About Aaron Freeman

Aaron Freeman is a local entrepreneur, public policy expert, and lifelong advocate who has spent over three decades turning progressive ideas into historic realities. Dedicated to building a fairer, cleaner, and more accountable government, Aaron has a unique blend of grassroots leadership and senior government experience.

Aaron's commitment to community-led solutions led him to establish Energy Neighbour, a successful social venture that began locally in Parkdale-High Park and has since scaled across the Greater Toronto Area. The initiative delivers tangible savings to families by making home energy-efficiency retrofits accessible, directly lowering household utility bills while fighting climate change.

Driven by a belief that political leadership requires decision-makers who are well-informed, Aaron also founded GreenPAC, Canada's premier non-partisan organization for environmental politics. Through GreenPAC, he established the Parliamentary Internship for the Environment - the country's only legislative internship program dedicated to the environment - and he helped launch Every Day Advocates, a national leadership training accelerator.

Aaron's career in public affairs is defined by a proven track record of legislative success at the highest levels of governance. As a former Senior Advisor to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Aaron led transformative policy development across major provincial files, including the environment, climate change, natural resources, municipal affairs, Indigenous affairs, justice, community safety and labour. He was a key advisor on some of Ontario's most celebrated achievements, such as the phase-out of coal-fired electricity, the rapid expansion of renewable energy, and the protection of the Greenbelt.

Through his public affairs firm, Pivot Strategic, Aaron has continued to drive high-impact legislative change across Canada. His advocacy was instrumental in passing Canada's historic legal right to a healthy environment, establishing Canada's methane pollution regulations which are among the strongest in the world, and passing landmark federal campaign finance reforms to limit the influence of big money in politics.

Deeply committed to true reconciliation, Aaron has also worked closely with First Nations leadership to secure legislation and policies that restore community control and self-governance.

An accomplished legal scholar, Aaron served as a part-time faculty member at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law, where he taught public governance law. He is the co-author of The Laws of Government: The Legal Foundations of Canadian Democracy, a definitive legal text recognized by the Ontario Bar Association as one of “The Top 15 Books Every Lawyer Should Read.”

Aaron's contributions to Canadian public life have been widely recognized. He is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for outstanding community service and a two-time winner of the Canada Clean50 Award as a national Sustainability Champion. Aaron holds a law degree from the University of Ottawa where he won the Gowlings Prize for International Trade Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University.

Raised in North York, Aaron is a proud resident of Roncesvalles, where he lives with his wife and son.