Women are Leading Across the Landscape of Climate and Sustainability

The BMO Climate Institute and BMO for Women have partnered to celebrate Women’s History Month and showcase women on the leading edge of the net-zero transition. We are proud to highlight women leaders focused on climate change across a spectrum of sectors and industries.

The net-zero transition requires investment from every corner of the global economy and buy-in from every type of organization, from government agencies to entrepreneurs to industry. In recent years, we have seen an increased focus on the issue of climate change across the private and public sectors–and women are leading on many fronts.

This focus is especially crucial as recent gender equity research suggests that women are disproportionately impacted by climate change. While we are striving for a more equitable future, we are also encouraged to see solution-oriented leadership from women confronting the climate crisis head-on.

Entrepreneurship is critical to the net-zero transition. BMO recently connected with five incredible women entrepreneurs who are using their businesses to advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. During Climate Week 2023 in New York City, the following women received WE Empower UN SDG Challenge Awards, an initiative that was sponsored by the Arizona State University Foundation and Vital Voices:

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  Andy Blair, Co-Founder of Upflow, a geothermal research and innovation company based in New Zealand

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  Susan Blanchet, CEO and Founder of Origen Air, a natural indoor air purification provider

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  Menna Farouk, Founder and CEO of Dosy, a tech-based scooter and bicycle riding platform for women and girls

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  Diana Mbogo, Founder and Managing Director of Millennium Engineers Enterprises Ltd, a renewable energy social enterprise in Tanzania

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  Karin Sempf, CEO and Founder of Innova Nation, an educational lab

Learn more about the stories behind these inspiring women entrepreneurs.

The public sector plays a critical role in supporting climate mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and investment.

One of the highest-profile programs financing new energy technology is the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office (LPO), which provides loans and guarantees to support emerging climate technologies experiencing a gap in “bankability.”

BMO spoke with Elizabeth Bellis Wolfe, Senior Advisor at the LPO.

We also sat down with Justine Hendricks, Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Sustainability Officer at Export Development Canada, to discuss the nature of the challenges and opportunities ahead, as we work together to help finance emissions reduction for companies in carbon-intensive sectors.

The net-zero transition will also require the participation and engagement of industries and corporations toward a more sustainable future. BMO’s Alice Bao and Magali Gable sat down with Carleigh Whitman, Head of Nature & Closure at Teck Resources Limited, to discuss how established industries like the metals and mining sector are approaching the topic of nature and biodiversity.

As the 8th largest bank in North America by assets, BMO works across many different sectors and sizes of businesses. One consistent theme across both large and small companies is the increasing importance of sustainability in a successful business.

“The bottom line is that companies that have higher environmental, social and governance scores as rated by their investors perform better,” said Melissa Fifield, Head of the BMO Climate Institute, during a panel discussion at Climate Week NYC 2023: You can watch the full panel discussion here.

The availability of insurance can play a critical role in the deploying of capital toward climate action. BMO spoke with Natalia Moudrak, Senior Director, North America Climate, Aon.