BMO gift to University of Calgary enables energy transition and sustainable finance research

BMO Financial and the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business are joining together in driving thought leadership for the ongoing, critical energy transition, through the establishment of the BMO Sustainable and Transition Finance Professorship. BMO is donating $500,000 to support the new academic position to be filled by Dr. Yrjo Koskinen, PhD. The professorship will delve into practical applications for oil and gas companies, investors, policymakers, bankers and investment managers, as well as academic research on these topics.

“As part of our commitment to sustainability and our recently announced Climate Ambition, BMO is focused on being a partner to our clients as they move toward a net zero future, while working with the communities in Canada that will be impacted by the energy transition,” says Dan Barclay, chief executive officer and group head, BMO Capital Markets. “We’ve always had strong ties to Calgary, the energy capital of Canada, and we are excited to continue to build on that relationship by investing in thought leadership at the University of Calgary.”

“Sustainable finance is a driving force that impacts access to capital, investor confidence and many other corporate finance issues,” says Koskinen. “This is the transformation of our generation and we will be equipping those working in and with the resource sector to capture the opportunities.”

Committed to a new direction 

This new announcement represents an important part of BMO’s broader commitment to sustainability: driving solutions through thought leadership. BMO has invested in initiatives across Canada, including gifts to Queen’s University and Concordia University.

Learn more about BMO’s Climate Ambition, the BMO Climate Institute that is working to drive solutions through sophisticated data analytics. Watch our video that delves further into the strategy.