Two York University alumni are among Canada’s 2025 Clean50 leaders for their innovative and lasting contributions to environmental impact and climate action.
Each year, the Clean50 Awards celebrate 50 individuals from across Canada whose work over the previous two years has created measurable progress toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. Honourees represent diverse sectors, including business, academia, government and advocacy, and are selected for accomplishments that drive meaningful environmental change. The awards also include Lifetime Achievement and Emerging Leader categories, recognizing individuals for career-long or early-stage impact in sustainability.
This year, two York University alumni have earned recognition, reflecting the University’s continued leadership in preparing graduates who create lasting environmental impact across industries and communities.
From zero-waste brewing to sustainability education, York alumni are shaping Canada’s green future.
Alexis Esseltine, MES '11
Esseltine was named to Canada’s Clean50 for 2025 in the Retail & Consumer Products category for her impact as president of British Columbia’s Tin Whistle Brewing Co., which has seen her turn the operation into a carbon-neutral, zero-waste brewery.
Since taking ownership in 2020, she has reduced total emissions by 25 per cent while quadrupling beer production, achieving an 81 per cent emissions reduction per litre of beer brewed. Under her leadership, the brewery eliminated more than 11,800 kilograms of landfill waste, reused more than 13,700 plastic can carriers and found creative uses for beverage by-products – such as sake kasu and winery waste – by incorporating them into new beers. Tin Whistle also collaborates with Okanagan College on sustainability projects focused on spent-grain recycling, water reuse and algae-based carbon offsetting.
The awards committee commended Esseltine for transforming the beer company into “a nimble, sustainability-led market leader," spotlighting her commitment as a small business to lead on climate action and demonstrate that sustainability and growth can thrive together.
Kathryn Cooper, MEd '10
The Clean50 committee honoured Cooper with a Lifetime Achievement Award for “blending practical skill-building with ethical leadership, preparing graduates to shape organizations, communities and the broader field of sustainability.”
An educator and advocate for sustainability, Cooper has dedicated her career to developing the next generation of environmental leaders. As program manager of social responsibility and sustainability at the University of Toronto’s St. Michael’s College, she leads the post-graduate Diploma in Sustainability and Social Responsibility and the Social Impact Measurement Professional Certificate. The award committee noted that under her guidance, enrolment has nearly tripled since 2016, while the number of expert mentors has grown by more than 300 per cent.
Beyond her academic leadership, Cooper serves as president and chief learning officer of the Sustainability Learning Centre, a national hub for training and knowledge sharing that helps organizations implement sustainable practices and develop “whole employee engagement” in eco-efficiency and restorative design.
Together, Esseltine and Cooper exemplify the leadership in sustainability that York University fosters in its students and alumni – turning education, innovation and collaboration into meaningful action for a cleaner, more sustainable future.
To learn more about the Clean50 Awards and this year’s honourees, visit clean50.com.