Environmental & Innovation Forum 2026 Feature Speaker: Robert (RJ) Johnston
Robert (RJ) Johnston
Director of Energy and Natural Resources, University of Calgary, School of Public Policy
Robert (“RJ”) Johnston is the Director of Energy and Natural Resources at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy. His work focuses on the intersection of energy, natural resources, geopolitics, policy, and markets.
He is also a Professor (Teaching) at the Haskayne Business School at the University of Calgary. Previously, he was Senior Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. RJ was previously the founder and Managing Director of the Eurasia Group’s Energy, Climate, and Resources practice, and served as the firm’s CEO from 2013 to 2018.
RJ is an independent advisor to the First Nations Climate Initiative and serves as an advisor on North American energy policy to a New York-based diversified investment management firm.
Recent notable achievements include serving as a counselor for the Canada-US Trade Council and co-chairing the Open Minds Next Generation initiative on the dual energy/climate policy challenge. He also served as Project Director for the Aspen Institute Task Force on US Critical Minerals Policy.
RJ is a member of the Trilateral Commission and. He was a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center from 2017 to 2021.
RJ holds a doctorate in international relations from American University, a master’s degree in political science from McMaster University, and a bachelor’s degree in political studies from Bishop’s University.
Session Details
Global Environmental Policy Variability: Causes & Consequences for Innovation in Canada
From coal and oil sands to petrochemicals and power generation, environmental policies have driven innovations around clean fuels and carbon capture while also generating concerns about overregulation and lost competitive ground.
Today, the landscape is changing. Trade conflict, energy security, emerging economic opportunities around AI and data centres, shifting ESG pressures and tighter access to capital are changing priorities in Ottawa, Washington and beyond.
Robert will explore how Canadian environmental policy is adapting to these new realities and what they could mean for Alberta, including:
What is Canada’s global leadership profile in achieving environmental commitments while meeting global resource and energy needs—and what are the potential upsides and downsides of moving further and faster than our economic competitors?
How do we continue developing our natural resources while being mindful of long-term environmental goals alongside priorities around growth, productivity, diversification and economic security? Are these objectives at odds, or can they be mutually reinforcing?
What are the strengths of the Canadian and Alberta policy environments in attracting capital for environmental advancements, and how do we ensure sufficient capital remains available to help Canadian innovators succeed?
Robert’s session will be part of a broader afternoon discussion examining where we go from here as policy, investment priorities and global conditions continue to evolve.
