Sustainability Leaders

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