Rick Smith has been President of the Canadian Climate Institute since 2021. He has spent 25 years leading organizations dedicated to improving public policy through the creation and communication of the best research and evidence. Rick has played a key role in the creation of many important new laws including Ontario’s Greenbelt, and Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan and Consumer Product Safety Act. Rick is a noted expert on the human health effects of pollution and has co-authored two books on the topic, including the international best-seller Slow Death by Rubber Duck. He holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Guelph and lives in east end Toronto.