Meet our Advisory Panel: Carissa Wong

Who are you? 

I am an environmental lawyer, mother, and community-level land-use planning decision-maker at an appeal body in Toronto. 

What do you see as the most important aspect of being part of the Diversity in Sustainability Advisory Panel?

I am motivated to be part of Diversity in Sustainability’s Advisory Panel because sustainability is only possible through inclusion, diversity, and pluralism.  It is essential that we learn how to have better conversations as well as build community and trust in the face of shared problems. As a member of the Advisory Panel, I am thrilled to connect with and support people who are eager to make positive change at the intersection of environmental and social justice.  

What drew you to sustainability? And how did you decide to overlap with law?

I have always loved nature, from growing up spending summer days at my Grandparents’ cottage on Georgian Bay, to now spending time with my daughter at my family’s cottage in Muskoka, Ontario.  When I was working in China and Russia on water resource management for the World Wildlife Fund over a decade ago, I became very aware of the complex legal, political, and social forces that affect environmental outcomes.  I wanted to support more equitable, socio-economically sensitive, and culturally appropriate governance of natural resources and biodiversity. 

I am interested in promoting the right to a healthy environment by applying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to support inclusion and Indigenous children’s rights in sustainable development, and using alternative dispute resolution in land use planning and environmental matters.  

What was your first job in sustainability and how did you go about finding a job in the field?  

My first job in sustainability was a summer job as a Science Camp counselor at Upper Canada College in Toronto.  I heard about this job through my personal network.  I pursued the opportunity because of my early passion for education, science, and environmental studies.  Since then, I have learned that sustainability can also be achieved through a deep understanding and respect for nature based on kinship and family, as many Indigenous worldviews prescribe.  

Why do you think diversity in sustainability is important? What has your experience been?

The field of sustainability needs human diversity because sustainability goals are premised on ensuring the diversity of life on the planet – which includes human and non-human life.  In addition, I care deeply about the natural environment in my ancestral homeland, China, as well as in Canada.  This leads itself to caring about diversity in sustainability.

“As well, the forces that challenge sustainability – including colonialism, xenophobia, and the externalization of the costs in economic production – also challenge access to justice, equity, and inclusion.”

In my own life, I have experienced situations where some people with greater privilege have appeared uncomfortable with and tended to minimize my “value proposition” and "commitment to the issues” in the environmental field. Employed to work on politically sensitive issues during this time and since, I have become even more aware of the trauma-informed nature of environmental work and the need to develop trust among diverse stakeholders to achieve environmental outcomes.  

What is trauma-informed work?

Trauma-informed work is grounded in recognizing the importance of physical, psychological, and emotional safety to build a sense of control and empowerment for those affected by an emotionally overwhelming and distressing event(s).  

“People who work in the environmental field, including lawyers, can be affected by secondary and vicarious trauma as well.  Environmental traumas can affect people regardless of one’s privilege.  ”

Do you have a mentor?  How have they helped you in your personal growth?

Throughout my career I have had, and continue to have, formal and informal mentors – including academic peers, coaches, and colleagues who help me to see opportunities, recognize my strengths, and provide guidance on how to show up best.  For example, Gary Yee, former Chair of numerous Tribunals, most recently the Toronto Licensing Tribunal, and current Advisor to Tribunals and Regulators, helped me understand how to get into the Tribunal system, and where my values, skills and experience aligned with its public interest mission. 

What has been your proudest moment to date? 

I am proudest of the work I have done across borders, ethnicities, and cultures to raise awareness and understanding on integrated water resources management and how to protect people and biodiversity. Most recently, I travelled to one of the rivers that I wrote about in WWF’s 2007 World’s Top Ten Rivers at Risk report, the Salween or Nu River, in China.  This river is at risk of infrastructure and hydropower dam development, and I video-recorded industrial development along its shores.  I am working to produce a short documentary that looks at rivers as a metaphor for environmentalism. 

My other proudest moments are watching my nearly three-year-old daughter amaze me and my husband with her strength, intelligence, and kindness, almost daily.  I love spending time with her in nature. 

What advice/quote do you most live by and why? 

“Dreams are made if only people try” by Terry Fox.   Thinking about his story always makes me teary with inspiration.  If Terry Fox can run halfway across Canada with cancer and one leg, I can do what I need to do right now.  

I also like “impatience with actions, patience with results” by Naval Ravikant.  It reminds me that success is generally non-linear and that results do not follow a directly proportional relationship to effort. 

What issues in sustainability are you most concerned about?

I am most concerned about biodiversity loss and climate change. I am especially passionate about the preservation of free-flowing rivers and freshwater biodiversity around the world.  

What development(s) have excited you most in the field? 

I am excited by the work that Diversity in Sustainability has done and is doing to push the envelope forward on this critical intersection of environment and equity and inclusion.  It is fantastic how the organization is bringing together so many people that may have felt alone with these issues to create more dialogue, curiosity and momentum in the environmental space.   

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future, and why? 

I am an optimist – for pessimistic reasons!   The oldest, most passionate environmentalists are optimists out of necessity.  

“Ultimately, the universe will continue without humans.  The is question what quality of life we want and how long our species wants to be around on this planet.  ”

What’s next for you? 

I am working to increase awareness and dialogue around key issues of environmental protection and sustainability by producing podcasts and a short documentary that sheds light on the critical role of inclusion, forgiveness, and healing in environmental action.  Down the road, I’d like to live at our cottage or a country property near a beach, with nature, for months at a time.