Karen Hamberg

Vice President, Strategy Westport Fuel Systems

  • Vancouver BC

Clean-technology and clean transportation executive

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Biography

Ms. Hamberg joined Westport Innovations in 2001 and was appointed Vice President, Sustainable Energy Futures in 2012 and Vice-President, Strategy in 2013. Westport is the leading global supplier of technologies that enable engines to operate on clean-burning, low-carbon fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG). Karen’s current portfolio includes responsibilities for Corporate Strategy, Market and Competitive Intelligence, Sustainability and Environmental Performance, Regulatory Affairs, and Advocacy.

Karen has recently completed a secondment to the National Petroleum Council’s Advancing Technology for America’s Transportation Fuels Study for the U.S. Department of Energy. The Study was approved and released in August 2012 and delivers a report of fuel and vehicle prospects through 2050. It addresses fuel demand, supply, infrastructure and technology in the context of U.S. objectives to protect the environment, promote economic growth and competiveness and support energy security. She was a member of four Study teams including natural gas engines and vehicles, greenhouse gas emission reductions, heavy-duty engines and vehicles and report integration.

Karen is also Chair of the Board of Directors of Calstart in Pasadena, California and a Board Member of the Van Horne Institute at the University of Calgary. She has been named to Canada’s Clean 50™ for 2017 for her contributions to advance sustainability and clean capitalism. Karen is a recipient of the United Way of the Lower Mainland President's Award of Distinction for her exceptional community service.

Industry Expertise

Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
Cleantech
Energy

Areas of Expertise

Clean Tech
Alternative Fuels for Transportation
Clean Fuels Policy
Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector
Heavy-Duty Transportation
Lifecycle GHG Analysis
Challenge of Energy Transitions
Natural Gas as A Transportation Fuel
Natural Gas Vehicles
Renewable Natural Gas
Fuel Economy Regulations

Accomplishments

United Way of the Lower Mainland President's Award of Distinction

2017-02-21

The President’s Award of Distinction is the United Way’s most prestigious Spirit Award and honours individuals or organizations for their extraordinary service and commitment to helping build stronger communities.

Canada's Clean50 2017

2016-09-21

Canada’s prestigious Clean50 Awards are announced annually by Delta Management Group and the Clean50 to recognize those 50 individuals or small teams, from 16 different categories, who have done the most to advance the cause of sustainability and clean capitalism in Canada over the past two years.

Education

Queen's University

Master of Arts

Geography and Environmental Studies

1995

Brandon University

Bachelor of Arts

Geography

1993

Affiliations

  • Chair of the Board of Directors of Calstart
  • Board Member Van Horne Institute at the University of Calgary
  • United Way of the Lower Mainland Campaign Cabinet

Media Appearances

‘Extremely disappointing:’ clean tech firms hit hard by U.S. withdrawal from Paris climate accord

Financial Post  print

2017-06-01

CALGARY – Canadian clean-technology companies said it’s “extremely disappointing” that U.S. President Donald Trump will withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement, but believe state-level green legislation still represents an opportunity.

Stock prices at domestic clean-tech companies plunged this week amid reports Trump would take the U.S., the world’s second largest emitter and Canada’s largest trading partner, out of the Paris Accord to reduce pollution.

“In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord but begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction,” Trump confirmed at a White House press conference Thursday. He said the withdrawal from the agreement was a reaffirmation of U.S. sovereignty.

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Road Fleets Demand More Sustainable, Low-Carbon Fuels for Freight

Business for Social Responsibility  print

2017-05-16

Santa Monica, Calif., May 16, 2017 /3BL Media/ – Companies including several of the world’s largest road fleets and freight buyers have signed onto BSR’s new Sustainable Fuel Buyers’ Principles, committing to accelerating the transition to sustainable, low-carbon fuel and related technologies. Launched at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2017, the seven principles will demonstrate demand and catalyze the partnerships needed to drive a sustainable transition in the freight fuel system by focusing on three areas: building the market for low-carbon fuels, managing sustainable progress, and developing partnerships and collaborations for systemic solutions.

Buyers and shippers who support the principles seek business partners who can help to:

Support low-carbon, sustainable fuel choices

Demonstrate competitiveness

Advance investment, pilots, and standardization

Measurably improve well-to-wheels climate impacts

Address other relevant sustainability impacts and benefits

Invest in R&D breakthroughs

Collaborate for systemic solutions

“Shifting the heavy-duty freight sector to low-carbon alternative fuel and vehicle technologies that deliver comparable performance, fuel efficiency, and environmental benefits is needed to achieve the emission reduction targets set by the Paris Agreement, “ says Karen Hamberg, Vice-President, Strategy at Westport, a Future of Fuels member. “Signatories to the Principles are providing a critical market signal to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and clean-technology solutions providers like Westport Fuel Systems that leading fleets see an investment in low-carbon fuels as the path forward and will drive the commercial availability of a wider range of alternative fuel and vehicle technologies suitable for a diverse heavy-duty freight sector.”

The Sustainable Fuel Buyers’ Principles were developed by BSR’s Future of Fuels, a business-to-business fuel- neutral group focused on lifecycle energy sustainability. The mission of Future of Fuels is to drive a sustainable transition to low-carbon commercial road freight with new tools, convenings, and partnerships. The principles complement the Fuel Sustainability Tool (available free) developed last year as the world’s first apples-to-apples way to compare emissions reductions from investments in efficiency and the advanced fuel technologies entering the market.

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Canada’s CEOs are optimistic on economy, but not hot on Trump

The Globe and Mail  print

2017-04-10

It’s the lack of clear detail on Mr. Trump’s policies so far that’s throwing off some executives. “On key files, we’re seeing a significant degree of unpredictability and uncertainty,” says Karen Hamberg, vice-president of strategy at Westport Innovations Inc., a low-emission engine and fuel-system company in Vancouver.

This extends to the Trump administration’s protectionist bent. Just over three-quarters of executives surveyed in the first quarter of this year agree global trade levels could decline under Trump . And only 15 per cent of leaders believed the administration was performing well with its trade policy.

“Isolationism generally leads to, maybe not a reduction in trade, but certainly will dampen any increase in trade that would occur when free trade takes place,” said John Simmons, CEO of Victoria’s Carmanah Technologies Corp., a solar technology company.

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