Stephen Guilbeault has announced that he is leaving the Montreal-based environmental group Équiterre, an organization he co-founded 25 years ago.
He worked as its senior director and spokesperson since 2007, after returning from Greenpeace where he worked for 10 years.
WATCH: Equiterre on oil and gas exploration
“I made the very hard decision to leave Équiterre,” he said. “Not because I don’t like working at Équiterre, not because I don’t love the people who are here. I wish to explore some new elements of the fight against climate change.”
He says he wants to explore the role of investment and technology in that fight.
“We’ve seen over the last few years, more and more people within the investment community talk about the importance they can play in the fight against climate change,” he said.
One aspect of technology that is of prime interest to him is artificial intelligence. He plans to write a book on the subject while working as a strategic consultant with Cycle Capital, a fund manager for clean technologies in Canada. Also, he’ll do work for Copticom, a public relations company specializing in environmental and social issues.
During a press conference to announce his departure from Équiterre, he downplayed rumours about him making the leap into politics.
“I know that my name has been circulating in some media about me being a candidate in the byelection in Outremont,” he told journalists. “That will not be the case.”
But he says he has spoken to officials from some parties that have courted him.
“I have affinities with a few parties in Ottawa,” he said. “Namely those that believe that climate change should be a priority. I have less affinity with the party that doesn’t think so.”
He has not ruled out running in the next federal election, which is scheduled for October 2019.