
Team Green Planet from the University of British Columbia presented last. Their project, CLEAN, aimed to test and certify clean technologies to ensure they delivered on their environmental promises. Inspired by the , the team sought to empower consumers with accessible data. “We think it’s important to give consumers the tools they need to make informed decisions,” they said. “When consumers are equipped with the right information, it benefits everyone—it encourages competition, and competition drives innovation.”
After deliberation, the judges returned with results. Team Munk Wonks secured first place and $15,000 for their proposal, followed by Team Eco-Espoir with $10,000 for second place and Team Green Planet with $5,000 for third. Team Dalacordia rounded out the finalists in fourth place. Prizes were presented by Sanjith Gopalakrishnan, Director of SGI. Professor Darin Barney, a member of the jury and the Chair of McGill’s Communications Studies Department, commended the teams for their rigorous research and creative problem-solving.
Dr. Yolande E. Chan, Dean of McGill’s ' Desautels Faculty of Management, closed the day with remarks celebrating participants’ excellence and innovation and surprised Team Dalacordia with a $2,000 award, while Team Law & Order: Green Crimes Unit was also recognized for their creativity with a $1,000 prize.
How can businesses prioritize decarbonizing production?
The AGC finale began with a morning panel discussion on the role of businesses in decarbonization, co-organized by SGI and the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity (LCBEE) at 51łÔąĎÍř. , Associate Director of the Laidley Centre, noted the significance of the collaboration stating that “issues of sustainability are ethicali. Greenwashing is misleading, which is a matter of ethics and equity.”
The session opened with a land acknowledgment by Gopalakrishnan, followed by remarks from , a student ambassador for the Laidley Centre. The panel, titled “Ethics of environmental business: Decarbonizing production,” featured leading experts in sustainability and ESG. Moderated by Faculty Lecturer at 51łÔąĎÍřDesautels, panelists discussed profitability, environmental responsibility, and innovation, emphasizing that businesses must adopt tailored decarbonization strategies. They highlighted that integrating sustainability not only mitigates risks but also creates competitive advantages.
Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI)
The SGI is dedicated to building practical, constructive, and applies solutions for key issues challenging sustainable growth. SGI was launched in 2022 as a cross-faculty partnership that presently also involves the Faculty of Law, the Department of Economics, and the Max Bell School of Public Policy, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Department of Geography.
