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 Sustainability Officer at BMO, catches up with Glen Martin, Chief Executive Officer of The Extraterrestrial Mining Company (XMC), to discuss mining Helium-3 on the Moon and how space exploration will be part of the energy transition on Earth.

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 innovation in LA as communities rebuild after devastating wildfires. They also explored the importance of public-private partnerships as the second-most populous U.S. city prepares to host events such as the World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “Los Angeles has an important role to play to reduce the impacts of the climate crisis and air pollution upon people's lives and health, while creating economic opportunity to help entrepreneurs and participants in the workforce to be part of the solution,” Petersen said.

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, sits down with Tyson White, Director of Partnerships at world leading venture and catalyst investor Breakthrough Energy. Founded by philanthropist and investor Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy is a group of organizations that invests in clean energy innovations and climate solutions. The discussion covers promising innovations in the clean energy space, approaches to investment and how to lower the barriers to capital to foster more innovation.

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. In the newest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer, BMO hosts Denver Yu, an analyst with Los Angeles-based Generational Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm, to discuss his firm's investment theses. Joining Denver are three portfolio companies and their respective leaders: Mariah Francis Carter, CEO of Lumora Technologies; Josh Riedy, Founder and CEO of Thread; and Kevin Kong, Founder and CEO, Everstar.

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 joined by Jason Morrison, President of the Pacific Institute and Head of the CEO Water Mandate, an initiative of the UN Global Compact.

Addressing the increasingly complex problem of wildfires that threaten people, communities and economic assets, requires new ways of thinking and new technologies. That is the premise of Convective Capital, California-based venture capital firm that invests in companies trying to solve the global wildfire crisis. Jay Ribakove, Principal at Convective, joins Michael Torrance, Chief Sustainability Officer for BMO, on the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders to discuss some of the most promising fire mitigation and suppression innovations.

Agrivoltaics is an innovation in which land is simultaneously used for farming and solar energy production. The aim is to increase land use efficiency, produce income, and generate environmental and social value. In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, sits down with Kathryn Beroš, Founder and Managing Director of KAP Industry, a global agrivoltaics solution provider, to learn how the technology could help address the challenge of water scarcity.

How is the metals and mining industry driving sustainable development? Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO and President of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), and Camilla Sutton, BMO’s Head of Equity Research for Canada and the UK, explore the industry’s progress, key achievements, and what’s next. During this 30-minute episode, they discuss the ICMM and its members’ progress on Consolidated Mining Standards, TNFD, decarbonization, the ‘trust deficit,’ and how the industry is contributing to sustainable development.

Critical minerals are essential inputs in modern energy and high-tech applications, including batteries, energy storage and infrastructure, and national security. They also play an important role in the global energy transition, where demand is expected to necessitate significant investment in order to develop new mines, downstream processing capacity, and secure and resilient supply chains. In this BMO podcast, Greg Jones, Battery Materials Analyst with BMO Capital Markets, sits down with Kwasi Ampofo, BloombergNEF's Head of Metals and Mining, to discuss the complexities of the critical minerals industry and the investment outlook.

In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Jonathan Hackett, Managing Director and Head, Sustainable Finance, BMO Capital Markets, sits down with Francisco Leon, President and CEO, California Resources Corporation (CRC), the state's largest oil and gas production company. CRC is focused not only on meeting the present energy needs of the world's fifth-largest economy, but also preparing for a lower carbon future.

In this two-part episode of Sustainability Leaders,  George Sutherland, Senior Advisor of Climate Change & Sustainability, hosts a conversation about the state of building retrofits, parallels between retrofits and future climate objectives, and potential opportunities. Our guests on the show include Bryan Flannigan, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Alliance; Max Graham, Chief Operating Officer, Avenue Living; and James Burrow, Director, Sustainable Finance, BMO.

In this two-part episode of Sustainability Leaders,  George Sutherland, Senior Advisor of Climate Change & Sustainability, hosts a conversation about the state of building retrofits, parallels between retrofits and future climate objectives, and potential opportunities. Our guests on the show include Bryan Flannigan, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Alliance; Max Graham, Chief Operating Officer, Avenue Living; and James Burrow, Director, Sustainable Finance, BMO.

In the latest episode of Sustainability Leaders, Angela Adduci, Senior Advisor, BMO Climate Institute, hosts a conversation with two complementary perspectives on sustainable procurement. Nathan Cummins, Global Lead for Renewable Energy Markets at The Nature Conservancy, shares insights from a toolkit to help corporate buyers with clean energy procurement. Sherrie O'Doyle, Director, Sustainable Procurement & Value Growth, BMO Financial Group, offers her experience working with supply-chain partners.

In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, host Caroline Donlin leads a panel of experts in exploring the future of sustainable construction. The discussion covers a range of topics, including the adoption of low-carbon building practices, the impact of tax credits on sustainable development, and the challenges facing the industry. Panelists James Burrow, Julia Gisewite, Barry Howard, and Nicholas Ryan offer their perspectives on emerging technologies, the importance of embodied carbon reduction, and the roadblocks to building green. From heat pumps to innovative materials, the conversation delves into the exciting possibilities and hurdles in creating a more sustainable built environment, providing listeners with a comprehensive look at the evolving landscape of sustainable construction.

A sustainable energy transition and growing demands for energy will require creative and novel ideas in energy science to become reality. How should we evaluate novel claims? What are some of the most promising areas of research in breakthrough energy? George Hathaway is an experimental scientist and engineer whose career has focused on how to experimentally validate novel and breakthrough energy concepts. In our discussion, George shares his thoughts on some of the most innovative areas of research on breakthrough energy currently underway and how he examines and validates such claims for inventors and investors.

In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Alma Cortés-Selva, Senior Advisor at the BMO Climate Institute, is joined by Nicole Rojas, CEO of Lasso Solutions, to explore the transformative funding solutions that are helping the beef and dairy sectors cut down on carbon emissions and embrace more sustainable practices.

Infrastructure is a vital driver of environmental sustainability and social resilience. Recorded at the Toronto Global Forum in 2024, this discussion on the challenges and opportunities of sustainable infrastructure was moderated by Karen Mazurkewich, Vice-President, Stakeholder Relations and Communications, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), and included Grégoire Baillargeon, President of BMO, Quebec, and Vice Chair, BMO Climate Institute, Marie-Claude Dumas, President and CEO, WSP Canada, and Macky Tall, Chair of Infrastructure Group, The Carlyle Group.

In this episode of Sustainability Leaders recorded on location at Climate Week NYC, Jonathan Hackett, Managing Director and Head, Sustainable Finance at BMO, sat down with Justine Fisher, CFO at Svante, to discuss the state of carbon solutions, regulations, and carbon credit markets.

This episode explores why real estate owners and developers are increasingly committing to sustainable practices, and how builders are supporting these initiatives.

In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, BMO’s Alma Cortes-Selva leads a roundtable discussion on supply chain management and sustainability.