Sustainability Leaders
Business & Finance
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.
Episodes
- How DHL Embeds Sustainability into Core Business Decisions
Andreas Mündel, SVP of Strategy and Operations at DHL Group, explains how sustainability influences the company's strategy, operations, and competitive standing, covering sustainable aviation fuel, electric delivery fleets, and infrastruct…
- Powering the AI Economy Without Losing Community Trust
Doug Morrow, Director of ESG Strategy at BMO Capital Markets, explains to host Alma Cortés Selva how the growth of AI data centers is impacting power systems, community trust, energy and water use, and the economy. They discuss the need fo…
- Farmland and Water as Investment Strategies
Angela Adduci of the BMO Climate Institute speaks with Alyssa Go and Craig Wichner about using regenerative agriculture and water strategy to create financial returns by viewing climate as a key investor consideration.
- Unlocking Blended Finance for Regenerative Agriculture: American Farmland Trust’s CEO in Conversation
John Piotti, CEO of the American Farmland Trust, explains why farmland is crucial climate infrastructure and how to invest in it. The discussion covers regenerative agriculture's benefits, financing methods like conservation easements, and…
- Redwoods Rising: Restoring Forests, Rebuilding Communities
This episode examines the Redwoods Rising project in California as a case study for how large-scale ecological restoration can foster resilience and economic growth. Discussions cover healing landscapes, creating jobs, and the environmenta…
- Banking on Buildings: Green and Climate-Aligned Real Estate Performance
This episode of Sustainability Leaders features Alma Cortés Selva, Michaela Neuberger, and James Burrow discussing the Banking on Buildings research. They explore how green and climate-aligned buildings offer better financial returns, resi…
- Regenerative Agriculture: The Intersection of Soil Science and Ethics
Leah Weatherill and Kate Congreves explore regenerative agriculture as a scientific approach and ethical framework. They discuss soil health, the role of nitrogen in food production, and the balance between agricultural productivity and en…
- Human Rights and Sustainability Developments for Business: Litigation Trends, Risks, and Opportunities
Michael Torrance of BMO speaks with Stuart Neely of Norton Rose Fulbright about regulatory impacts on human rights and sustainability, multinational standards, and key global litigation trends.
- Beyond the Bin: Making Reuse the Default in Food Packaging
Jayen Veerapen talks with Kayli Smith about the persistent issues of single-use food packaging and Friendlier's reusable packaging service model. They cover how durable, trackable containers and a deposit-return system can enable reuse at…
- Economic Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
Host Kayla Jacobs speaks with Nadir André about advancing economic reconciliation in Canada. They explore Nadir's work in Indigenous law and discuss the role of corporate Canada, Indigenous rights, and building respectful relationships for…
- Metal Matters on Sustainability Leaders: The World Needs More Mining and Demands Better Mining
This episode features Ro Dhawan, President and CEO of the ICMM, discussing the critical role of mining and critical minerals. They cover the new Consolidated Mining Standard, advancements in tailings management and safety, and the potentia…
- Moody’s Explains How Businesses Can Use Risk Analytics to Prepare for Climate Extremes
Alma Cortes‑Selva and Viola Lutz discuss how climate risk analytics, including the role of AI, are transforming business preparedness for severe natural disasters and fostering resilience.
- Below the Surface: Brightcore Energy's Mike Richter on Geothermal Energy's Advantages
This episode features Mike Richter of Brightcore Energy discussing geothermal ground-source heat pumps with host Michael Torrance. They cover the technology's benefits, deployment challenges, and its importance in the clean energy transiti…
- Understanding Physical Climate Risk Resilience in Real Estate
The podcast features experts discussing the application of quantified climate risk insights to real estate, focusing on asset prioritization, adaptation strategies, and resilience as an investable approach. Panelists include representative…
- Clean Energy Outlook 2026: Data Centers, Permitting, and Procurement
This episode explores the 2026 clean energy outlook, focusing on the influence of aging power grids and rising demand on buyers. Host Angela Adduci and Rich Powell discuss meeting US energy demand, the importance of permitting reform and g…
- Using AI to Reduce Flood Risk: IBM and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Sustainability Leaders features a discussion with Ana Barros (University of Illinois) and Michael Jacobs (IBM) about their collaboration on an AI-powered flood forecasting system. The system, developed with IBM
- How CarbonCure and Ozinga Are Rethinking Concrete
Caroline Donlin speaks with Kristal Kaye of CarbonCure and Marty Ozinga of Ozinga about their collaboration on sustainable concrete. The discussion covers the economic, technical, and cultural changes required for decarbonizing this key bu…
- Investing in Energy Security and Sustainability
This episode of Sustainability Leaders, based on a panel from the 2025 Toronto Global Forum, discusses how climate goals, rising energy demands, and geopolitical pressures are reshaping global energy investments. It covers the impact of in…
- AI as a Corporate Sustainability Catalyst: Insights from BMO’s Chief AI and Data Officer
Melissa Fifield and Kristin Milchanowski discuss how AI can be central to corporate sustainability strategies. They explore practical uses, ethical aspects, and the process of incorporating AI into these frameworks.
- The Rise of Renewable Energy in Texas
Michael Torrance interviews Raina Hornaday, General Manager and Co-Founder of Caprock Renewables, on the Sustainability Leaders podcast. They discuss the expansion of the renewable energy sector in Texas, particularly wind and solar power,…
- In Conversation with Electrovaya’s CEO: How Lithium-Ion Batteries Help Drive Industrial Decarbonization
Raj DasGupta, CEO of Electrovaya, spoke with Stephen Uwazota about the benefits of lithium battery chemistries, safety improvements, and potential uses in industrial, AI, and security fields. Electrovaya is a global supplier of lithium-ion…
- Innovation in the U.S. Nuclear Power Industry
Jayen Veerapen speaks with Chris Levesque about the factors behind the renewed interest in the U.S. nuclear power industry and upcoming innovations. Levesque is President and CEO of TerraPower, a company focused on nuclear technology solut…
- Sustainable and Climate Finance in the EU and Beyond - A Perspective from Helena Viñes Fiestas, Chair of the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance
Helena Viñes Fiestas, Chair of the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance, shares her insights on sustainable and climate finance, sustainability reporting, and governance within the EU and internationally.
- Making Homes Wildfire-Resistant
Alma Cortes Selva and Dr. Kimiko Barrett discuss the growing threat of wildfires, noting that 18 of the 22 U.S. wildfires causing over $1 billion in damage since 1980 occurred since 2000. They explore methods for making homes resistant to…
- After Climate Week, Pragmatism Seen Producing New Business Opportunities
John Uhren of BMO Capital Markets noted the prevalence of "climate pragmatism" at Climate Week New York. He explained that focusing on pragmatic aspects, such as efficiency gains in areas like EV drivetrains and heat pumps, makes commercia…
- The Business Case for Human Rights Policies
Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at BMO, speaks with Yousuf Aftab about the business case for human rights policies. Their discussion covers risk management, collaborative approaches, the UN Guiding Principles, and advising c…
- Sustainable Travel – Are We There Yet? A Conversation with Booking Holdings
The mission of the company Booking Holdings—which includes the brands Booking.com, Priceline, and OpenTable—is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Kate Heiny, Vice President of…
- New Frontiers of Fusion and Fission Energy Investment
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer, BMO, is joined by Matt Morris, associate with Hitachi Ventures, the global venture capital arm of Hitachi Group. They discuss what it takes to…
- Investable Opportunities from the Energy Transition
The energy transition bears risks but also brings opportunities for investors. That insight drove the conversation led by Jayen Veerapen, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, with Pooja Khosla, CEO of Entelligent, a developer of…
- Property Resilience to Climate Risk: In Search of Standards
“Standards help people understand what they're buying and if there are any significant impairments to value. And now we're living in a world where the physical impacts of climate change to commercial real estate is growing, insurance costs…
- Why Novilla RNG is Bullish on the Renewable Natural Gas Market
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jayen Veerapen, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, focuses on renewable natural gas (RNG), the state of the U.S. market, and the case for rising RNG demand in the future. His guest is…
- Improving Grid Resilience with Long-Duration Energy Storage
The power grid in North America, which is already complex, is seeing demand rise for low-cost and emissions-free electricity. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Stephen Uwazota, Director of Sustainable Finance and Clean Energy at B…
- Investing Opportunities in Climate Tech
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 approa…
- A Discussion with Michael Jantzi on the Roll Out of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Disclosure Standards
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 sustainab…
- How the Carbon Dioxide Removal Market is Evolving and Transforming Industries
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…
- Energy-Efficient Data Centers: A Conversation with Amazon Web Services
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. Mic…
- Lessons from Schneider Electric on Its Net-Zero Journey
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 a…
- Taking on the Task of Rebuilding LA
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 l…
- The Path to Commercializing Fusion Energy
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…
- Supporting Home Insurability and Investing in Building Resilience
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 wi…
- The Present and Future of Sustainable Finance
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 sustainabl…
- Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage
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…
- Exploring U.S. organic food opportunities
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…
- Innovations in Long-Duration Energy Storage
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 Cli…
- Cheaper, Faster, Better: Financing a Smart Energy Transition and a Low Carbon Economy
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,…
- Mining on the Moon for Sustainable Energy
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 Sust…
- Strengthening Resilience in Los Angeles with Cleantech
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 inno…
- Breakthrough Energy: From Innovations to Investment
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, si…
- The Role of Innovation in the Energy Transition
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.…
- The Business Importance of Water Scarcity and Stewardship
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 jo…