BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) announced today that it has appointed sustainable finance expert Dr. Ben Caldecott to its Responsible Investment Advisory Council. According to BMO GAM, the council, consisting of sustainability experts with international experience across responsible investment, environmental, social and ethical issues, helps the firm maintain the integrity of the standards by which its Responsible funds are run, and provides advice on wider ethical and sustainability issues.

Kristi Mitchem, CEO of BMO Global Asset Management, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Ben to BMO GAM’s Responsible Investment Advisory Council. His insights into the role finance can play in addressing critical sustainability issues will complement the existing Council members, and we look forward to drawing on his expertise. Asset managers have a unique and critical role to play in addressing climate risk, and we remain committed to challenging and expanding our knowledge in support of the transition to net zero.”

Caldecott has held numerous positions in the fields of environment, energy and sustainability, including recently being named as the Lombard Odier Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow of Sustainable Finance at the University of Oxford, the first endowed professorship of sustainable finance at any major global research university.  He also founded and co-chairs the Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment (GRASFI), an alliance of global research universities promoting rigorous and impactful academic research on sustainable finance, and is a  COP26 Strategy Advisor for Finance for the UK’s Cabinet Office.

Caldecott said:

“The allocation of capital is a key lever in speeding up the transition to environmental sustainability. BMO Global Asset Management has a long heritage in responsible investment and I am excited at the prospect of being part of the Council’s endeavours.”