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Scholar honoured with Western’s Climate and Sustainability Award
By Manreet Birdi
Nicole Redvers, DPhil, is being recognized for her leadership in planetary health
By Manreet Birdi
Nicole Redvers, DPhil, whose work is helping shape global conversations on planetary health, is being recognized with a Climate and Sustainability Award from Western University for advancing Indigenous-led approaches to health and well-being.
The Climate and Sustainability Awards recognize students, researchers and community members whose work is helping to build a more sustainable future. From advancing clean-energy technologies and reducing campus waste to shaping global conversations on planetary health, this year’s recipients are driving meaningful environmental change at Western and beyond.
“We’re so inspired to see the unique and impactful contributions made by members of our campus community to advance sustainability in meaningful ways,” said Heather Hyde, Western’s director of sustainability.
“This year’s Climate and Sustainability Award recipients represent the best of sustainability at Western – they are tackling everyday challenges with innovative ideas and encouraging others to do the same.”
Redvers received her award at a special event on March 11. (Brandon Watson/Western Sustainability)
For Redvers, advancing planetary health means bringing together knowledge systems to better understand and care for the Earth and the communities that depend on it.
An associate professor in epidemiology and biostatistics, member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation (NWT) and a global leader in Indigenous planetary health, Redvers’ work bridges Indigenous knowledge and scientific research to address some of the most pressing environmental and health challenges of our time.
Her scholarship and policy leadership span international platforms including the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), where she serves as coordinating lead author for the health and well-being chapter in the organization’s next assessment cycle.
“From an Indigenous perspective, planetary health is about how we live in a good way on the Earth for generations to come,” said Redvers. “It’s a holistic understanding that considers not only human health, but our relationships with the land, our communities and our non-human relatives.”
Redvers was first drawn to this work after witnessing the growing impacts of climate change in her home region in the Northwest Territories, including wildfires, permafrost melt and changing seasonal patterns.
“Unless people from those regions are at the decision-making tables, it becomes very difficult for those voices to be heard,” she said. “Part of my work has been helping ensure those perspectives are included in global conversations.”
Through her research, mentorship and policy engagement, Redvers is helping shape a growing international movement focused on solutions that promote environmental stewardship, health equity and sustainable futures.
“Young people give me the most hope,” she said. “They care deeply about these issues and are willing to step up and drive this work forward.”