Sustainability Leaders

Nelson Switzer, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Climate Innovation Capital, a venture fund, believes that it is an exceptionally good time to invest in climate tech solutions. He recently wrote a book that outlines his investment approach entitled The Gigahorn Hunter: Seven Principles for a Climate Investor. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at BMO, discusses Nelson Switzer’s investing approach, investment trends, and opportunities that he has identified in the climate tech space.

In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer, BMO, sits down with Michael Jantzi, a Member of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), to discuss the evolution of sustainability disclosures and standards and what both preparers and investors can expect for the future.

In April, Microsoft signed one of the largest carbon removal deals to date with CO280, a leading developer of large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Angela Adduci, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, moderates a discussion with two of the cofounders of CO280, Jonathan Rhone, who is CEO, and Natalie Khtikian, who is Chief Commercial Officer. They are also joined by Tansy Stobart, VP of Carbon Trading at BMO. Their conversation covered CO280's approach to the CDR market and how they are applying lessons from early successes with a sharp focus on execution to scaling the market further.

For Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon’s cloud computing business, everything is on the table as far as adoption of clean energy sources and use of energy storage solutions to meet its ambitious goal of becoming net-zero carbon by 2040. Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at BMO, hosts this episode of Sustainability Leaders with his guest Chris Walker, Director of Sustainability, AWS. They discuss AWS’ efforts at energy efficiency, nuclear power procurement, and the company’s goal to be water positive by 2030.

In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer, BMO sits down with Vanessa Miler-Fels, Vice President of Climate and Environment at Schneider Electric. They discuss Schneider Electric's plans to achieve net-zero by 2050, the company's commitment to sustainability and lessons other companies can adopt from its early successes.

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 becoming real for all of us,” Twinney said.

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, along with a roadmap involving incentives and concrete actions to boost local resilience to tackle challenges with insurance availability and affordability.

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:

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 and Global Head of Carbon Transition Practice, Bain & Company.