Sustainability Leaders
Episodes
Banking on Buildings: Green and Climate-Aligned Real Estate Performance
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Alma Cortés Selva of the BMO Climate Institute is joined by Michaela Neuberger, Executive Director of Aff...
Regenerative Agriculture: The Intersection of Soil Science and Ethics
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Leah Weatherill, Head of National Agriculture with BMO Commercial Bank in Canada, is joined by Kate Congreves, Jarislowsky and BMO Research Chair in R...
Human Rights and Sustainability Developments for Business: Litigation Trends, Risks, and Opportunities
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Torrance, BMO’s Chief Sustainability Officer, sits down with Stuart Neely, Partner with Norton Rose Fulbright in London, to discuss how regu...
Beyond the Bin: Making Reuse the Default in Food Packaging
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jayen Veerapen, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, sits down with Kayli Smith, CEO and Co‑Founder of Friendlier, a reusable packaging co...
Economic Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this inaugural episode of a special series on the Sustainability Leaders podcast focused on Reconciliation, host Kayla Jacobs, Director with BMO...
Metal Matters on Sustainability Leaders: The World Needs More Mining and Demands Better Mining
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from BMO's Metal Matters podcast, BMO Commodities Analyst Helen Amos is joined by Ro Dhawan, President and CEO of the ICMM to discuss ...
Moody’s Explains How Businesses Can Use Risk Analytics to Prepare for Climate Extremes
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Alma Cortes‑Selva of the BMO Climate Institute speaks with Viola Lutz, Head of the Moody’s Climate Cen...
Below the Surface: Brightcore Energy's Mike Richter on Geothermal Energy's Advantages
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, host Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at BMO, sits down with Mike Richter, President of Brig...
Understanding Physical Climate Risk Resilience in Real Estate
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, the authors and reviewers of new research on climate risk and real estate discuss how to use quantified...
Clean Energy Outlook 2026: Data Centers, Permitting, and Procurement
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Aging power grids in the U.S. and rising clean energy demand are both influencing the outlook for buyers in 2026. In this episode of Sustainability L...
Using AI to Reduce Flood Risk: IBM and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In collaboration with IBM through the IBM Impact Accelerator, the University of Illinois developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered flood forec...
How CarbonCure and Ozinga Are Rethinking Concrete
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Caroline Donlin, Managing Director and Head of Engineering and Construction at BMO, speaks with Kristal ...
Investing in Energy Security and Sustainability
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Climate goals, rising energy demands, and geopolitical pressures are transforming global energy investment strategies. Based on a panel discussion fro...
AI as a Corporate Sustainability Catalyst: Insights from BMO’s Chief AI and Data Officer
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an episode of the Sustainability Leaders podcast, Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, sits down with Kristin Milchanowski, BMO’...
The Rise of Renewable Energy in Texas
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Texas has grown to become a renewable energy powerhouse. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at ...
In Conversation with Electrovaya’s CEO: How Lithium-Ion Batteries Help Drive Industrial Decarbonization
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Stephen Uwazota, Director of Sustainable Finance and Clean Energy, BMO sits down with Raj DasGupta, Chief E...
Innovation in the U.S. Nuclear Power Industry
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As demand for clean sources of power has risen, so has interest in nuclear energy. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jayen Veerapen, Senior A...
Sustainable and Climate Finance in the EU and Beyond - A Perspective from Helena Viñes Fiestas, Chair of the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer at BMO, hosts Helena Viñes Fiestas, who is Chair of ...
Making Homes Wildfire-Resistant
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Note: This episode deals with wildfires and the damage they inflict on the built environment, topics that some may find challenging. Between 1980 and...
After Climate Week, Pragmatism Seen Producing New Business Opportunities
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, and John Uhren, Managing Director of Sustainable Financ...
The Business Case for Human Rights Policies
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Risk management is an important driver of why companies form their own human rights policies. But collaborative approaches to human rights aligned wit...
Sustainable Travel – Are We There Yet? A Conversation with Booking Holdings
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The mission of the company Booking Holdings—which includes the brands Booking.com, Priceline, and OpenTable—is to make it easier for everyone to e...
New Frontiers of Fusion and Fission Energy Investment
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer, BMO, is joined by Matt Morris, associate with Hitachi...
Investable Opportunities from the Energy Transition
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The energy transition bears risks but also brings opportunities for investors. That insight drove the conversation led by Jayen Veerapen, Senior Advis...
Property Resilience to Climate Risk: In Search of Standards
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“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 t...
Why Novilla RNG is Bullish on the Renewable Natural Gas Market
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jayen Veerapen, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, focuses on renewable natural gas (RNG), the ...
Improving Grid Resilience with Long-Duration Energy Storage
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Susta...
Investing Opportunities in Climate Tech
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nelson Switzer, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Climate Innovation Capital, a venture fund, believes that it is an exceptionally good time to inves...
A Discussion with Michael Jantzi on the Roll Out of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Disclosure Standards
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer, BMO, sits down with Michael Jantzi, a Member of the I...
How the Carbon Dioxide Removal Market is Evolving and Transforming Industries
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Energy-Efficient Data Centers: A Conversation with Amazon Web Services
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
Lessons from Schneider Electric on Its Net-Zero Journey
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer, BMO sits down with Vanessa Miler-Fels, Vice President of Cl...
Taking on the Task of Rebuilding LA
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Sustainability Leaders is from BMO’s Markets Plus podcast and hosted by Caroline Donlin, Managing Director and Head of Engineer...
The Path to Commercializing Fusion Energy
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could nuclear fusion be a solution to some of the world's most pressing energy challenges? In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jayen Veer...
Supporting Home Insurability and Investing in Building Resilience
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Among the challenges that the global insurance industry faces are increasing exposure and vulnerability of the built environment in areas prone to ext...
The Present and Future of Sustainable Finance
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, John Uhren, Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, BMO Capital Markets, moderates a conversation with a gr...
Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can companies leverage sustainable strategies as a potential source of competitive advantage? In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, James Bur...
Exploring U.S. organic food opportunities
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. is a net importer of organic food, and demand for certified organic products represents an opportunity for domestic agricultural businesses. ...
Innovations in Long-Duration Energy Storage
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Renewable energy generation continues to grow and increase the need to store energy efficiently and economically for longer durations of time. In the ...
Cheaper, Faster, Better: Financing a Smart Energy Transition and a Low Carbon Economy
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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-centu...
Mining on the Moon for Sustainable Energy
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
Strengthening Resilience in Los Angeles with Cleantech
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Emily Hobbs, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute, sits down with Matt Petersen, President a...
Breakthrough Energy: From Innovations to Investment
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Identifying the most promising innovations in clean energy and turning them into commercially viable solutions are not easy to do. In the newest episo...
The Role of Innovation in the Energy Transition
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Business Importance of Water Scarcity and Stewardship
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, discusses escalating water-related risks for busi...
Stopping and Preventing Wildfires with Technology
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Addressing the increasingly complex problem of wildfires that threaten people, communities and economic assets, requires new ways of thinking and new ...
Agrivoltaics: A Water Conservation Solution?
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Agrivoltaics is an innovation in which land is simultaneously used for farming and solar energy production. The aim is to increase land use efficiency...
Metals & Mining: Shedding Light on a Sustainable Future
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How is the metals and mining industry driving sustainable development? Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO and President of the International Council on Mining and M...
Critical Minerals Investment Outlook
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Critical minerals are essential inputs in modern energy and high-tech applications, including batteries, energy storage and infrastructure, and nation...
Opportunities in California's Energy Transition
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jonathan Hackett, Managing Director and Head, Sustainable Finance, BMO Capital Markets, sits down wit...
Opportunities to Accelerate Building Decarbonization, Part 2
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this two-part episode of Sustainability Leaders, George Sutherland, Senior Advisor of Climate Change & Sustainability, hosts a conversation abou...
Opportunities to Accelerate Building Decarbonization, Part 1
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this two-part episode of Sustainability Leaders, George Sutherland, Senior Advisor of Climate Change & Sustainability, hosts a conversation abou...
Sustainable Procurement
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Angela Adduci, Senior Advisor, BMO Climate Institute, hosts a conversation with two complementary pe...
The Path to Low-Carbon Buildings
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, host Caroline Donlin leads a panel of experts in exploring the future of sustainable construction. The disc...
Validating Breakthrough Energy Concepts, a Discussion with George Hathaway
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A sustainable energy transition and growing demands for energy will require creative and novel ideas in energy science to become reality. How should w...
From Farm to Future: How Funding Solutions are Shaping Agricultural Emissions
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Alma Cortés-Selva, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, is joined by Nicole Rojas, CEO of Lasso So...
The Future of Infrastructure
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Infrastructure is a vital driver of environmental sustainability and social resilience. Recorded at the Toronto Global Forum in 2024, this discussion ...
Unlocking the Carbon Management Value Chain
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders recorded on location at Climate Week NYC, Jonathan Hackett, Managing Director and Head, Sustainable Finance ...
Building for Tomorrow: Real Estate, Construction, and Sustainability
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores why real estate owners and developers are increasingly committing to sustainable practices, and how builders are supporting thes...
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO’s Alma Cortes-Selva leads a roundtable discussion on supply chain management and sustainability.
The Economics of Carbon Removal: A Conversation with Deep Sky
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grégoire Baillargeon, President, BMO Financial Group, Quebec, and Fred Lalonde, co-founder of Deep Sky, discuss why carbon removal technology solutio...
Sustainable Packaging: Eco Guardian in Conversation
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Issam Majeed, Managing Director of Diversified Industries, BMO Corporate Finance sat down with Anil Abr...
Building a Case for Zero-Carbon Construction in Canada
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Zero-carbon construction is not just important for greenhouse gas emissions reduction—it can also be a smart investment for asset owners. Angela Add...
Futureproofing the Dealership in a Time of Transformation
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all know the auto industry is headed toward electrification and alternative energy inputs. It’s an ambitious undertaking, and dealers have a lot ...
BMO Equity Research on the AI + Data Center Build Out: Sustainability Impacts, Second Order Beneficiaries
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode from BMO's IN Tune podcast focuses on how the AI/data center build out is contributing to a new era of electricity demand.
Sustainable Food Systems: Trends and Opportunities
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, George Sutherland, Senior Advisor with the BMO Climate Institute sat down with John Simpson, Chairman, O...
Dairy Industry Goals: GHG Neutrality and Water Management
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, our experts discuss the implementation efforts that enable progress towards the dairy industry for the 2050...
The Intersection of Equity and the Environment
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Melissa Fifield sat down with Mil Niepold, Founder and President of The Mara Partners (TMP), a strategic...
Farmer-Led Climate Solutions, Part 2
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In part 2, Alma Cortes Selva, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, speaks with Jim Winn from Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance about his exper...
Farmer-Led Climate Solutions, Part 1
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alma Cortes Selva, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, speaks with Lauren Brey about her work at Farmers for Sustainable Food and the experie...
Sustainable Living: Understanding Home Retrofits
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode dives into the benefits of energy-efficient upgrades to help homeowners make informed choices that can reduce energy costs, improve comf...
Accelerating Financing for Retrofits
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, James Burrow, sat down with Aaron Berg, head of the Building Retrofits Initiative at Canada Infrastructure ...
Food, Ag, Fertilizer, and ESG From BMO’s 19th Annual Farm to Market Conference: BMO Equity Research
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from BMO’s IN Tune Podcast, host Camilla Sutton is joined by Kelly Bania, Joel Jackson, Doug Morrow and Andrew Strelzik to disc...
Incorporating Climate Risk in Valuations
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can climate change impact financial markets and the regulatory landscape, and how might investors be able to integrate climate risks and opportuni...
Supporting Renewable Fuel Programs
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, BMO and Imperial Oil donated money to the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering to support Schulich Racing (F1), Off-Roa...
Understanding America’s Carbon Markets
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to the key takeaways from a panel Rachel Walsh, Environmental Commodities Strategist at BMO Capital Markets joined, titled: “America’s Carb...
Canada Inflation: Moving in the right direction?
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Sustainability Leaders episode, Alma Cortés Selva is joined by Doug Porter and Dr. José Nuño-Ledesma, Assistant Professor of Food Industry ...
U.S. Inflation: Where are we headed?
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the U.S., inflation has been persistent and it’s one of the trickiest indexes to measure from an economic standpoint, according to Erik Johnson, ...
Making Renewable Energy Technology Accessible to Underserved Communities: GRID Alternatives in Conversation
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
GRID Alternatives is a national leader in helping economic and environmental justice communities nationwide get clean, affordable solar power and sola...
Carbon Accounting: How to Strengthen Corporate Climate Plans
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The more companies take climate action, the less confident they seem to be about their actions having an impact on what’s causing the climate to cha...
Battery Technology Advances Are Driving EV Industry Optimism
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn why a BloombergNEF analyst is not so worried about the slowdown in global electric vehicle (EV) sales.
The Role of Insurance in Creating Climate Change Resilience
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The availability of insurance can play a critical role in the deploying of capital toward climate action. BMO spoke with Natalia Moudrak, Senior Direc...
Loan Programs Office on Financing Emerging Clean Technology
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
BMO spoke with Elizabeth Bellis Wolfe, Senior Advisor at the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office (LPO), one of the highest-profile programs f...
How Satellites can Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the role of satellites in measuring, managing, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and how this technology is being operationalized by ...
Jigar Shah on Financing the Energy Transition
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jigar Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy, shares what younger clean energy companies should understand about LPO and how...
Ontario’s New Sustainable Bond Framework
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Magali Gable, Director of Sustainable Finance, sat down with Elizabeth Wallace and Alex Wood, Assistant Deputy Minister, Climate Change, Ontario Minis...
The Role of Responsible Mining in the Clean Energy Transition: ICMM CEO Rohitesh Dhawan in Conversation
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The energy transition has brought transformation to the mining sector. Colin Hamilton, Commodities Analyst, BMO Capital Markets, sat down with the I...
Becoming Nature Positive in the Mining Sector
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to BMO experts and Carleigh Whitman, Head, Nature & Closure at Teck Resources Limited, discuss how companies are incorporating nature into th...
How NASA and IBM Are Using Geospatial Data and AI to Analyze Climate Risks
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Torrance sat down with Kevin Murphy, Chief Science State Officer at NASA, and Raghu Ganti, a Principal Research Scientist at IBM Research, to ...
What COP28 Means for the Future of the Energy Transition
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grégoire Baillargeon, President, BMO Financial Group, Quebec, Jonathan Hackett, Vice Chair, BMO Capital Markets, and George Sutherland, Senior Adviso...
Understanding the Inner Workings of AI: Part 2
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to part two of our two-part series around artificial intelligence featuring Rosa van den Beemt, director of stewardship in Responsible Investme...
Understanding the Inner Workings of AI: Part 1
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“The excitement around artificial intelligence comes from the fact that the machines now don't need humans' explicit instructions, but rather they l...
Extreme Temperatures: How North American Cities Amplify Climate Change
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After record-breaking heat in the summer, 2023 is on track to be the hottest year ever. Listen to learn why.
The C-suite is increasingly in Front on Climate
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More companies have plans to address climate change based on rising business importance, according to results of the second annual poll commissioned b...
Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs: Andy Blair in Conversation
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re joined by Andy Blair, Co-Founder of Upflow, a geothermal, research, and innovation company based in New Zealand. Upflow is dedicated ...
Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs: Menna Farouk in Conversation
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re joined by Menna Farouk, Founder and CEO of Dosy, a tech-based scooter and bicycle riding platform for women and girls. Dosy aims to e...
Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs: Diana Mbogo in Conversation
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re joined by Diana Mbogo, Founder and Managing Director of Millennium Engineers Enterprises Ltd, a renewable energy social enterprise in ...
Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs: Karin Sempf in Conversation
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re joined by Karin Sempf, CEO and Founder of Innova Nation, an educational lab focused on motivating and empowering the upcoming genera...
Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs: Susan Blanchet in Conversation
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re joined by Susan Blanchet, CEO and Founder of Origen Air. Origen Air provides a complete indoor air purification solution.
Solving for the Ocean Plastic Crisis: 4Ocean in Conversation
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today, Alex Schulze, CEO and founder of 4Ocean, speaks to their mission and how they’ve removed over 30 million pounds of trash from the o...