This episode of Sustainability Leaders is from BMO’s Markets Plus podcast and hosted by Caroline Donlin, Managing Director and Head of Engineering and Construction at BMO. The show featured Veronica Luttrell, Operations Planner at ECC, a leading construction company, and it delves into the rebuilding efforts in Southern California following the devastating wildfires in January.
Could nuclear fusion be a solution to some of the world's most pressing energy challenges? In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jayen Veerapen, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, discusses this question and more with Greg Twinney, CEO of General Fusion. The British Columbia-based company is developing a fast and practical approach to commercial fusion energy. “Fusion isn't a dream anymore. It's becoming mainstream because progress is being made and the timelines are becomin...
Among the challenges that the global insurance industry faces are increasing exposure and vulnerability of the built environment in areas prone to extreme weather. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Angela Adduci, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, sits down with Maryam Golnaraghi, Director of Climate Change and the Environment at the Geneva Association, on how decisions by homeowners and a wide range of public – and private-sector stakeholders impact risks of properties, alo...
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, John Uhren, Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, BMO Capital Markets, moderates a conversation with a group of institutional investors in Canada about the current state and future of sustainable finance. Joining as guests to discuss the challenges they encounter, sense of optimism for the investment category, and important work ahead are: Elizabeth Wallace, Senior Manager Funding, Ontario Financing Authority; Barbara Zvan, President & CEO, Univer...
How can companies leverage sustainable strategies as a potential source of competitive advantage? In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, James Burrow, Director, Sustainable Finance at BMO is joined by a panel of experts to explore how incorporating social and environmental considerations could help drive efficiencies and unlock growth opportunities. The panel includes Aysu Katun, VP of Sustainability, Greif; Tim Faveri, VP of Global Sustainability, Nutrien Inc; and Torsten Lichtenau, Partner...
The U.S. is a net importer of organic food, and demand for certified organic products represents an opportunity for domestic agricultural businesses. That was one of the main points to come from the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, hosted by Emily Hobbs, Senior Advisor, BMO Climate Institute, and featuring Jessy Beckett Parr, Chief Program Officer, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). "There is a strong and growing demand for certified organic products here in the United States....
Renewable energy generation continues to grow and increase the need to store energy efficiently and economically for longer durations of time. In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jayen Veerapen, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, explores how zinc-based batteries and storage assets could be an interesting alternative to lithium-ion battery chemistries. His guest is James Larsen, CEO of e-Zinc, an energy storage technology developer with projects in Canada and the US. “At...
In his New York Times-Bestselling book Cheaper, Faster, Better, Tom Steyer reframes climate change not as a crisis to fear, but as a once-in-a-century opportunity to build something better. In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, and Grégoire Baillargeon, Vice-Chair BMO Climate Institute, sit down with Tom Steyer, Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions, to discuss his thoughts on investment opportunities and climate change.
Helium-3 is an important isotope for technological and energy innovation driving the net-zero transition. It's very rare on Earth but found commonly on the Moon. In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at BMO, catches up with Glen Martin, Chief Executive Officer of The Extraterrestrial Mining Company (XMC), to discuss mining Helium-3 on the Moon and how space exploration will be part of the energy transition on Earth.
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Emily Hobbs, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, sits down with Matt Petersen, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator. They discuss the role of startups and innovation in LA as communities rebuild after devastating wildfires. They also explored the importance of public-private partnerships as the second-most populous U.S. city prepares to host events such as the World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “Los...
Identifying the most promising innovations in clean energy and turning them into commercially viable solutions are not easy to do. In the newest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer with BMO, sits down with Tyson White, Director of Partnerships at world leading venture and catalyst investor Breakthrough Energy. Founded by philanthropist and investor Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy is a group of organizations that invests in clean energy innovations an...
It might seem obvious to say that the energy transition will require a lot of innovation to happen. But it's anything but obvious how a combination of technology, new thinking, and hard work will address our present-day energy challenges. In the newest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer, BMO hosts Denver Yu, an analyst with Los Angeles-based Generational Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm, to discuss his firm's investment theses. Joining ...
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, discusses escalating water-related risks for businesses and the importance of public-private partnerships for water stewardship. She is joined by Jason Morrison, President of the Pacific Institute and Head of the CEO Water Mandate, an initiative of the UN Global Compact.
Addressing the increasingly complex problem of wildfires that threaten people, communities and economic assets, requires new ways of thinking and new technologies. That is the premise of Convective Capital, California-based venture capital firm that invests in companies trying to solve the global wildfire crisis. Jay Ribakove, Principal at Convective, joins Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer for BMO, on the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders to discuss some of the most promisin...
Agrivoltaics is an innovation in which land is simultaneously used for farming and solar energy production. The aim is to increase land use efficiency, produce income, and generate environmental and social value. In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, sits down with Kathryn Beroš, Founder and Managing Director of KAP Industry, a global agrivoltaics solution provider, to learn how the technology could help address the challenge of wate...
How is the metals and mining industry driving sustainable development? Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO and President of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), and Camilla Sutton, BMO’s Head of Equity Research for Canada and the UK, explore the industry’s progress, key achievements, and what’s next. During this 30-minute episode, they discuss the ICMM and its members’ progress on Consolidated Mining Standards, TNFD, decarbonization, the ‘trust deficit,’ and how the industry is contributing t...
Critical minerals are essential inputs in modern energy and high-tech applications, including batteries, energy storage and infrastructure, and national security. They also play an important role in the global energy transition, where demand is expected to necessitate significant investment in order to develop new mines, downstream processing capacity, and secure and resilient supply chains. In this BMO podcast, Greg Jones, Battery Materials Analyst with BMO Capital Markets, sits down with Kwasi...
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jonathan Hackett, Managing Director and Head, Sustainable Finance, BMO Capital Markets, sits down with Francisco Leon, President and CEO, California Resources Corporation (CRC), the state's largest oil and gas production company. CRC is focused not only on meeting the present energy needs of the world's fifth-largest economy, but also preparing for a lower carbon future.
In this two-part episode of Sustainability Leaders, George Sutherland, Senior Advisor of Climate Change & Sustainability, hosts a conversation about the state of building retrofits, parallels between retrofits and future climate objectives, and potential opportunities. Our guests on the show include Bryan Flannigan, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Alliance; Max Graham, Chief Operating Officer, Avenue Living; and James Burrow, Director, Sustainable Finance, BMO.
In this two-part episode of Sustainability Leaders, George Sutherland, Senior Advisor of Climate Change & Sustainability, hosts a conversation about the state of building retrofits, parallels between retrofits and future climate objectives, and potential opportunities. Our guests on the show include Bryan Flannigan, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Alliance; Max Graham, Chief Operating Officer, Avenue Living; and James Burrow, Director, Sustainable Finance, BMO.
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Angela Adduci, Senior Advisor, BMO Climate Institute, hosts a conversation with two complementary perspectives on sustainable procurement. Nathan Cummins, Global Lead for Renewable Energy Markets at The Nature Conservancy, shares insights from a toolkit to help corporate buyers with clean energy procurement. Sherrie O'Doyle, Director, Sustainable Procurement & Value Growth, BMO Financial Group, offers her experience working with supply-chain p...
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, host Caroline Donlin leads a panel of experts in exploring the future of sustainable construction. The discussion covers a range of topics, including the adoption of low-carbon building practices, the impact of tax credits on sustainable development, and the challenges facing the industry. Panelists James Burrow, Julia Gisewite, Barry Howard, and Nicholas Ryan offer their perspectives on emerging technologies, the importance of embodied carbon reduction...
A sustainable energy transition and growing demands for energy will require creative and novel ideas in energy science to become reality. How should we evaluate novel claims? What are some of the most promising areas of research in breakthrough energy? George Hathaway is an experimental scientist and engineer whose career has focused on how to experimentally validate novel and breakthrough energy concepts. In our discussion, George shares his thoughts on some of the most innovative areas of rese...
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Alma Cortés-Selva, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, is joined by Nicole Rojas, CEO of Lasso Solutions, to explore the transformative funding solutions that are helping the beef and dairy sectors cut down on carbon emissions and embrace more sustainable practices.
Infrastructure is a vital driver of environmental sustainability and social resilience. Recorded at the Toronto Global Forum in 2024, this discussion on the challenges and opportunities of sustainable infrastructure was moderated by Karen Mazurkewich, Vice-President, Stakeholder Relations and Communications, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), and included Grégoire Baillargeon, President of BMO, Quebec, and Vice Chair, BMO Climate Institute, Marie-Claude Dumas, President and CEO, WSP Cana...
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders recorded on location at Climate Week NYC, Jonathan Hackett, Managing Director and Head, Sustainable Finance at BMO, sat down with Justine Fisher, CFO at Svante, to discuss the state of carbon solutions, regulations, and carbon credit markets.
This episode explores why real estate owners and developers are increasingly committing to sustainable practices, and how builders are supporting these initiatives.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO’s Alma Cortes-Selva leads a roundtable discussion on supply chain management and sustainability.
Grégoire Baillargeon, President, BMO Financial Group, Quebec, and Fred Lalonde, co-founder of Deep Sky, discuss why carbon removal technology solutions are urgently needed and the opportunities to scale them.
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Issam Majeed, Managing Director of Diversified Industries, BMO Corporate Finance sat down with Anil Abrol, Founder and CEO of Eco Guardian. Eco Guardian has been helping lead the way in sustainable packaging for the last 20 years and is at the forefront of the fight against environmental degradation, specializing in organic and eco-friendly products designed to minimize waste and pollution.
