2025 Public Hammond Lecture

Emerging issues and the way forward for a just green energy transformation.

The School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph is please to welcome everyone to the 2025 Public Hammond Lecture and discussion with Dr. Teresa Kramarz [2]. Her talk will focus on some often-overlooked impacts of the renewable energy transition, particularly the socio-ecological displacements caused by critical mineral extraction. It will contrast the triumphalist clean energy narrative with the realities of dispossession, degradation, and dependent development in critical mineral producing states.

This is a public event and everyone is welcome. Light refreshments will be available.

Speaker bio:

Dr. Teresa Kramarz [2]  [2] is an Associate Professor at the School of the Environment in the University of Toronto. She is the Co-Director of the Environmental Governance Lab, on the United Nations Development Programme’s External Advisory Group for Energy Governance, and the Taskforce on Environmental Accountability in the Earth System Governance network. She has been working on environmental politics and governance issues for 30 years starting her career in the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank. Her research focuses on the renewable energy transition and governance of natural resources, environmental accountability, and partnerships between public and private actors to address global environmental crises. She has published three books, numerous academic articles, and is a regular contributor to national and international media on environmental politics.

Presentation details:

The talk will focus on some often-overlooked impacts of the renewable energy transition, particularly the socio-ecological displacements caused by critical mineral extraction. It will contrast the triumphalist clean energy narrative with the realities of dispossession, degradation, and dependent development in critical mineral producing states. Different constituencies face distinct challenges: producers grapple with resource curse risks and weak governance, while global supply chains face instability and geopolitical tensions. Using an accountability framework, the talk will discuss regulatory gaps and traps and propose some policy options for more equitable and sustainable outcomes.

The Hammond lecture series began in 2000 and is named for the late Kenneth Hammond, founder of Hammond Manufacturing and former member of U of G's Board of Governors. He was an advocate of environmental and resource issues and environmental education.  The Hammond Lecture topics generally promote interdisciplinary learning, teaching and research that span all of our colleges on campus. The Hammond Lectures have been a showcase for communicating environmental science and policy. They are an opportunity for providing feedback from the community to the University and an event that brings students, staff, faculty and the community together.