Email: lisa@resilientllp.com
Phone: +1 647 991 1190

Lisa (Elisabeth) DeMarco

Senior Partner and CEO

PROFILE

Lisa DeMarco is a Senior Partner and CEO of Resilient LLP, with nearly three decades of experience in law, regulation, policy, and advocacy relating to energy and climate change.  Ms. DeMarco was previously a partner at Macleod Dixon LLP from 2002 to 2012, partner at Norton Rose Canada LLP from 2012 to 2013 and partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP from 2013 to 2014.  She represents several governments and leading energy companies in a wide variety of natural gas, electricity, pipeline and energy storage matters before various regulatory agencies, including the OEB and the National Energy Board.  She has been an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, is a guest lecturer at a number of law schools, and presents regularly.

Ms. DeMarco also assists leading Canadian energy companies and Indigenous business organizations on domestic and overseas power project development, renewable power projects, alternative fuel projects, cleantech development and finance, energy storage, carbon capture and storage, corporate social responsibility, environmental disclosure, clean energy finance, and sustainable business strategy. Ms. DeMarco has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating a variety of power purchase agreements and bundled and unbundled REC, offset, and green energy agreements.

She is ranked by Chambers Global as one of the world’s leading climate change lawyers and regularly attends and advises on related United Nations negotiations.  She is ranked and repeatedly recommended by LEXpert, Expert Guide, International Who’s Who, and Chambers Canada as a leading energy (oil, gas, and electricity) and environment lawyer.  Ms. DeMarco has worked for multilateral development banks and energy companies on deals and projects in India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Argentina, Chile, Ireland, Africa, Mexico, China, Russia, California, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, and Québec.  She plays an ongoing and active role in the development and drafting of energy and greenhouse gas emissions policy, regulation, and law throughout Canada, and in various countries around the world.  She was also lead counsel on all aspects of the successful sale of an Ontario power distribution company to Hydro One. Lisa was an appointed member of Ontario Premier’s Climate Change Advisory Panel, Clean Energy Task Force, and Climate Action Group.

Ms. DeMarco is a director of the boards of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA),  MaRS Climate Innovation Board, and Planetary Technologies. She is a member of the Climate Economy Strategic Council and of the Expert Advisory Group of Voluntary Carbon Market Integrity initiative (VCMI). She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (BSc Hon. – 1990), the University of Toronto (MSc. – 1992), Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (LLB – 1995) and the Vermont Law School (MSEL, summa cum laude – 1995) and is called to the bar in England and Ontario.

BAR ADMISSIONS​

England and Wales, 2012

Ontario, 1997

EDUCATION

• Institute of Corporate Directors

• Masters of Studies in International Environmental Law (MSEL) – Vermont Law School, 1995, summa cum laude.

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) – Osgoode Hall Law School, 1995.

• Master of Science, Environmental Toxicology – University of Toronto, 1992.

• Bachelor of Science (Hon.), Human and Environmental Biology – Western University, 1990.

RANKINGS AND RECOGNITIONS​

• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2024 – Consistently Recommended (Energy [Electricity][Oil & Gas]); Repeatedly Recommended (Environmental Law).

• Chambers Canada 2024: Nationwide – Environment.
• The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024 – Environmental Law, Energy Regulatory Law, and Energy Law.
• Chambers Canada 2023: Nationwide – Environment.

• Who’s Who Legal: Environment 2022 – “Global Elite Thought Leader” in Climate Change Law.
• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2022 – Consistently Recommended (Energy [Electricity][Oil & Gas]).

• The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021 – Environmental Law.

• Who’s Who Legal: Environment 2021 – Climate Change.

• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2021 – Consistently Recommended (Energy [Electricity][Oil & Gas]); Repeatedly Recommended (Environmental Law).

• Chambers Global 2021: Global-wide – Climate Change.

• Chambers Canada 2021: Nationwide – Environment.

• The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021 – Environmental Law.

• Women in Business Law Expert Guide 2020 – “a leading  Energy and Natural Resources practitioner in Canada”.

• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2020 – Consistently Recommended (Energy [Oil & Gas]); Repeatedly Recommended (Environmental Law & Energy [Electricity]).

• The Best Lawyers in Canada 2020 – Environmental Law.

• Women in Business Law, 9th Edition – “a leading practitioner in the Energy and Natural Resources field”.

• Lexpert Zenith Awards 2019 – Celebrating Change Agents in Law.

• The Best Lawyers in Canada 2019 – Environmental Law.

• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2019 – Consistently Recommended (Energy [Oil & Gas]); Repeatedly Recommended (Energy [Electricity]).

• Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders Global Elite –  Environment: Climate Change, 2018.

• Lawyer Monthly 2018 Women in Law Award.

• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2017 – ranked as Consistently Recommended – Energy (Oil & Gas).

• Who’s Who Legal: Environment 2017

• Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2016: Energy: Power (Regulatory); Climate Change.

• Chambers Global: Globalwide – Climate Change – “a technically excellent transactional lawyer” who provides “creative, cross border thinking” – “she owns this space” – Chambers Canada – Environment – “a leading environmental lawyer in Canada”.

• Who’s Who Legal:  Environment 2016.

• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2016 – ranked as Consistently Recommended – Energy (Oil & Gas).

• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2016 – ranked as Repeatedly Recommended – Energy (Electricity).

• Lexpert:  Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Boarder Corporate Lawyers in Canada, 2016.

• Women in Business Law, 6th Edition, The Legal Media Group, August 2016.

• Lexpert:  Canada’s Leading Energy Lawyers, 2015.

• Expert Guides to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law – Energy and Natural Resources.

• The International Who’s Who of Environment Lawyers, 2012-2015.

• Lexpert, Top 40 Under 40.

RECENT MEDIA​

• CBA National – Quoted in “Aligning climate and trade”, June 15, 2020

• CBC Radio – The House with Chris Hall, February 16, 2019

• The Agenda with Steve Paikin, “A Heated Legal Climate in Energy”, September 11, 2018.

• “Diplomats Confront New Threat to Paris Climate Pact: Donald Trump” by Coral Davenport, The New York Times, November 18, 2016. (Link)

• “Carbon-Market Negotiators Delay Talks Amid UN Governance Tension” by Mathew Carr, Bloomberg, November 18, 2016.

• The Agenda with Steve Paikin, “Heated about Hydro”, January 7, 2016. (Link)

• Paris COP21 negotiations quoted in Carbon Pulse, Business Europe and various other published media.

• The Agenda with Steve Paikin, “Cap and Trade in Ontario”, January 28, 2015. (Link)

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS​

• Moderator, Carbon Unbound West Coast – Session “Growth-Stage Woes: Raising Capital and How to Choose the Perfect Scaling Partners”, San Francisco, October 24, 2024
• Moderator, Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-17) Conference – Session “Navigating Carbon Markets, Removals and Carbon Capture: State of Play and Outlooks”, Calgary, October 22, 2024
• Moderator, 2024 Energy Storage Canada Conference – Session “The Energy Storage Decade – Global Perspectives”, Toronto, October 8, 2024
• Speaker, North America Climate Summit (NACS) 2024 – Session “Top 40 in VCM – Ranking the countries reshaping global climate action”, New York City, September 25, 2024
• Speaker, North America Climate Summit (NACS) 2024 – Plenary “Climate Crossroads: Where Action, Carbon Markets, and Geopolitics Intersect”, New York City, September 25, 2024
• Moderator, Innovate4Climate (I4C) Conference 2024 Session – “Deconstructing the legal nature of voluntary carbon credits”, Berlin, September 12, 2024
• Speaker, Innovate4Climate (I4C) Conference 2024 Session – “Emissions trading and the road to net zero”, Berlin, September 11, 2024
• Speaker, Carbon Forward North America 2024 Session – “Article 6: COP confidential”, Toronto, June 12, 2024
• Moderator, Carbon Forward North America 2024 Session – “Carbon pricing from coast to coast”, Toronto, June 11, 2024
• Panelist, North American Carbon World (NACW) Session – “COP28: Accomplishments, Failures and the Path Forward”, San Francisco, March 21, 2024
• Panelist, North American Carbon World (NACW) Plenary – “COP and Markets – Road through Baku and Beyond”, San Francisco, March 21, 2024
• Moderator, GLOBE Forum Panel – “Authentically Green: Strategies for Proactive Sustainability Action”, Vancouver, February 15, 2024
• Moderator, UNFCCC COP28 Panel – “Impactful Climate Policy – Alberta’s Carbon Pricing and Emissions Trading System”, presented by Government of Alberta, Dubai, UAE, December 5, 2023
• Panelist, UNFCCC COP28 Panel – “Towards a robust global carbon market: addressing Leakage and Linkage”, presented by International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Dubai, UAE, December 5, 2023
• Panelist, UNFCCC COP28 Panel – “Unlocking Innovation to Lead in the Energy Transition”, presented by Dynamo Hub Energy, Dubai, UAE, December 5, 2023
• Panelist, UNFCCC COP28 Panel – “The state of the Article 6 negotiations: What remains to be done to unlock engagement in 2024”, presented by International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), Dubai, UAE, December 2, 2023
• Speaker, UNFCCC COP28 Panel – “Synergies Unleashed: Bridging Article 6, VCM, and Exchange Dynamics for a Sustainable Future”, presented by AirCarbon Exchange (ACX), Dubai, UAE, December 2, 2023
• Moderator, ESC Conference 2023 – Charging Net Zero with Energy Storage, Toronto, October 3, 2023
• Panelist, New York Climate Week, Panel presented by CTrees – “Mitigating Risks in Nature-based Solutions”, New York, September 21, 2023
• Speaker, North America Climate Summit (NACS) 2023 Side Event – “Potential for Linking New York Cap & Invest with Other Programs, Existing and Emerging”, New York, September 20, 2023
• Moderator, North America Climate Summit (NACS) 2023 Plenary – “Net Zero to Net Negative: Navigating the Carbon Removals Landscape and Marketplace”, New York, September 19, 2023
• Speaker, The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law Institute – “Navigating climate change and the quest for energy security through carbon markets and climate finance”, Salt Lake City, Utah, July 20, 2023
• Moderator, Innovate4Climate Conference Panel – “Unlocking the Full Potential of Innovative Marine CDR Through Robust MRV, Bilbao, Spain, May 24, 2023
• Speaker, Innovate4Climate Conference Launch Event – “2023 Greenhouse Gas Market Sentiment Survey Report”, Bilbao, Spain, May 24, 2023
• Speaker, Innovate4Climate Conference Panel – “Financing the Coal Transition”, Bilbao, Spain, May 24, 2023
• Panelist, CAMPUT 2023 Conference – “New Game, New Rules”, Toronto, May 9, 2023
• Speaker, Passive House Canada (PHC) Conference – “In the face of Electrification: Opportunities and Challenges”, Hamilton, Canada, May 8, 2023
• Moderator, 16th Special Institute on International Mining and Energy Law, Development and Investment – “Greenwashing, Causation and Collusion – Climate Change Claims and Litigation in the Spotlight”, Mexico City, April 21, 2023
• Panelist, World Bank Group – IMF Spring Meetings – “Enabling Private Investment through Carbon Markets”, Washington D.C., April 12, 2023
• Panelist, North American Carbon World (NACW) Conference – “Updates on North American National Climate Policy”, Anaheim, March 22, 2023
• Moderator, North American Carbon World (NACW) Conference – “Outcomes from Negotiations at COP27 and Expectations for COP28”, Anaheim, March 22, 2023
• Speaker, BITS & BYTES Session#13-2023 – “Deepen Your Carbon Credit Knowledge”, Toronto, February 15, 2023 (Link)
• Moderator, World Bank Roundtable – “Defining the Legal Nature and Regulation of Carbon Markets”; Washington DC, November 30, 2022
• Speaker, Climate Economy Summit Panel – “Insights from COP27”, hosted by Toronto Region Board of Trade, Toronto, November 24, 2022
• Panelist, UNFCCC COP27 Panel – “Frontiers in Carbon Pricing”, hosted by the Harvard Project on Climate Agreements, Sharm El Sheikh Egypt, November 16, 2022
• Panelist, UNFCCC COP27 Panel – “Lessons from the VCM for Article 6”, hosted by Singapore Prime Minister’s Office, Sharm El Sheikh Egypt, November 16, 2022
• Speaker, UNFCCC COP27 event presented by MaRS Discovery District – “Innovative approaches to accelerating climate tech adoption”, Sharm El Sheikh Egypt, November 8, 2022
• Chair, Energy and Mines Summit 2022 – “Navigating Carbon Offsets for Mines”, Toronto, November 2, 2022
• Panelist, ESC Conference 2022 – “Accelerating Canada’s Energy Transition”, Toronto, October 11, 2022
• Moderator, North America Climate Summit (NACS) 2022 Panel – “Financial Institutions, Net Zero and Carbon Markets”, New York City, September 22, 2022

• Moderator, North America Climate Summit (NACS) 2022 Plenary – “In Conversation With Catherine McKenna & Catherine Stewart”, New York City, September 21, 2022
• Speaker, Innovative 4 Climate 2022 Workshop, AirCarbon Exchange Panel – “Is Blockchain/DeFi the Future for Carbon Credits?”, May 25, 2022
• Speaker, North American Carbon World (NACW) Conference – “Article 6 Rulebook: Next Steps and Future Expectations”, Anaheim, April 8, 2022
• Speaker, North American Carbon World (NACW) Conference – “From Glasgow to Sharm El-Sheikh: International Climate Action and Outlooks”, Anaheim, April 8, 2022
• Moderator, GLOBE Forum 2022 – The Great Carbon Pricing Debate: Not “Whether” but  “How”, March 29, 2022
• Keynote speaker, International Carbon Action Patnership (ICAP) webinar series ETS for Policy Practitioners session “Legal Implementation of Emissions Trading”, February 9, 2022
• Panelist, ICROA Webinar – “ICROA Debrief on Article 6 & the Voluntary Carbon Market”, January 26, 2022
• Speaker, APPrO 2021 The Electric Future 33rd Annual Canadian Power Conference – “Putting Ontario’s Carbon Pricing in Context”, November 30, 2021
• Speaker, COP26 IETA Side Event – “The Americas Deep Dive”, Glasgow , November 10, 2021
• Speaker, COP26 Carbon Finance Lab/ IETA Side Event – “Digital Carbon Declarations for Products and Services Revealed: From Consumers to CBAM’s”, Glasgow, November 9, 2021
• Speaker, COP26 IETA Side Event – “What Business Wants from Article 6”, Glasgow, November 5, 2021
• Panelist, COP26 American Carbon Registry CCS Panel – “All Tools in the Net Zero Toolbox: Opportunities and Challenges for Scaling CCUS”, Glasgow, November 5, 2021
• Moderator, ICC COP26 Conference – “NETs/CDR Panel Discussion”, November 3, 2021
• Panelist, Energy Storage Canada Conference –  “Achieving Net Zero with Energy Storage”, September 29, 2021
• Panelist, OEA Conference – “Role of Agencies: OEB & IESO”, September 27, 2021
• Moderator, IETA’s North America Climate Summit – “Plenary: Markets & Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)/ Direct Air Capture (DAC)”, September 22, 2021
• Moderator, 16th ICC New York Conference on International Arbitration – “Taking the Temperature on ESG Disputes”, September 22, 2021
• Speaker, IETA Live Carbon Markets Series – Article 6: “Has the Ministerial Engagement Moved Negotiations Forward?”, July 29, 2021
• Speaker, Public Policy Forum Panel – “Towards a National Adaptation Strategy for Canada”, June 16, 2021
• Moderator, Innovative 4 Climate 2021 Workshop – “The Essential Role of Negative Emissions Technologies in Getting to Net-Zero”, May 26, 2021
• Speaker, Canada Climate Law Initiative and the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Lecture – “Climate Risk Disclosure: What does it mean for Saskatchewan Businesses?”, May 18, 2021
• Moderator, CBA Environmental, Energy & Resources Law Summit – “Carbon Pricing and Other Climate Change-Related Litigation”, May 6, 2021
• Speaker, North American Carbon World (NACW) Conference – “Plenary: State of the North American Carbon World: Are We Really Prepared to Create a Low/ No Carbon World?”, April 22, 2021
• Speaker, GLOBE Capital 2021 – “Investing in Resilience”, April 15, 2021
• Moderator, OEA Speaker Series Webinar – “Integration of Carbon and  Energy Markets”, January 22, 2021
• Panelist, Canada Climate Law Initiative Webinar – “Helping audit committees navigate the changing climate governance landscape”, January 13, 2021
• Speaker Panelist, British Institute for International and Comparative Law Webinar – “Emissions Trading: International Law and Dispute Resolution”, November 18, 2020
• Moderator & Introductory Remarks, IETA & ICC Webinar “Article 6 of the Paris Agreement – What is it and Why is it Important for Business”, November 5, 2020
• Panelist, Global Conference on Environmental Taxation – “The Fate of Canada’s Carbon Pricing Framework: In the Hands of the Supreme Court of Canada”, September 25, 2020
• Expert Commentator, Corporate Knights: “Building Back Better by Topping Up our Green Power Sources, Storage and Connections”, April 29, 2020
• Panelist, GLOBE 2020 Canada Climate Law Initiative – “Bracing for the Storm: Climate Litigation Risk”,  Vancouver, February 13, 2020
• Panelist, GLOBE 2020 – “Climate Inaction on Trial: The Future of Litigation, Youth Advocacy and Industry Response”, Vancouver, February 11, 2020
• Moderator, GLOBE 2020 IETA Forum – “Climate Action, Trade and Markets: Today’s Realities & Challenges”, Vancouver, February 10, 2020
• Panelist, Climate Finance Cleantech Global Workshop – “Low Carbon Economy 2.0: Expert Advice”, Toronto, January 16, 2020
• Panelist, UNFCCC, COP25, Madrid, Spain – International Carbon Action Partnership/International Emissions Trading Association/World Bank Panel – “Meeting NDC’s through carbon pricing: State of play and updates from key jurisdictions”, December 4, 2019
• Panelist, Ontario Association for Impact Assessment Annual Conference – “The Expert Panel: Dialogue Toward a Low Carbon Future”, Toronto, October 30, 2019
• Moderator, Energy Storage in Canada – “Markets and Regulators: Frameworks on the Move”, October 2, 2019.
• Panelist, Green Climate Fund Event – “Role of and Challenges for International Financial Institutions and Other Institutional Investors in Climate Finance”, Seoul, September 26, 2019
• Panelist, IBA Annual Conference – “Climate change law in an increasingly (bi)polarised world” Seoul, September 23, 2019
• Panelist, Clean Energy Ministerial – 10 – “Fire-Side” Discussion: Today’s Realities & Challenges: Climate Action, Trade and Markets, Vancouver, May 28, 2019
• Panelist, Carbon Pricing For Canadian Industry – “Pan-Canadian Carbon Regulations: What Industry Needs to Know”, Toronto, April 25, 2019.
• Speaker, World Bank Workshop, “Introduction to Private Sector Financial Instruments that could be used to Finance REDD+”, Washington, DC, March 21, 2019.
• Moderator, Carbon Pricing: A Driver of Innovation and Risk Mitigation, “Industry and Financial Sector Perspectives”, Embassy of Canada (Washington, DC), March 19, 2019.
• Moderator, Globe Capital 2019 – “The Clean Economy: Investment in Tumultuous Times”, February 27, 2019.
• Presenter,” Corporate Strategy, Long Term Investments, Acquisitions, Divestitures and the Necessity of Internal Carbon Pricing, Preferably Supported by Stable Climate Policy”, G7 2018 Strategic Dialogue of the Carbon Market Platform, Halifax.
• Panelist, Energy Storage in Canada, Powering Up – “The Great Debate: What will Drive the Future of Energy Storage: Market Revenue, Regulated Return or a Hybrid?”, September 20, 2018.
• Panelist, “Future of Capacity Building”, Global Climate Action Summit San Francisco, September 11, 2018.
• Presenter, IGUA Carbon Policy Workshop – “Status of international, continental and domestic carbon pricing”, Montreal,  August 29, 2018.
• Panelist, “Energy Transition and the Oil Sands – The Pace of Global and Local Action”, IHS Market Workshop, Toronto, May 24, 2018.
• Panelist, “The Role of Public Authorities in Energy Decision-Making – Is Canada Getting the Balance Right?”, Positive Energy conference, April 24, 2018.
• Keynote Presenter, “Putting the backstop into context for cap and trade participants”, Ontario Cap and Trade Forum, April 19, 2018.
• Panelist, Global Methane Forum: “Policy Drivers for Successful CCM Project Implementation”, April 17, 2018.
• Presenter, Ontario Mining Association Energy Committee Meeting, April 9, 2018.
• Moderator, “The 2 Degree World: The Future o Stranded Assets”, GLOBE 2018 Vancouver, March 15, 2018.
• Presenter,” Alberta and Saskatchewan Climate Policy Developments and Implications for Renewables”, Alberta and Saskatchewan Renewable Energy Finance Summit 2018, February 6, 2018.
• Moderator, “The latest moves in Carbon Markets: Issues and opportunities for generation and storage”, APPrO 2017 Conference, November 20, 2017.
• Panelist, The Pearson Centre Presents: Energy Innovation, October 26, 2017.
• Presenter, House of commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources: “Strategic Electricity Inter-ties”, October 16, 2017.
• Moderator, “New Market Forces for Transformation in the Americas”, Carbon Forum North America 2017, September 20, 2017.
• Panelist, “Changing Markets, Changing Needs”, Energy Storage Canada Conference, September 20, 2017.
• Panelist, Canadian Leadership in a New Political Climate: Raising Ambition through International Forest Partnerships, September 13, 2017.
• Panelist, Campus conference “The Responses to Utility Performance – The Role of Regulation in Encouraging/Accommodating Innovation/Technology”, May 2017.
• Panelist, Ontario Energy Challenge, “Women in Energy – Managing Innovation and Change in the Energy Sector”, June 2016.
• Moderator, Ontario Energy Challenge, “Cap and Trade – Threat or Opportunity for Ontario’s Energy System?”, June 2016.
• Moderator, Globe 2016 Conference, “The Carbon Bubble: Managing Financial Risks of Stranded Assets”, March 2016.
• “What happened at COP21?”, RBC Mindfirst Seminar, January 21, 2016. (Presentation available)
• Delivered Business and Industry Address to the Final COP Plenary, COP21 UNFCCC Negotiations, Paris, 2015. (Link)
• Moderator, COP21 UNFCCC Negotiations, IETA Side Event on Carbon Policy Around the World, Paris, 2015.
• APPrO 2015, Moderator, Climate Change and Cap and Trade Panel, November 2015.
• Ontario Bar Association, Climate Change Update, October 2015.
• Canadian Keynote, World Energy Council, Washington, D.C., October 8, 2015. (Presentation available)
• “The Changing Climate of Energy”, Canadian Energy Summit, May 26, 2015. (Presentation available)
• “Solar Policy in a Changing Climate”, CANSIA Solar Ontario, May 25, 2015. (Presentation available)
• “Energy Storage in Ontario”, APPrO Conference, November 2015 and 2014.
• “Trade and Climate Change Update”, IETA Side Event, COP20 UNFCCC Negotiations, Lima, Peru, December 2015.