Sustainability Leaders: Recent Episodes
BMO Financial Group
Sustainability is a rapidly evolving field, driven by billions of dollars in global investment. Join hosts Michael Torrance, Jonathan Hackett and others in this podcast series, as we introduce you to the innovative minds and diverse perspectives that are pushing the boundaries in sustainability good practice. With topics ranging from climate change to sustainable finance and green bonds to human rights and responsible investing, we explore the world of corporate sustainability through interviews with corporate practitioners, investors, scholars and the NGO community.
Carbon capture technologies represent one of the best near-term opportunities to reduce C02 emissions. Still, the current challenge is their cost can make it difficult for entities to develop them independently. Listen to our latest episode to learn more.
Hastening the energy transition requires a holistic view of the economy and stronger collaboration and coordination across industries to build more momentum toward a net-zero economy. Those were some of the main takeaways from the Green and Clean: Redefining Finance for a Sustainable Future panel at the International Economic Forum of the Americas Conference in Montreal 2023.
Clio Straram, Head, Indigenous Banking at BMO, sat down with Mark Podlasly, Chief Sustainability Officer, First Nations Major Project Coalition, to discuss Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Carmakers are working toward net zero, but eliminating carbon emissions altogether, the source of 15% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, will require buy-in from all parts of the automotive supply chain. That includes auto dealers, who are beginning to grapple with their role in the energy transition.
By the end of June, Canada was already experiencing its worst wildfire season in recorded history. In an effort to address the impact these events are having on the country, George Sutherland, Senior Advisor, Climate Change & Sustainability with the BMO Climate Institute, sat down with Mike Flannigan, the B.C. Innovation Research Chair in Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science at Thompson Rivers University, and Ray Ault, Director of Prevention and Mitigation with FireSmart Canada. Listen now.
Jonathan Hackett is joined by Roger Spitz, an international bestselling author, President of Techistential, and founding Chair of the Disruptive Futures Institute. The two experts discuss the future of sustainability and the role of companies, investors and technology. Listen now!
Michael Torrance, BMO Chief Sustainability Officer, participated in a panel at the IBM THINK conference to discuss sustainability and the role financial institutions play in creating a sustainable future.
Chief Executive Officer at BMO Financial Group, Darryl White, addresses the audience at the US-Canada Summit, hosted by BMO and the geopolitical risk advisory firm Eurasia Group, to highlight the changing dynamics of trade, food, energy security, the environment (and more) in North America as the world order experiences its greatest shifts in decades.
In this special episode from BMO’s IN Tune Podcast, host Camilla Sutton is joined by Doug Morrow and Juan Sanabria to discuss the key findings from their recent note on climate change impacts on US real estate companies.
Learn about the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) when it comes to the EV transition and the importance of building out robust supply chains. Katie Shuter, Climate Change and Sustainability Analyst with the BMO Climate Institute is joined by Nathan Niese, BCG Global Lead for Electric Vehicles, to discuss this evolving topic.
Between rising global tensions and economic uncertainty, this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) may be a more subdued affair, but investors have become acutely aware of the financial impacts of climate change and the importance of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Listen to our BMO experts as they discuss what to expect from this year’s UN Climate Change Conference.
Aaron Engen, Vice Chair of Investment & Corporate Banking and Co-Head of the Energy Transition group at BMO Capital Markets, sat down with Howard Learner, Executive Director of Environmental Law & Policy Center, at the inaugural Transition Think Summit in Phoenix, Arizona, earlier this month, where leaders from the private and public spheres came together to discuss climate change solutions. Aaron and Howard discussed the role of public policy in the Energy Transition and where it must intersect with technology and innovation to help pave the road to net zero by 2050.
The growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market is critical to the transition toward net zero. BMO Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Torrance is joined by BMO Economist Erik Johnson, who focuses on the transformation of the auto sector and tracking the evolution of demand and supply of the zero-emissions vehicle.
In this special episode from the BMO IN Tune Podcast, our BMO experts discuss the Voluntary Carbon markets, including why they are important, what they are used for, how pricing works, and everything else that is critical for investors to understand.
In this episode, our experts discuss renewable energy needs across Canada and opportunities to increase Indigenous participation in developments.
In this episode, First Nations Financial Management Board CEO Geordie Hungerford and Data and Analytics Manager, Shawn Blankinship, discuss the Roadmap Project, which features six areas on how to help nations advance and begin to share in the prosperity of Canada.
In this episode, BMO and Bloomberg discuss a subject that is fundamental to the energy transition: Electric Vehicles and why EV sales are surging.
In this special episode from BMO’s IN Tune Podcast, our BMO experts discuss why the conversations around the role of farming in carbon and emissions management are intensifying.
The need for companies to integrate ESG performance criteria is an important mechanism to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to help in the transition to a net zero economy, according to the bilingual panelists at the recent International Economic Forum of the America’s Conference of Montreal.
Everyone has different goals regarding impact and risk in ESG integration and sustainable finance products. And it’s important to understand, both from the perspective of investors and issues, what the trade-offs are, according to panelists at the recent BMO Global Reserve and Asset Managers Conference. The panel featured BMO’s Jonathan Hackett, Kathrin Forrest, Vice President of Capital Group Canada, and Dan Novak, Senior Portfolio Manager and ESG Initiatives at Bank of Canada.
Conversations around investing for an environmentally sustainable future have significantly changed over the last decade, shifting from avoiding potential risks to seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, according to panelists at the recent Milken Institute Global Conference. The panel, featured Dan Barclay, CEO of BMO Capital Markets, Giulia Chierchia, Executive Vice-President, Strategy, Sustainability and Ventures at oil company BP, Edwin Conway, Global Head of Alternative Investors at Blackrock, John Graham, President and CEO at CPP Investments, Raymond Sagayam, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income at Pictet Asset Management and moderator Hiromichi Mizuno, Special Envoy of U.N. Secretary-General on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, join Dan Barclay, CEO of BMO Capital Markets, in conversation with John Ruffolo, one of Canada’s best known venture capitalists, John and Dan discuss an accident that left John unable to walk, his personal journey of recovery and the importance of the support he received from the University Health Network Foundation and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and why philanthropy is key to funding innovation and research in acute care.
Hydrogen holds lots of promise for decarbonizing heavy industry and is also one of the leading options for storing renewable energy. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, join host Nalini Feuilloley, BMO’s Head of Responsible Investment in this podcast discussion with Matthew Fairlie, Vice Chairman and Director of Next Hydrogen, on how hydrogen will be used to help in the transition to a low carbon economy.
The manifestations of climate change - from oppressive heat to torrential floods – can impact vulnerable peoples the most. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, George Sutherland, BMO Advisor, Climate Change and Sustainability, speaks to Patricia Fuller, Senior Fellow, University of Ottawa Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, about how climate change policies can advance the cause of climate justice both here and around the world.
This special episode from BMO’s IN Tune Podcast digs into the core themes from BMO’s 17th annual Farm to Market Conference across the food and agriculture value chain. Listen to what BMO experts Dan Barclay, Bert Powell, Joel Jackson, Ken Zaslow and Doug Morrow had to say.
More and more, consumers, processors, suppliers and retailers are making buying decisions based on a company’s commitment to environmental, social and governance principles. In a recent Food Institute podcast, Erica Kuhlmann, BMO Harris Bank’s Head of Food, Consumer and Agribusiness; Jonathan Hackett, BMO’s Head of Sustainable Finance; and Marc Khouzami, Managing Director of BMO’s Impact Investment Fund, offered their perspectives on how ESG impacts everything from agriculture production to employee recruitment to access to capital for companies in the food sector.
Join BMO Capital Markets Chief Executive Officer Dan Barclay as he hosts this special podcast discussion with Justine Hendricks, Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Sustainability Officer at Export Development Canada and BMO’s Jonathan Hackett, Head, Sustainable Finance, on the nature of the challenges and opportunities ahead as their organizations collaborate to help carbon intensive companies finance emissions reductions.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Susan McGeachie, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, hosts this special, Earth Day podcast discussion with Corey Diamond, Executive Director of Efficiency Canada on how Canada can help meet its climate ambitions through building retrofits.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jonathan Hackett, Co-Head of the BMO Capital Markets Energy Transition Group and Head, Sustainable Finance, joins Jason Few, President and CEO of FuelCell Energy, in a conversation about the role of fuel cell energy and hydrogen in the transition to a low-carbon world. Listen to learn why clean baseload platforms, hydrogen and carbon capture are key to limiting global warming.
This week on Sustainability Leaders, as we look to the next Milken Institute Global Conference in May, we look back at some of the issues that were top of mind at its last global gathering in October. The Milken Institute Global Conference 2021 hosted a panel with top experts, including Kristi Mitchem, CEO of BMO Global Asset Management. Panellists discussed a number of topics including the future of remote work and diversity and inclusion in the asset management industry.
Increasingly industry has come to the realization that to reach 2050 climate goals, big business must take a leadership role. That was one of the key takeaways from this conversation between Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and Dan Barclay, Chief Executive Officer of BMO Capital Markets, at the 2022 Global Metals and Mining Conference. In this episode, Barclay and Dhawan also discuss how ESG is the number one agenda item for this industry group that represents many of the world’s largest mining companies.
Increasingly more companies and governments have come to realize that the global economy must become more sustainable or risk an environmental-related collapse. That was one of the key takeaways from the 2021 Milken Global Institute Conference panel on Investing in a Sustainable Business Transition. The panel featured Dan Barclay, CEO and Group Head at BMO Capital Markets, Jorge Mesquita, CEO, Blue Triton Brands, Hiromichi Mizuno, Special Envoy of U.N. Secretary-General on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments – Special Advisor, Milken Institute, Anthony Pratt, Executive Chairman, Visy Industries and Executive Chairman, Pratt Industries, and Shally Shanker, founder and managing partner, AiiM Partners, and was moderated by Milken Institute Senior Director, Innovative Finance, Caitlin MacLean.
The disparity in access to capital for Black and Brown founders is well documented, as is the low number of Black and Brown leaders in private equity and venture investing. But promising trends have and disruptive solutions are being put into play to drive change. This episode of Sustainability Leaders is from a recent BMO EMpower Summit, where leaders of color in the investment space share their thoughts on implementing innovative strategies to bridge the resource and capital gap for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs.
Join BMO’s Michael Torrance and Mr. Basile van Havre as they discuss the Pre- and Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, what functions it serves, the goal of COP15, the importance of biodiversity protections for countries and the potential impacts if the world fails to act.
In this special Sustainability Leaders episode from BMO’s IN Tune Podcast that aired in late December, BMO’s Camilla Sutton, MD in Equity Research, joins BMO’s Doug Morrow, Ben Pham, and John Gibson to discuss how Carbon, Capture, Usage, and Storage (also known as CCUS) represents one of the best near-term opportunities to reduce C02 emissions, particularly as Canada looks to meet its 2030 and 2050 reduction targets.
Join BMO’s Michael Torrance, Justin Huntington, Founder and Chief Science Officer of Climate Engine, and Jamie Herring, CEO of Climate Engine, as they discuss Climate Engine’s innovative spatial analytics tools leveraging Earth Engine and satellite big data to analyze climate risk, for sustainability management and climate finance. Climate Engine is a firm that specializes in the unique delivery of satellite-based data insights to support climate resilience, sustainability and predict climate risk.
Join BMO’s John Uhren in the second part of this two-part series discussion with Patricia Torres, Global Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions at Bloomberg, as they discuss global warming, energy transition and divesting, gender equality and more.
Join BMO’s John Uhren in this two-part series discussion with Patricia Torres, Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions at Bloomberg, as they discuss energy transition, the role of developed nations in mitigating climate risk faced by developing nations, how companies and governments are measuring climate risk, gender equality, and more.
On this special episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO’s Dan Barclay joined Hiromichi Mizuno, Special Envoy of U.N. Secretary-General on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments, to discuss COP26, the role of finance and banking in the battle against climate change and the transition to a low carbon world.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO's John Uhren spoke with two of the women awarded a grant through our BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program. Melissa Tashjian, Founder and CEO of Compost Crusader, and Christal Earle, Founder and CEO of Brave Soles, discuss their innovative businesses and how they’re driving sustainable outcomes for their clients and customers.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO's Jonathan Hackett spoke with Justine Hendricks, Senior Vice-President and Chief Corporate Sustainability Officer, Sustainable Business and Enablement, at Export Development Canada (EDC), on the ground in Glasgow as the COP26 was coming to a close. The two experts discussed how EDC has evolved with the growing global focus on Climate Change and why sustainable finance will be so important to reaching a net zero world.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO's Nalini Feuilloley, Director of Responsible Investment Team, spoke with Fiona Reynolds, CEO of the United Nations Supported Principles for Responsible Investment, on the ground in Glasgow as the COP26 rolled into its final days. The two experts discussed how the UN Climate Conference has changed, why COP26 has been so unique, and what the road looks like going forward to next year's COP meeting in Egypt and beyond.
On this special episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO Financial Group's CEO, Darryl White, sat down with John Graham, President, and Chief Executive Officer at CPP Investments, at this year's International Economic Forum of the Americas' Toronto Global Forum. The two discussed sustainable investing and capital allocation in the context of the global energy transition.
Three experts discuss the science of how climate change is impacting permafrost, the trends, and risk of permafrost, and how permafrost is fundamentally linked to all of us through environmental systems. Join George Sutherland, Climate Change and Sustainability Advisor in BMO's Climate Institute, Dr. Fabrice Calmels, Permafrost and Geoscience Research Chair at the Yukon University Research Center, and Paul Murchison, Executive Director, Major Transportation Programs at Government of Yukon in part two of our Impacts of a Changing Climate series.
Join George Sutherland, Climate Change and Sustainability Advisor at the BMO's Climate Institute and Blair Feltmate, Professor and Head of Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at University of Waterloo, in part one of our Impacts of a Changing Climate series as they discuss how (and why) flooding has accelerated at an increasing rate, and how it’s become not only an environmental issue, but a pressing economic and humanitarian issue as well.
“Working together, you can tap the lowest cost opportunities in any given place. And as you're pursuing net zero, you can tap into the opportunities for carbon capture and storage or nature-based removals. You can get to the goal faster and cheaper than if each country acts in isolation,” says Dirk Forrister, CEO, International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) Join Susan McGeachie, Head of the BMO Climate Institute and Dirk as they discuss IETA’s history and global role as the business voice on markets solutions for climate and what to expect out of COP26 (the 26th UN Climate Change Conference).
Join BMO’s Camilla Sutton, MD in Equity Research, and Doug Morrow, Director of ESG at BMO Capital Markets, in this special episode from BMO’s IN Tune Podcast. IN Tune features Equity Research analysts from BMO Capital Markets and explores key emerging themes, trends, and important issues to our institutional clients globally. Listen to our two experts as they take a deep dive into the ESG landscape and equities.
Join Paulette Jagers, Managing Director of Strategic Talent Initiatives at BMO, Jason Brommet, Head of Modern Work and Security Business at Microsoft, and Leslie Anderson, Global Head of Employee Tech Experience and U.S. Chief Technology, Resiliency and Experience Operations Officer for BMO Financial Group. in a conversation about why it is essential for employers to come from a place of empathy and work in partnership with their employees to dissolve barriers to inclusion. From hiring, to accessibility best practices, to employee experience, this episode touches on it all.
Affordable and accessible housing continues to be top of mind for Canadians, with prices reaching historic heights and demand far outpacing supply. Join BMO’s Dan Adams and Justin Marchand, Chief Executive Officer at Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS), as they discuss the housing crisis facing Indigenous communities as well as individuals in rural and urban areas, and the critical role that OAHS plays in actively making a positive difference in society.
BMO recently hosted a Thinktank event to provide seven young people from Plan International Canada’s “Girl’s Belong Here” program an opportunity to consult and share unique perspectives on sustainability-related issues. The event was facilitated by BMO’s Sustainability team and framed around a 3-part discussion on sustainability and just transition topics. Listen what today’s youth had to say.
The lack of common sustainability reporting standards across jurisdictions is a critical challenge for businesses and the financial sector in supporting the global shift to a more sustainable world, and it's an issue that concerns all of us, from climate change leaders to governments and regulators. Join BMO's Jean-Simon Farrah, Director, Canadian Government Relations, Charles Antoine St-Jean, CEO of CPA Canada, and BMO's Simon Fish, Special Advisor on Climate Changes, as they discuss Canada's bid to host the ISSB secretariat and the opportunities and challenges surrounding sustainability reporting standards.
In this second installment of our two-part series on Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, BMO’s Kona Goulet and Dr. Sinclair discuss the history of the residential schools system and its true impact on Canada’s indigenous.
“We still have that story today. That story today is still very much one that came from residential schools, which is that Indigenous peoples don't matter. So that may be shocking for Canadians, but it's something that people need to hear in order to get to the truth, because we cannot get to reconciliation without understanding what's happened,” says Sustainability Leaders guest Dr. Niigaan Sinclair, Professor in Native Studies and Head of the Native Studies Department at the University of Manitoba. Join BMO’s Kona Goulet in this two-part series discussion with Dr. Sinclair around the history of Indigenous communities and residential schools system.
Over the past year and a half, we've seen the business community step up and speak out about diversity and equity like never before. But achieving economic equity not only requires moving beyond meaningful dialogue to taking real action. We recently convened a panel of esteemed business leaders to share their unique perspectives and concrete ideas on how businesses can support efforts to close the racial wealth gap and drive lasting change. A transcript of this episode is available at bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
"Investing in housing for all Canadians means removing barriers that exclude so many from a better life," said Sharon Haward-Laird, General Counsel and Co-Chair of BMO's Sustainability Council, BMO Financial Group. BMO recently announced a commitment to finance affordable housing over a ten-year period in support of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) aspiration that all Canadians have a home that they can afford and that meets their needs by 2030. Sharon Haward-Laird joins Sustainability Leaders host Jonathan Hackett, Romy Bowers, President and CEO of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Chief R. Don Maracle, Tyendinaga Mohawk Council, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, and Mike McGahan, CEO, InterRent REIT to discuss this new commitment to build a more inclusive society. A transcript of this episode is available at bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
This year’s proxy voting season brought a clear message: Investors want to see greater ambition on climate change. This was especially apparent within the oil and gas sector, where three large companies were mandated to do more to accelerate change. Andrew Logan, Senior Director, Oil and Gas at Ceres, joins Sustainability Leaders host Nalini Feuilloley in a discussion that recaps the recent outcomes for Big Oil during proxy voting season and what it may mean for corporates around the world. Plus, Andrew discusses why it might be a greater risk for companies to be too slow on addressing climate change than moving too quickly. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast
Sustainability Leaders host Whitney McWade, is joined by Maria Theofilaktidis and Larry Leva, from the IFRS Foundation, and Katie Schmitz Eulitt, with Value Reporting Foundation (formerly Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) to discuss the evolution of corporate reporting in a world where corporations are increasingly expected to manage their businesses in the interest of a wide array of stakeholders, including customers, communities, employees, NGOs, and of course shareholders.
Sustainability Leaders host Jonathan Hackett, is joined by Alec Cheng, who serves as Vice President and Treasurer at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and John Mauti, OPG's Chief Financial Officer in a conversation about sustainability and the role of nuclear energy as OPG, one of the largest, most diverse low-cost power generators in North America, strides toward a post-carbon economy. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast
Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer with BMO Financial Group, speaks with Christian Heller, CEO of the Value Balancing Alliance, a not-for-profit group of 16 international companies that focuses on the development and standardization of a management accounting model to protect and create long-term value. Tune in for this discussion about how using better methodologies to assess and incorporate long-term values into decision-making can also help companies maximize profit. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
Guest host Kona Goulet, Head, Indigenous Equity and Inclusion, BMO and Cree-Métis originally from La Ronge in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, speaks to Dr. Bob Kayseas, Interim President and Vice President Academic of First Nations University of Canada, who specializes in Indigenous Business and Public Administration. As we reflect on the tragic discovery of the remains of an estimated 215 children on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, join us in this conversation about the legacy and impact of the Indian Residential School system, Indigenous history, and the important role of education in the road to reconciliation.
In this special episode of Sustainability Leaders, Dan Barclay, CEO of BMO Capital Markets, moderates a discussion on trends across the food and agriculture value chain with takeaways from BMO’s 16th Annual Farm to Market Conference. BMO experts include Joel Jackson, Fertilizers and Chemicals Analyst; Kelly Bania, Food Retail Analyst; and Ken Zaslow, Food and Agribusiness Analyst. Dan and the three analysts discuss this resilient industry that has survived and even thrived during challenging times and take a deep dive into core themes at this year’s conference, including the importance of ESG practices, concerns over inflation, and supply chain challenges. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
BMO hosted a discussion in conjunction with Suncor and the Milken Institute, on streamlining and financing the business transition to a lower-carbon future. Moderated by Dan Barclay, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Capital Markets, a panel of experts looked at how the industry is mapping the march toward net zero and banks’ roles in financing the transition. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast
Slavery is not a relic of the past, but something that is still a problem today. In fact, it is estimated that over 40 million people are living in slavery around the world. Investors and companies are getting more and more aware of the need to understand their exposure to forced labor and modern slavery and to act in some way to eradicate these practices. Rosey Hurst joins the podcast to discuss the importance of improving labour practices globally throughout the supply chain and her work in improving labour practices in supply chains, the types of risks companies face for enabling modern slavery, and what the future might look like with the mitigation of these forced labour practices. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast
Sustainability Leaders host Jonathan Hackett and Scott Brison, BMO Vice-chair for Investment and Corporate Banking and a former member of parliament for Kings-Hants, Nova Scotia, speak to Robert Niven, CEO and founder of CarbonCure Technologies, a Nova Scotia company that manufacturers a technology that introduces recycled CO2 into fresh concrete to reduce its carbon footprint. Join us in this lively conversation about how key industries like concrete are taking action to fight climate change. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders.
In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that more than 130 people die each day from overdosing on opioids and millions more abuse prescription pain relievers every year. How did the use of opioids as a painkiller spiral into the addiction crisis it is today? And how can changes be made in the future to mitigate this crisis? Enter the Investors for Opioid and Pharmaceutical Accountability (IOPA). The group, which had 67 members with over $4 trillion in assets under management as of July 2020, uses investor engagement to make changes within the entire supply chain to hold companies accountable for their actions. Meredith Miller joins BMO’s Catherine McCabe to discuss how IOPA was formed, how it engages with three main subgroups of the opioid supply chain, and their initiatives around corporate governance through 2021 and beyond. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
Michael Torrance is joined by Dr. Mark Johnston, Strategy Lead for Nature-based Solutions & Biodiversity at BP, and member of the newly formed working group TFND (Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosure), to discuss how biodiversity applies to everything in a natural world and the private sector role in delivering a sustainable working framework. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
Jonathan Hackett is joined by Derrick Emsley, CEO and Co-Founder of tentree, the Canadian lifestyle apparel brand whose first mission is to plant 10 trees for every product sold, in a discussion about carbon offsets, tree planting and how the way we look at sustainability is changing. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
John Uhren is joined by Chantale Després, Assistant Vice-President Sustainability, at CN, to discuss sustainability strategy at one of the world’s top transportation and logistics companies, starting with a freshly-inked $2 billion sustainability linked loan that was the largest in Canadian history. For a transcript of this episode please visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast
Maria Nsouli is joined by Alex Lazarow, a partner at the Global Venture Capital firm, Cathay Innovation, and and author of Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs - from Delhi to Detroit - Are Rewriting the Rules of Silicon Valley, David Lowish, a founder of Atlas Impact Partners, and Tania Carnegie, global lead for private equity and asset management at KPMG Impact, in a discussion about how impact investing has evolved over the last few years.
Jonathan Hackett is joined by Elizabeth Shirt, Managing Director from GLOBE Series, to talk about working towards a more sustainable, prosperous, and socially just future. In this interview, hear about how GLOBE Series is part of a group of organizations, each of which brings something different to the table, creating a powerful drive toward a common vision. For a transcript of this episode visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
Michael Torrance is joined by Eric Usher, who heads of the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) to discuss the Principles for Responsible Banking, the impacts of climate change and the transition to a lower-carbon economy. For a transcript of this episode please visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
Dan Barclay is joined by Tom Butler, CEO for the International Council on Mining and Metals in a discussion on how ESG policy has evolved in the metals and mining space and how mining stepped up during the pandemic. Hear also about how the industry’s views and approaches to the issues like Climate Change, Water Stewardship and Biodiversity have radically changed over recent years, moving from “nice-to-have” policies to frameworks that are essential to miners’ license to operate and access to capital.
On the next episode of Sustainability Leaders, Darryl White, CEO, BMO Financial Group, leads a discussion with BMO experts and special guests Sean Cleary, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Finance Queen’s University and Eric Usher, Head, UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, on BMO’s climate ambition and on the role of financial institutions in achieving a net zero world. Visit bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast for a transcript of this episode.
Sustainability Leaders’ special guest host Eric Smith, Vice-Chair of BMO Harris Bank is joined by Shelley Stewart III, a Partner at McKinsey & Company and one of the leaders of their Institute for Black Economic Mobility, and Andrea Zopp, a Managing Partner at Cleveland Avenue, a venture fund that fosters growth in the food, beverage and restaurant industries. Andrea previously served as CEO and President of both the Chicago Urban League and World Business Chicago. A transcript of this episode is available at bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
To celebrate Black History Month and International Women’s Day and in keeping with our commitment to building a society with zero barriers to inclusion, we invite you to listen to this special episode of Sustainability Leaders featuring the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Canada’s 27th Governor General, and the first Haitian-Canadian to hold the office, and a panel of BMO executives including Darryl White, CEO, BMO Financial Group. The event, Building Empowerment Through a Racial and Gender Equity Lens, is moderated by Deland Kamanga, Head, Global Markets, BMO Capital Markets and focuses on intersectionality and empowerment. A transcript is available at bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.
In this episode, Michael Torrance speaks with Pavan Sukhdev, an internationally recognized authority on the integration of sustainability impact and natural, human and social capital into accounting and disclosure for the private sector. They discuss how natural capital is defined, different disclosure frameworks, and how companies should approach this subject.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance talks to Eric Smith, Vice-Chair, BMO Harris Bank, and Christine Canning, Managing Director of Supplier Relationship Management at BMO, about the importance and benefits of sourcing from minority-owned businesses. They’ll offer tips on how businesses can create a successful framework for sourcing from minority-owned firms, who should be at the table when you’re developing a strategy and how to measure success. For a transcript of this episode you can visit bmo.com/SustainabilityLeaders.
BMO Global Asset Management’s Responsible Investing team celebrated there 20th year of investor engagement in 2020. In that time, corporate engagement on ESG issues has gone from niche to relatively mainstream, but there is still much work to do help companies align their bottom lines with positive ESG changes in their business. Jonathan Hackett is joined by Vicki Bakhshi, a Director in BMO GAM’s Responsible Investing team, to discuss the sea change that has taken place during the last 20 years of investor engagement. Plus, Vicki discusses what the team believes the next ten years will bring as engagement on ESG topics broadens to more companies in more countries than ever before.
Bloomberg recently hosted its third annual Sustainable Finance Week with BMO as a presenting sponsor for the second consecutive year. Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Week brings together corporations, clients and thought leaders for a discussion on sustainable finance, focusing on ideas and innovations that drive environmental and social improvement on a global scale. Bloomberg brings together a number of sustainable finance solutions, offering data-driven insights to help investors integrate ESG throughout the full investment process. This includes ESG solutions that combine and standardize company-reported and third-party data, including ESG scoring, access to news and research and analytics built specifically for investors. BMO’s John Uhren is joined by Patricia Torres, Global Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions at Bloomberg, in a discussion on its efforts to enhance ESG disclosure and transparency.
November 18 marked the start of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020, which aims to bring attention to the ever-evolving public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics around the world. Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance, and James Anderson, Head of Corporate Government Affairs at GlaxoSmithKline, who leads the company’s advocacy on AMR, joins the podcast to discuss how antibiotic use in humans, livestock and plants is fueling AMR today. Plus, they provide an overview of engagement in this space to encourage responsible antibiotic use globally.
In the second episode of our two part series Canadian Energy and Innovation, Jonathan Hackett takes us through two case studies of companies that have found ways to innovate to directly address the problem of greenhouse gas. First he is joined by Steve Oldham, CEO of Carbon Engineering, a Canadian company that has developed a technology for Direct Air Capture of carbon dioxide. The later in the episode he speaks with Kevin Jabusch, President and CEO of Enhance Energy, about how his company uses the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line to create a business model around Carbon Mitigation and their plans for the future of this industry. Full transcript available at bmo.com/Sustainabilityleaders-podcast
Around the world, livestock is responsible for more gas emissions than every car, airplane and train put together. What changes can be made to the food production system to support an ever-growing population while also mitigating impacts on our environment? David Sneyd is joined by Jo Raven from FAIRR Initiative to discuss the progress that is already underway to create a more sustainable system, including the rise of alternative, plant-based proteins in the food supply chain.
The Canadian energy sector is a leading source of sustainable energy and innovation that will make Canada a leader in the decades to come. It is subject to some of the world’s highest environmental and social regulatory requirements, building on Canada’s strong governance approach to these topics. In order to meet international climate goals and raise standards of living, the energy sector requires innovation. On today’s podcast, Michael Torrance speaks with three different guests to talk about innovation and leadership in the Canadian energy sector. First, Chris Slubicki, President and CEO of Modern Resources - a Western Canadian oil and gas producer, talks about how Canada is a global leader in sustainable energy and energy production. Then Ray Kwan, an Oil & Gas Analyst with BMO Capital Markets Equity Research, talks about the innovative process of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and how CCUS works. Finally, Jeff Pearson, the President of the Carbon Business Unit at Wolf Midstream - the company developing The Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, talks about how Wolf Midstream has used the innovative process of CCUS in developing the Alberta Trunk Line project.
Designing flexible plastic packaging that is recyclable or compostable is a growing sustainability trend. At the forefront of this trend are consumers who are increasingly noticing the impact of plastics on air pollution and marine life. In response to this trend, governments around the world are passing legislation to minimize packaging waste, including Canada, which has committed to zero plastic waste by 2030. The ultimate goal is to create a sustainable circular economy where plastic never becomes waste, and rather can be reused, repaired, and remanufactured. Today’s guest, Magali Depras, Chief Strategy Officer at TC Transcontinental, talks about how sustainable packaging can positively impact the economy, the environment and the future, and TC Transcontinental’s commitment to sustainability.
On this episode, Michael Torrance speaks with report co-author, Tytti Kaasinen Associate Director, Engagement Services at Sustainalytics and Simon Chorley, International Programs Manager at UNICEF Canada. In 2019, UNICEF and Sustainalytics partnered to develop Investor Guidance on Integrating Children’s Rights into Investment Decision Making. The resulting guidance is directed at investors and ESG research providers interested in exploring how companies and investors can mitigate risks and identify opportunities that advance children’s rights while generating both societal and upside financial benefits. It aims to help investors ensure that child rights impacts linked to business activities do not constitute a blind spot within their approach to responsible investment and active ownership. For full transcript and links, go to http://www.bmosustainabilityleaders.com/.
On this show, Whitney McWade, a Senior Advisor in a Sustainability Group at BMO, talks with Careen Abb from the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative. Careen leads the Positive Impact Initiative (PII), which is a think and do tank at the United Nations. The PII aims to capitalize the finance sector’s ability to finance sustainable development and the transition to an impact-based economy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For the PII, Careen has co-authored “Rethinking Impact to Finance the SDGs”, a seminal paper which sets out the PII’s unique theory of impact. She led the development of the principles for the positive impact finance, which proposed a holistic approach to impact management. Careen talks about this holistic approach, the PII’s theory of impact, and how it can influence the financial sector. For full transcript and links, go to http://www.bmosustainabilityleaders.com/.
Today’s guest, Dr. Mekala Krishnan, is one of the author’s of the Mckinsey Global Institute’s ground-breaking report, “Climate risk and response - Physical hazards and socioeconomic impacts”. Dr. Krishnan’s research focuses on various topics related to inclusive growth and economic development, including climate risk, globalization, productivity growth in advanced economies, and women’s role in labor markets. Her most recent research focuses on the near-term impact of physical climate risk across sectors and geographies, including its implications for companies and countries. In this episode, Dr. Krishnan talks with Michael Torrance about how physical climate risks can impact economies, and financial and social systems. She also talks about the physical climate risks that could influence investors, businesses and governments in the next 10-30 years.
The Paris Agreement target to limit temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is widely discussed, but there is also a less cited part of the Agreement - the Preamble, which mentions that the transition to a net zero carbon economy should be a just one. Underpinning the concept of a just transition is the inclusive wealth model. On today’s episode, special guest host Rani Pooran will take the listener through conversations with two leading thinkers, William Irwin, Policy Analyst, The Grantham Research Institute at the time of recording Steven Stone, Chief of the UN Environment Programme’s Resources and Markets Branch on why investing in a just transition is critical to achieving the economic potential and managing the social impacts of the net zero carbon challenge, and how measuring dimensions such as human and natural capital can further countries’ progress.
Our guest on this episode is Diane Damskey, Head of the Secretariat of the IFC’s Operating Principles for Impact Management. Diane is a senior member of the team that developed the Operating Principles for Impact Management that established a framework to bring greater discipline and transparency to the impact investing market. Prior to joining IFC, Diane was an Adviser to the Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank Group. Michael Torrance leads a conversation with Diane on today’s episode about the differences between impact investing and traditional investing, and how impact investing fits into the broader sustainability ecosystem.
The fight against COVID-19 has seen border closures, trade disruptions and restrictions on foreign workers, putting unprecedented strain on the food supply chain, including in Canada, where we hear stories of dairy farmers dumping milk as restaurants closed and demand plummeted; restrictions on temporary foreign workers have dramatically impacted the production of everything from strawberries to seafood. John Uhren, Head, Sustainable Finance, Products and Strategy for Sustainable Finance at BMO, recently recorded an episode of Sustainability Leaders with Vittoria Varalli, Chief of Staff and VP for Sustainability at Canadian grocery chain Sobeys to discuss how COVID19 has disrupted food security and supply chains around the world. Varalli also discusses how here at home, even as the pandemic intensified the importance of essential services, Sobeys’ unwavering focus was on keeping its staff and customers safe and its store shelves stocked.
In this episode we are joined by Jon Hale, Head of Sustainable Investing Research for Morningstar in a discussion on how COVID-19 has impacted ESG funds, and how Morningstar goes about assessing and examining this type of investing.
Our episode today focuses on a company’s purpose and why it matters for sustainability. A company’s purpose matters now more than ever, and social purpose and social impacts have taken a front seat these days as COVID-19 changes the landscape for all economies. Our guests today are experts in creating purpose statements and leading companies on the journey to find their purpose. Cathy Carlisi, President-America, Ashley Grice, CEO, are with BrightHouse, part of the Boston Consulting Group. They've helped many companies, including BMO, to develop a purpose strategy and drive it towards sustainability outcomes. They discuss what a discovery process for purpose looks like, how culture, business strategy and brand alignment are needed for executing purpose well and who should be involved. We also discuss how purpose and ESG are linked and how getting uncomfortable is necessary to discover purpose.
Michael Torrance moderates a round table discussion with BMO sustainability experts Manju Seal and David Sneyd to discuss the role that sustainable finance can play in our current environment.
Investors and other stakeholders are demanding tools to better measure the sustainability and performance of the mining industry. On this episode, guest host Dan Barclay, CEO, BMO Capital Markets is joined by Tom Butler, CEO, International Council on Mining & Metals (ICMM), in a discussion about how the industry is increasing transparency to make it easier for investors and other stakeholders to quantify ESG efforts and results. For full transcript and links, go to http://www.bmosustainabilityleaders.com/.
The COVID-19 crisis is putting more of a spotlight on sustainable finance. It’s time for banks, investors, venture capitalists and others to think carefully about the kinds of products that can be created and the types of investments that can be made to help society recover from this pandemic. On this episode of Sustainability Leaders, host Michael Torrance moderates a round table discussion with BMO sustainability experts Manju Seal, David Snyed and Jonathan Hackett to discuss the role that sustainable finance can play in our current environment.
Biodiversity is the natural variety of species and ecosystem services that we – and our economies – all depend on. But leading international researchers are concluding that biodiversity is being lost at a rate that is unprecedented in human history. Our first guest is Professor Kai Chan, from the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Kai is one of the coordinating lead authors of the IPBES Global Assessment Report and shares some of its key conclusions, and what the implications are for businesses – both in terms of their impacts on biodiversity, and their dependence on it. Later, we’ll hear from Katie Leach from the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Center and Chris Hart from Global Canopy. Katie and Chris discuss their collaboration on ENCORE, a tool which helps businesses and financial institutions understand their own dependencies on nature and how to look at natural capital risks. For full transcript and links, go to http://www.bmosustainabilityleaders.com/.
China’s enormous growth and development in the last 25 years have presented significant challenges to environmental sustainability. Sustainable finance and the green bond market has emerged as a key pillar of China’s green strategy. There is an estimated $1 trillion annually needed to meet China’s environmental goals and government investment only covers about 15% of that amount. Private sector initiatives will be key to China’s environmental strategy and is driving innovation. On this episode we’re joined by Deborah Lehr, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of the Paulson Institute. Deborah advises Hank Paulson, Chairman of the Paulson Institute, on US-China relations and manages the institute’s green finance center. We are also joined by Dan Krieter, who you may remember from our first episode. Dan is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Fixed Income Strategy Group. He has a special interest and focus on sustainable, fixed income investments and leads the group’s research in the green bonds space. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://www.bmosustainabilityleaders.com.
Today, we bring you a special episode as part of our partnership with Bloomberg for Sustainable Finance Week - a collection of events around this topic in New York City and Toronto, happening the first week of December. Our guest is Lee Ballin, the Head of Business Development for Sustainability at BloombergNEF - Bloomberg’s primary research group focused on industry-transforming trends and technologies driving a cleaner, more competitive future. Lee and Michael Torrance discuss the collaboration between Bloomberg and partners coming together for Sustainable Finance Week, why mainstreaming of sustainable finance will be at the heart of discussions, and where the future of sustainable finance is going. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://www.bmosustainabilityleaders.com.
Today we’re going to take an inside look at responsible investment, with our friends at BMO Global Asset Management in the UK. Our first guest is Sustainability Leaders host, David Sneyd, Vice President, Analyst, Responsible Investment at BMO GAM. David talks about how a responsible investment team works, and how they engage with their investments. Later in the episode, David will host a conversation with James Coldwell from ShareAction, an NGO in the UK that collaborates with David’s team on a number of ESG issues including the Workforce Disclosure Initiative (WDI) which promotes better labour standards through investment engagement. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
Today, our guest is Dr. Bob Litterman. An economist, Bob is considered one of the leading authorities on risk management and quantitative trading on Wall Street. He has been studying climate change for a decade, and today he shares not only his insights from managing firm-wide risk but how it applies to climate risk. As a board member of Climate Leadership Council, he breaks down the Baker-Shultz Carbon Dividend Plan, which is now supported by over 3,500 economists, and explains why pricing carbon is imperative for informed decision-making. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
One of the world’s largest supranational issuers, with 189 member countries, the World Bank has “established ambitious, but achievable goals to galvanize international and national efforts to end extreme poverty globally within a generation and to promote shared prosperity.” Our guest is Heike Reichelt, the Head of Investor Relations and New Products at the World Bank. We’ll learn about the World Bank’s funding programs, their influential work in sustainable development and how they mobilize capital markets to reduce social inequality and support UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
The field of Responsible Investing is growing at a rapid pace, and to explore all of its implications we turned to two experts. They’ll give us an overview as well as dive into some of the interesting trends and best practices from Responsible Investing in Canada. We’ll talk with Alison Schneider, the Director of Responsible Investing for AIMCO, or Alberta Investment Management Company. AIMCO is a Crown-Corporation that is responsible for the investments of 31 pension, endowment and government funds in Alberta. We’re also joined by Dustyn Lanz, CEO of the Responsible Investment Association in Canada. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
In this episode, Manju Seal sits down with atmospheric scientist Katharine Hayhoe. Katharine is a well-known TED speaker, one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2014, and a respected scientist studying global warming today. Originally from Canada, she is now a professor and the director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University. In a wide-ranging interview, they discussed a “just transition” to a low carbon economy, why we need to talk about climate change, and the opportunities for global economies as the climate changes. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
Today we’re going to learn about a sustainability disclosure framework created by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Our guest is Matthew Welch, President of SASB. Founded in 2011 to develop and disseminate sustainability accounting standards, SASB created a new approach to measuring and reporting standardized sustainability metrics, tied to financial materiality – rather than stakeholder conceptions of materiality used by other sustainability reporting frameworks. In 2018 SASB launched its finalized standards cutting across a wide number of industries. We’ll discuss how the SASB framework is being used, what it means for the future of sustainability disclosures, and why companies and investors should care. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
In today’s episode, we'll learn about how the European Union is defining sustainability for investors and business. Our guest is Nathan Fabian, Rapporteur for the Taxonomy Group of the European Union Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance. The Taxonomy group is developing a green taxonomy for sustainable finance products that will form part of the EU’s action plan to promote sustainable finance and investment. Nathan is also Chief Responsible Investment Officer at the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). We’ll be discussing Nathan’s insights into the work of the EU Taxonomy group gained from his role as Rapporteur and how the EU’s initiative will have significant implications for sustainable finance globally. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
On this episode, we explore climate-related risk and how it is being managed in today’s financial world. We’re joined by John Colas, Partner and Vice Chairman of Oliver Wyman Financial Services Americas. John was part of the team assisting the United Nations Environment Programme – Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) to develop a framework to assess and disclose climate-related risk factors. This project focused on piloting the recommendations of the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) and its recommendations around scenario analysis of climate risk. John and Michael discuss this work as well as John’s background in risk and strategy and how it translates to the topic of sustainability and climate change. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders
Today we’re exploring the world of green bonds and the emerging market of sustainability bonds. Our expert guest is Dan Krieter from the BMO Capital Markets Fixed Income Strategy Group, who will give us a recap of the market from 2018 as well as a look forward for how 2019 will shape out. Listen in as we discuss how this market was developed, what’s in it for the investor, and what to look out for in the year ahead. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit http://bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders