Sustainability Leaders

BMO Financial Group
  • 4.9 (23)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

Sustainability is a rapidly evolving field, driven by billions of dollars in global investment. Join BMO 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.

  1. 2d ago

    Where Capital Flows Next: Canada’s Evolving Sustainable Finance Market

    Canada’s sustainable finance market is at a turning point, and scaling capital, enabling Indigenous participation, and innovating new instruments will determine how effectively the transition is financed. This episode of Sustainability Leaders explores that shift through a panel discussion from the BMO Government, Reserve & Asset Managers Conference, moderated by John Uhren, Global Head of Sustainable Finance at BMO Capital Markets. The expert panel included in alphabetical order of their last names: Madeline Bélanger-Trottier, Advisor, Debt Management, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance, Canada; James Byra, Managing Director, Finance and Investments, First Nations Finance Authority; Jonathan Lapointe, Vice President, Business Development, AlphaFixe Capital; Elizabeth Wallace, Senior Manager, Funding, Ontario Financing Authority. Together, they set the stage for a forward‑looking conversation on how market dynamics, policy development and investor expectations are reshaping sustainable finance in Canada. Visit BMO for more thought leadership from John Uhren: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/our-bankers/john-uhren/

    31 min

  2. 4d ago

    Indigenous Reconciliation Series | Supporting Paths of Financial Healing

    Financial coercion can often be a hidden form of violence—leaving Indigenous women survivors with debt, damaged credit, and barriers to rebuilding their lives. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, a panel presented by BMO’s Office of Reconciliation in collaboration with Victim Services Toronto examines how financial systems are used as tools of control in trafficking and exploitation, and how those same systems can support recovery.Bringing together frontline, community, and financial institution perspectives, the discussion highlights the compounded barriers Indigenous women face and the importance of culturally grounded, trauma‑informed approaches. Listeners will hear how initiatives like the Reclaim program are helping to remove coerced debt, and rebuild trust in institutions—demonstrating how collaboration can align pathways for healing and long‑term stability.

    28 min

  3. Jun 16

    Using AI to Unlock Building Upgrade Opportunities

    Most building upgrades and retrofits stall not because of technology or economics but because owners lack clear data on their buildings, delaying decisions and raising costs. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at BMO, speaks with Brodie Boland, Co‑Founder and CEO of Upgraid, about how better data and analytics can accelerate building upgrades and unlock emissions reductions. Boland explains why the market for building upgrades remains highly manual and inefficient, despite widely available and cost‑effective technologies such as heat pumps, lighting upgrades, and automation systems. The conversation explores how Upgraid uses machine learning and large datasets—from satellite imagery to permitting records—to create a detailed view of building systems and identify where upgrades make economic sense. Visit BMO for more thought leadership from Michael Torrance: Michael Torrance Learn more about the financial performance of green and climate-aligned buildings: Banking on Buildings: Green and Climate-Aligned Real Estate Performance

    25 min

  4. Jun 9

    Investment Opportunities in Food, Energy and Oceans During the 10,000-Year Megatrend

    Climate change is not a belief or a niche theme—it’s a 10,000‑year economic shift that reshapes how we should be thinking about energy, food, and materials. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Angela Adduci of the BMO Climate Institute speaks with Sanjeev Krishnan, Managing Partner of S2G Investments, about how investors need to rethink capital, risk, and returns in the climate economy. Krishnan explains why traditional venture and private‑equity models often fall short in energy, food, and ocean systems, and why S2G focuses on a “fit‑for‑purpose” framework instead. The conversation explores the growing “missing middle” in climate investment, how systems‑level thinking shapes portfolio construction, and why climate investing is ultimately about turning useful energy into useful materials. Visit BMO for more thought leadership from Angela Adduci: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/our-bankers/aadduci/

    23 min

  5. Jun 2

    What’s Next for Sustainable Finance and Investment

    Despite global policy divergences, the fundamentals underlying sustainable finance and investment still hold and corporate issuers, asset owners and investors are using them to make business-first decisions. Host Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, is joined by John Uhren, Global Head of Sustainable Finance for BMO Capital Markets, and Nalini Feuilloley, Head of Sustainable Investment, BMO Global Asset Management, for a roundtable discussion on a range of topics about what’s changing in sustainable finance and investing—and what isn’t. They unpack demand drivers like electrification, energy efficiency, and capital-intensive transition investments; why renewables remain a major destination for labeled capital; and where momentum is building next (including AI data center financing).   For more thought leadership from Melissa Fifield, visit: Melissa Fifield   Learn more about the BMO Climate Institute: Climate Institute

    24 min

  6. May 26

    Turning Organic Waste into Permanent Carbon Removal

    What if the organic waste we send to landfills could instead become a scalable climate solution? In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Alma Cortés Selva, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, speaks with Jerry Kristian, co‑founder of NuLife GreenTech, about how industrial waste—from food processing residues to sewage sludge—can be transformed into permanent carbon removal and low‑carbon fuels.   Kristian explains how NuLife’s hydrothermal liquefaction technology mimics the natural process that formed fossil fuels, but in minutes rather than millennia, converting wet organic industrial waste into carbon‑rich biocrude and biochar. The conversation explores why modular deployment matters for municipalities and industry, how underground geological storage enables permanence, and why rigorous third‑party verification is critical to building trust in carbon removal markets.

    25 min

  7. May 19

    Strengthening Food Supply Chains Through Data and Transparency

    Food businesses are discovering that transparency and better data can strengthen food supply chains, reduce risk, and support growth at the same time. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Emily Hobbs, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, speaks with Anya Doherty, founder of Foodsteps, about how improved measurement and traceability are helping food companies navigate rising volatility, complex global sourcing, and increasing scrutiny from customers and stakeholders.   Doherty shares real‑world examples of how food brands, retailers, and restaurants are using data to reformulate recipes, source ingredients differently, and partner with regenerative producers to improve resilience across their supply chains. From tracing highly fragmented global food systems to validating lower‑impact farming practices, the conversation explores why food price volatility, climate risk, and supply‑chain resilience are increasingly interconnected—and how businesses that invest in better data today are positioning themselves for long‑term competitiveness. To explore more thought leadership from Emily Hobbs, visit: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/our-bankers/emily-hobbs/ Discover other BMO thought leadership on related topics:Exploring U.S. Organic Food Opportunities: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/insights/exploring-us-organic-food-opportunities/ Healthy Soils, Resilient Supply Chains: Why Regenerative Agriculture Is a Strategic Hedge : https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/insights/healthy-soils-resilient-supply-chains-why-regenerative-agriculture-is-a-strategic-hedge/

    22 min

  8. May 12

    How DHL Embeds Sustainability into Core Business Decisions

    Running one of the world’s largest logistics networks requires managing fuel use, infrastructure constraints, customer expectations, and long‑term operational risk at scale. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at BMO, speaks with Andreas Mündel, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations at DHL Group, about how sustainability is shaping the company’s strategy, operations, and competitive positioning. The conversation explores why sustainable aviation fuel is critical to DHL’s future, how the company has built one of the world’s largest electric delivery fleets, and why infrastructure availability—such as power and charging capacity—has become a key operational constraint. Listeners will also hear how customer demand for lower‑impact logistics services is driving new product offerings, how sustainability is embedded into governance and incentives, and why DHL views these efforts as essential to long‑term competitiveness rather than a compliance exercise. For more thought leadership from Michael Torrance, visit: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/our-bankers/michael-torrance/ For more episodes of Sustainability Leaders, go to: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/podcasts/sustainability-leaders/

    27 min
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About

Sustainability is a rapidly evolving field, driven by billions of dollars in global investment. Join BMO 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.

Information

  • Creator
    BMO Financial Group
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    236
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright BMO Financial Group
  • Show Website
    Sustainability Leaders

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