Naolo Charles

Naolo Charles’ journey into environmental justice began in the aftermath of the 2005 Probo Koala toxic waste disaster in Côte d’Ivoire, his country of origin.

At the time an international student living in Montreal, the tragedy sparked a deep determination to understand the political, economic, and cultural systems driving global environmental injustice. This path eventually led him to complete a Master’s degree in Environment in 2012, specializing in life-cycle thinking and the social and environmental impacts of consumer products.

In 2013, Naolo carried out an environmental mandate for the Quebec Ministry of International Relations in Chicago with the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

After relocating to Toronto, Naolo began working within Canada’s philanthropic and institutional funding systems. From 2015 to 2016, he served at the Ontario Trillium Foundation, contributing to the launch of the Foundation’s Collective Impact funding program. He later completed international development mandates in Rwanda and Senegal, supporting an organization mentoring some of Africa’s most promising young mathematicians. Returning to Canada in 2017, he worked as a Knowledge Broker at York University (2017–2019), helping bridge academic research and public policy with a focus on migrant integration and settlement.

In 2019, Naolo founded the Black Environmental Initiative (BEI) to advance Black leadership in environmental and climate action. He later co-founded the Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice (CCECJ), contributing to advocacy efforts that helped advance Canada’s first environmental justice legislation.

Faced with the challenges of securing sustainable philanthropic support for BEI, Naolo ironically returned to the philanthropic sector, where he worked with two major foundations between 2021 and the end of 2025, helping secure significant financial support for underfunded community organizations across the country.

Beyond his institutional roles, Naolo has worked to expand Black leadership within global environmental and climate spaces, including organizing the first Black Canadian youth delegation to the United Nations Climate Conference (COP). Through BEI, he continues to develop community-rooted models of environmental action centered on systems transformation, land stewardship, and environmental justice.

Naolo is a recipient of the Clean50 Award, recognizing leaders advancing sustainability and climate solutions in Canada.