John D. Coyne

John Coyne is well known for his leadership in corporate sustainability, advocating with industry groups and other organizations to promote environmental, social, and corporate governance; the circular economy; and climate-related initiatives as essential features of corporate strategy.

Mr. Coyne is Executive Chair of the Board of Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance, Inc. and is the Director of Evergreen. He is also the Co-Chair of the Partners in Project Green steering committee, a collaborative environmental initiative of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority. He is a director of the Look Good Feel Better Foundation and a director of ALUS, which is devoted to extending nature-based solutions on Canada’s vast agricultural lands. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.

For more than a decade, John was a passionate activator of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan and the Compass, Unilever’s strategy to grow the business, reduce its environmental footprint, and increase its positive contribution to society. John was also one of the founding Co-Chairs of the Circular Economy Leadership Coalition launched in 2018 to accelerate Canada’s transition to a circular economy.

Mr. Coyne has been recognized for his leadership in corporate sustainability ― he was named a Clean 50 honouree in 2013 and a Clean 16 honouree in 2018. From 2015 to 2017, he served as a member of the Ontario Government’s Climate Action Group advising the Ontario Minister of the Environment on effective climate change actions. In 2018, John was honoured to receive the Canadian General Counsel Award for Environmental, Social and Governance Leadership. In addition, in 2018, he was appointed to the federal Plastics Advisory group advising Canada’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change on issues relating to plastics and the implementation of the Ocean Plastics Charter. In April 2020, Mr. Coyne was appointed to the Council of Canadian Academies’ Expert Panel on the Circular Economy in Canada.

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