Corporate Knights reveals Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders

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Apr 01, 2015, 08:00 ET

TORONTO, April 1, 2015 /CNW/ - Corporate Knights, the premier business and sustainability magazine in North America, congratulates those individuals who made it onto our Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders list. Profiles of each appear in the just-released Spring Issue of Corporate Knights, which can be found as an insert in today's Globe and Mail or downloaded from corporateknights.com.

Today's teenagers and young adults, a demographic cohort referred to as the Millennial Generation, make up roughly 25 per cent of the North American population and an estimated 2.5 billion global citizens. Arguably the largest living generation since the Baby Boomers, the economic and political influence of Millennials is growing as they enter or move through the workforce toward their peak spending years. Right behind them is Generation Z, the impact of which we're just beginning to see.

For both, the Internet is an appendage, climate change is a nagging reality, mobility is just the way things are, and the weight of the future is on their shoulders. It's for this reason the United Nations says youth from around the world must be an active part of all levels of decision-making related to sustainable development. "It affects their lives today and has implications for their futures," the global agency says.

Corporate Knights, with sponsorship support from paper-products manufacturer Kruger Products, today shines a light on Canadian youth who have already demonstrated themselves as leaders of sustainable development. Our Top 30 Under 30 list is an impressive collection of young entrepreneurs, activists, corporate professionals and students eager to make our world a better place.

"It was so inspiring to oversee this project," said Corporate Knights editor-in-chief Tyler Hamilton, one of five who contributed to the judging process. "Youth is a strong theme in our spring issue, with a big focus on Millennials. We can learn something from the confidence and optimism of these young adults, as well as the values they bring to the table."

Find the Top 30 Under 30 breakdown online at corporateknights.com/channels/leadership

The other four judges were:

Vicky Sharpe, former CEO of Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Scott Vaughn, president and CEO of the International Institute for Sustainable Development
Steve Sage, vice-president of sustainability and innovation at Kruger Products
Brad Zarnett, founder and director at Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series

Millennials are a "largely untapped political force" in Canada, says Abacus Data. "Strengthened by social networking tools and an almost immediate access to information, if and when Canadian Millennials are ignited to act the impact will be huge."

Also in the spring issue of Corporate Knights:

Your Kids, The Influencers by award-winning journalist John Lorinc looks at how companies are by-passing expensive sports stars and celebrities and instead recruiting "teen influencers" with huge social media followings as their marketing mules.
Cola Kids Need a Fix by contributing editor Roberta Staley looks at rising rates of childhood obesity, gum disease and tooth rot in El Salvador, where soft drinks are cheaper and more popular than water and dental care is too expensive or lacking.
How to Make a Killing Shorting Coal Companies by managing editor Jeremy Runnalls profiles Goldman Sachs' former risk chief, Bob Litterman, who has figured out how to make money by betting against fossil fuel companies.

Also in the spring issue, Jane Goodall writes about how her institute, through its Roots & Shoots program, is working to get youth more engaged in their communities – and why this is more important than ever.

Founded in 2002, Corporate Knights Inc. is a Toronto-based media, research and financial products company focused on clean capitalism. Canada's "Magazine of the Year" in 2014, Corporate Knights is the premier publication focused on the intersection of business, economy and sustainability.

SOURCE Corporate Knights Inc.

Image with caption: "The spring issue of Corporate Knights, released April 1, features the Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders list, a collection of teens and young adults who are motivated to make the world a better place (CNW Group/Corporate Knights Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150401_C4734_PHOTO_EN_13706.jpg

Image with caption: "Youth is the dominant theme in the spring issue of Corporate Knights, released on April 1. The issue features the Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders list, and our second-annual Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leaders in Canada ranking. (CNW Group/Corporate Knights Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150401_C4734_PHOTO_EN_13707.jpg