Skip to content
CIFAR header logo
fr
menu_mobile_logo_alt
  • Our Impact
    • Why CIFAR?
    • Impact Clusters
    • News
    • CIFAR Strategy
    • Nurturing a Resilient Earth
    • AI Impact
    • Donor Impact
    • CIFAR 40
  • Events
    • Public Events
    • Invitation-only Meetings
  • Programs
    • Research Programs
    • Pan-Canadian AI Strategy
    • Next Generation Initiatives
  • People
    • Fellows & Advisors
    • CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars
    • Canada CIFAR AI Chairs
    • AI Strategy Leadership
    • Solution Network Members
    • Leadership
    • Staff Directory
  • Support Us
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Awards
    • Partnerships
    • Publications & Reports
    • Careers
    • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
    • Statement on Institutional Neutrality
    • Research Security
  • fr
AI for Energy and the Environment

CIFAR hosts AI for Energy & the Environment Symposium

By: Kathleen Sandusky
19 Apr, 2023
April 19, 2023
Photo of meeting attendees

Hybrid workshop brought together Canadian stakeholders from across academic, government and private and philanthropic sectors to inform the next steps for the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy in the area of sustainable energy and the environment.

In March 2023, CIFAR hosted an interdisciplinary workshop that brought together researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and NGO representatives to explore opportunities for Canadian research and innovation aimed at developing AI solutions to address climate change. As one of the key strategic priorities of the second phase of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy at CIFAR, activities in the area of AI for energy and the environment (AI4E+E) will accelerate solutions that mitigate the effects of climate change, protect the environment, and deliver innovation in the sustainable energy sector.

While the event was hybrid and available to remote attendees, the event team implemented an early launch of a new CIFAR carbon offset program to mitigate the carbon load for attendees who required travel. The program officially began in April, aimed at making CIFAR carbon neutral by 2024.

The day began with a keynote from David Rolnick, a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at Mila and co-chair of the Energy & the Environment Working Group of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy at CIFAR. He was joined by Priya Donti, who with Rolnick co-founded Climate Change AI, a global non-profit that catalyzes work at the intersection of climate change and machine learning. The two outlined the findings and applications to Canada of their recent report, ​Building on Climate Change and AI: Recommendations for Government Action, which was produced by the Global Partnership on AI in collaboration with Climate Change AI and the Centre for AI & Climate.

Next came a case study from Graham Taylor, a Canada CIFAR AI Chair who is also the research director at the Vector Institute and heads the data team at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics at the University of Guelph. Taylor outlined the work of BIOSCAN, a globally accessible DNA-based system underway through an international collaboration. Aimed at accelerating species discovery, the collaboration also investigates species interactions and dynamics in the face of rapid climate change. Taylor described the crisis of biodiversity loss: “We’re burning the books at the library, without even reading them.”

Symposium attendees also heard from Martha White and Adam White, both Canada CIFAR AI Chairs at Amii, who joined remotely to explain their water treatment pilot project currently underway in the rural community of Drayton, Alberta. Using reinforcement learning, their team has created a model treatment plant with similar conditions to the real water treatment plant now in construction, developing a control system that uses AI agents to rapidly adapt to situations that might arise in a real use, such as reacting to changes to the river water clarity, disruptive weather events or malfunctioning pumping systems and infrastructure.

Finally, a panel of industry and academic experts from the Canadian AI4E&E ecosystem, including Stuart Lombard (CEO, ecobee), Humera Malik (CEO, Canvass AI) and Deval Pandya (Director of AI Engineering, the Vector Institute) discussed key challenges and opportunities for startups in this space. Among the issues discussed in the panel was the risk of “greenwashing,” particularly in the area of oil and gas, thereby further entrenching the status quo rather than pushing towards a transition away from fossil fuels.

Following the talks, all symposium attendees worked in breakout sessions, tasked with identifying gaps that they collectively face in their work to use AI applications in energy and the environment. Together they identified and prioritized key opportunities for collaboration and investment to develop and implement applications for the use of AI to address important issues related to sustainable energy and the environment.

Update June 2, 2023: A report on the symposium findings and recommendations is now available for the wider community of stakeholders and the public. The outcomes will help to inform the next steps of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy at CIFAR as we continue to advance the priority research area of AI4E+E.

  • Follow Us

Related Articles

  • Strengthening Canada’s AI talent ecosystem
    April 16, 2025
  • Looking ahead: the future of AI in Canada
    March 05, 2025
  • CIFAR funds seven high-risk, high-reward AI projects
    March 04, 2025
  • Three 2024 Nobel Laureates among CIFAR’s acclaimed community of researchers
    October 15, 2024

Support Us

The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) is a globally influential research organization proudly based in Canada. We mobilize the world’s most brilliant people across disciplines and at all career stages to advance transformative knowledge and solve humanity’s biggest problems, together. We are supported by the governments of Canada, Alberta and Québec, as well as Canadian and international foundations, individuals, corporations and partner organizations.

Donate Now
CIFAR footer logo

MaRS Centre, West Tower
661 University Ave., Suite 505
Toronto, ON M5G 1M1 Canada

Contact Us
Media
Careers
Accessibility Policies
Supporters
Financial Reports
Subscribe

  • © Copyright 2025 CIFAR. All Rights Reserved.
  • Charitable Registration Number: 11921 9251 RR0001
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap

Subscribe

Stay up to date on news & ideas from CIFAR.

Fields marked with an * are required

Je préfère m’inscrire en français (cliquez ici).


Subscribe to our CIFAR newsletters: *
    Social Security#
subscribe form

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. View our privacy policy.


As a subscriber you will also receive a digital copy of REACH, our annual magazine which highlights our researchers and their breakthroughs with long-form features, interviews and illustrations.


Please provide additional information if you would like to receive a print edition of REACH.


This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy.
Accept Learn more

Notifications