Sustainability Leaders

Hosted by BMO Financial Group

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241

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

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.

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60 recent

August 18, 202615 min

The Hidden Costs of Homeownership: Climate Risk, Insurance, and the Affordability Crunch

Rising HOA fees and insurance premiums are reshaping the true cost of owning a home, with climate risk increasingly at the center of it all. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Alma Cortés Selva, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, sits down with Matt Schulz, Chief Consumer Finance Analyst at LendingTree, to unpack how these interconnected pressures are driving a new affordability reality across U.S. housing markets. They explore why homeowners, lenders, and investors can no longer view housing costs in isolation, how climate exposure is influencing buyer behavior and property values, and why insurance is quickly becoming a defining factor in market access.   Visit LendingTree to learn more about the research cited in this episode: https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/hoa-survey/?msockid=03ed45b570be6d8b0420534471b76c7d Go to BMO for more thought leadership from Alma Cortés Selva: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/our-bankers/alma-cortes-selva/

August 11, 202623 min

Employee Ownership: Aligning Profit, Purpose, and Long-Term Value

Employee ownership is gaining momentum as a powerful strategy to align business success with employee wellbeing and community resilience. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, BMO’s Chief Sustainability Officer, sits down with Leah Turnbull, Managing Director and National ESOP Practice Lead at BMO, to explore how employee ownership structures—such as Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) in the U.S. and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) in Canada—are transforming the way companies think about growth, succession, and sustainability.  They discuss why employee ownership is increasingly relevant amid a wave of retiring business owners, how it can help close the wealth gap by expanding access to equity, and why it offers a compelling alternative to traditional sale options.

July 21, 202629 min

Nature Is Critical Infrastructure for Businesses, Cities, and Communities

Nature is no longer being viewed as an environmental consideration alone—it is increasingly being recognized as critical infrastructure that supports economic growth, business resilience, and long‑term value creation. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO’s Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Torrance speaks with Dom Kempson and Mike Morris from Stantec, a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting, about how nature-based solutions are helping organizations manage risk, strengthen operations, and improve outcomes for communities. Drawing on examples from water systems, data centers, coastal infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration projects around the world, the conversation explores how companies are integrating nature into planning and investment decisions. The guests discuss why leading organizations are embedding nature into business strategy rather than treating it as an add‑on, how financial institutions are increasingly viewing nature as a source of resilience and risk reduction, and why nature-based solutions are becoming an important part of future infrastructure investment. Visit BMO for more thought leadership from Michael Torrance: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/our-bankers/michael-torrance/

July 14, 202627 min

The Case for a Canadian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy

Without clear standards, investors face a fragmented approach to climate investing—limiting the flow of capital needed to fund Canada’s transition. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, John Uhren, Global Head of Sustainable Finance at BMO Capital Markets, speaks with Marlene Puffer, Chair of the Canadian Taxonomy and Transition Planning Council at Business Future Pathways, about how a sustainable finance taxonomy can bring consistency, credibility, and scale to climate investment. Puffer explains how a taxonomy classifies economic activity into categories to better direct capital—particularly toward hard‑to‑abate sectors such as steel and energy. The conversation explores why Canada needs to attract significant new investment to meet net‑zero goals, how global examples are already mobilizing capital at scale, and how a clear, science‑based framework can improve transparency, attract foreign investment, and support more effective allocation of capital across the economy. For the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy: Methodology Report Draft, visit: https://www.businessfuturepathways.ca/consultations/sustainable-finance-taxonomy-methodology-report-draft-for-public-comment/

July 7, 202627 min

The Business Case for Sustainability: A Conversation with Jeffrey Hollender, Co-Founder of Seventh Generation

Climate risk is a business risk, and companies that ignore it face growing financial exposure and operational disruption. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Alma Cortés Selva, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, speaks with Jeffrey Hollender, Co-Founder of Seventh Generation, about why sustainability must be grounded in a clear business case. Jeffrey Hollender explains how climate impacts—from extreme weather to supply chain fragility—are already reshaping how companies operate, and why leaders must design more resilient, transparent systems to manage these risks. He emphasizes that sustainability is not just about values, but about improving performance through lower costs, stronger supply chains, and better access to talent. Visit BMO for more thought leadership from Alma Cortés Selva: https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/our-bankers/alma-cortes-selva/ To learn more about Jeffrey Hollender’s book Built for a Better World, go to: https://jeffreyhollender.net/

June 24, 202631 min

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/

June 22, 202628 min

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.

June 16, 202625 min

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

June 9, 202623 min

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/

June 2, 202623 min

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