Catherine Gauthier

Interim Executive Director

Catherine Gauthier has over 10 years of experience in management, team coordination, education, research and analysis, communications, and mobilization for environmental and social justice. From 2016 to 2022, Catherine served as the Executive Director of ENvironnement JEUnesse. With a dedicated team, she contributed to mobilizing more than 400 institutions and organizations throughout Quebec. In 2018, on behalf of 3.4 million young people and children, she initiated the first climate justice lawsuit against the Government of Canada.

More recently, she has worked as an advisor for the Advisory Committee on Climate Change and as the coordinator of Biodiversity Quebec. Previously, she has worked with several organizations, including Équiterre, the David Suzuki Foundation, Oxfam-Quebec, and the Institut du Nouveau Monde. Holding a master’s degree in international law and international politics, she is one of the authors of the book ‘The Climate Crisis at the Dawn of an Uncertain World’ and has taught several courses at the School of Applied Politics at the University of Sherbrooke and UQÀM.

Catherine has also served on several boards of directors: the Quebec Action Fund for Sustainable Development (2019 to 2021), the Maison du développement durable (2016 to 2017), the Association of Environmental Organizations in Energy (2013 to 2016), and ENvironnement JEUnesse (2013 to 2016).

Her commitment has earned her the Medal of the National Assembly and the Tribute to Women in the Environment award from the Network of Women in the Environment.

Additionally, Catherine is passionate about forest and sea expeditions, Atlantic puffins, and bread.