Amber Kirby and Aaron White of CIBC join Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy and Climate Finance to discuss the key takeaways from the 3rd annual CIBC Carbon Summit, and how participants are navigating the carbon management landscape, including financing mechanisms and carbon dioxide removal approaches, in response to evolving policies.

Bo Qin of BNEF joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability at CIBC Capital Markets to discuss the current state of voluntary and compliance markets, the challenges they face, and the key drivers shaping the price outlook for North American and global carbon markets in 2025 and beyond.

Dan Maleski of Redshaw Advisors joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability at CIBC Capital Markets, to discuss the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The discussion explores recent developments to EU carbon pricing policy, CBAM’s evolving implications on global trade, and what companies can do to manage increasing carbon costs.

Tim Thomson of Charm Industrial joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability at CIBC Capital Markets, to discuss why Canada is an attractive market for carbon removal. They explore how Charm, a U.S.-based developer, views the similarities between the Canadian and U.S. markets, the challenges and opportunities to scaling their carbon removal approach in Canada, and how Canadian government policies are attracting developers.

Roman Dubczak, Deputy Chair of CIBC Capital Markets, joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss how the business landscape for sustainability is evolving, how companies are recalibrating the conversation, and the emerging opportunities for a sustainable, low-carbon future.

Ahmad Ghahreman of Cyclic Materials joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss the recycling of rare earth elements, such as magnets from end-of-life products like electric motors and other electronics. The discussion explores the innovative technology which supports a circular supply chain that is transforming how industries source critical materials, the geopolitical context for supply security, and how Canada can compete in critical minerals and rare earth elements.

Keegan Tully of PowerON joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss the case for electrifying fleets, such as buses for mass transit, commercial vehicles and marine transportation; the solutions helping transport operators to manage the transition to electric vehicles (EVs); and the benefits of EV fleets in reducing risk, lowering emissions and maximizing cost savings.

Michael Ginsberg of Tokamak Energy joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss the promise of nuclear fusion - the challenges and opportunities to commercialize fusion technology, and it’s potential to transform future energy markets as a source of virtually limitless, clean, safe and secure energy.

In this episode of The Sustainability Agenda, host Tom Heintzman speaks with Kim Lauritsen, Senior Vice President at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), about the transformative potential of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in meeting Ontario’s growing energy demands and advancing global decarbonization efforts. Kim highlights the benefits of SMRs, including their scalability, modular design, and ability to complement renewables, while also discussing OPG’s plans to deploy GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMRs at Darlington and expand expertise internationally. The conversation underscores the importance of leveraging Ontario’s strong nuclear supply chain, fostering Indigenous partnerships, and driving innovation to position Canada as a leader in clean energy and nuclear technology.

James Scongack of Bruce Power joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss the opportunities for nuclear power innovation and expertise to meet rising electricity demand, including lessons learned from a multi-billion-dollar reactor refurbishment program and from partnerships with Indigenous stakeholders that will help to expand new nuclear capacity for the future.

Gayatri Desai of CIBC Corporate Banking Europe joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss key takeaways from CIBC’s 2nd annual Electrification Summit, including observations on global electrification trends in the UK, Europe and the U.S.

Nat Bullard of Business Climate and former Chief Content Officer at BloombergNEF, joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss the latest global trends driving the energy transition, and the progression and trajectory of electrification.

Rob Alexander of AlumaPower joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss battery storage systems, including the advances in battery storage technology, the use cases for zero-emissions long duration energy sources to meet rising electricity demand, and where the industry is headed.

Josh Wong of ThinkLabs AI joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss AI-driven approaches to grid management, including how this is helping to overcome traditional challenges to energy distribution, examples of long term and real time applications, and the impact of this automation on energy transition.

Teresa Sarkesian of the Electricity Distributors Association joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss electricity distribution, including the ways in which the demands on the distribution grid are changing, how local hydro utilities are navigating these challenges, and where the capital for grid modernization is coming from.

Apoorv Sinha of Carbon Upcycling Technologies joins Ryan Fan, Managing Director and Vice Chair, Global Markets, CIBC Capital Markets to discuss how carbon dioxide can be used as a resource to cement the foundation for a low-carbon economy and the role it can play in industrial decarbonization.

David Janashvili of CIBC Capital Markets joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss the potential implications of Trump’s second term on venture capital investment for US climate tech startups, how companies are adapting access to capital, and what our clients need to know as they engage in this space.

Mitchel Selby of Shopify joins Tom Heintzman, Vice Chair, Energy Transition and Sustainability, to discuss the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) buyer’s perspective in supporting first-of-a-kind (FOAK) carbon removal projects, including how buyers select projects and other important considerations.

Dr. Spencer Meyer of BeZero Carbon joins Ryan Fan, Managing Director and Vice Chair, Global Markets, CIBC Capital Markets, to discuss carbon ratings, including what it takes to assess carbon projects, how it helps carbon credit buyers to mitigate risk, and where the carbon ratings industry is headed. Learn more about the research mentioned in this episode here: https://cibccm.com/en/insights/podcasts/the-role-of-carbon-credit-ratings-providing-essential-market-infrastructure/

Zachary Kane of Oka joins Ryan Fan, Managing Director and Vice Chair, Global Markets, CIBC Capital Markets to discuss how carbon insurance can help sellers and corporate buyers allocate their carbon credit risk, the benefits of doing this, and where the carbon insurance industry is headed.