Sustainability Leaders

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.

Sustainability Leaders is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 240 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Sustainability Leaders, a business show with 240 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Sustainability Leaders

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

  Aug 18, 202615 min

  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/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Sustainability Leaders

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

  Aug 11, 202623 min

  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.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Sustainability Leaders

  Nature Is Critical Infrastructure for Businesses, Cities, and Communities

  Jul 20, 202630 min

  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/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Sustainability Leaders

  The Case for a Canadian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy

  Jul 14, 202628 min

  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/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Sustainability Leaders

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

  Jul 6, 202627 min

  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/

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Sustainability Leaders. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.