Sophia Esmail
Environmental Advisor
Sophia Esmail is an environmental advisor with IISD's Economic Law and Policy program. She specializes in sustainability in the mining sector, focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, policy development, and stakeholder engagement to drive responsible mining practices and improve the industry’s environmental performance.
She brings extensive experience in sustainability and policy analysis from her roles as ESG lead in the Lands and Minerals Sector at Natural Resources Canada and as a health, safety, and sustainable development analyst at Yamana Gold. She has developed policy briefs and facilitated intergovernmental collaborations to advance the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan. Additionally, she has worked on climate change adaptation research and sustainability reporting for multinational mining companies, helping to shape industry practices and policies.
Sophia holds a master's degree in sustainability management from the University of Waterloo, where she focused on the environmental and social risks of mining projects. She also has a bachelor's degree in international development and globalization from the University of Ottawa. Furthering her expertise, she completed a specialized course on gender and mining governance with the United Nations Development Programme and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Sophia is fluent in English.