Bank of Montreal 2008 Annual Report Download - page 28

24 | BMO Financial Group 191st Annual Report 2008
Environment
Our goal is to deliver economic growth
while practicing environmental stewardship.
BMO is committed to playing a leadership
role when it comes to climate change –
an important issue for our customers,
employees, shareholders and communities.
We continue to work with our many stake-
holders to assess the environmental
implications of our actions and determine
the best way to minimize their long-term
effects. At the same time, we are actively
integrating environmental best practices
into our business practices.
Our Sustainability Plan in Action
Tracking Our Performance
Our commitment to providing compre-
hensive performance data will allow
BMO stakeholders to track our progress
in reducing our carbon footprint.
Our Priorities
• Reduce our operational impact.
•
Maintain responsible lending practices.
• Work with stakeholders to deepen
our understanding of current
environmental issues.
MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF OUR OPERATIONS
ACTIVITY GOAL ACTION PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
1. Energy
Consumption
Realize optimal energy
consumption reductions
and efficiencies
BMO Energy Reduction and Efficiency Program
• Increase purchase of green power
• Build new LEED-certified branches
• Achieve BOMA Go Green certification in office towers
• Measure and reduce energy consumption
2. Transportation Minimize environmental
impacts of transportation
BMO Sustainable Transport Program
• Encourage employee use of public transit
• Replace service vehicles with more fuel-efficient alternatives
• Reduce commercial air travel for meetings
3. Material
Consumption
Reduce unnecessary
use of materials
and use materials
more efficiently
BMO Sustainable Material Program
• Reduce paper use
• Offer an online customer statement option
• Use more recycled content in building construction
4. Waste
Generation
Reduce waste going to
landfills and promote
recycling
BMO Waste Management Program
• Strengthen waste reduction programs already in place
• Improve tracking of waste and recycling
5. Procurement Take environmental
and social considerations
into account in the
procurement process
BMO Sustainable Procurement Program
• Use BMO’s new sustainable procurement questionnaire and criteria
• Purchase office paper produced from responsibly managed forests
• Work with key suppliers to communicate sustainability requirements
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
BMO ECO5Strategy
In 2008, we updated our Environmental
PolicyandintroducedtheBMOECO
5
Strategy
(see table above). Each of the five areas
identified in the strategy –energy consump -
tion, transportation, material consumption,
waste generation and procurement –is
addressed by a corresponding program that
will be managed, documented and perio di -
cally reviewed by BMO’s Environmental
Sustainability Office. This new strategy will
enable us to more systematically report
on our environmental performance, and
to better measure our company-wide
greenhouse gas emissions and achieve
our reduction targets.
Recognized as a Leader in
Climate Disclosure
BMO is one of two Canadian banks included
in the 2008 Carbon Disclosure Leader ship
Index. Index members are distinguished by
their demonstration of an awareness of the
risks associated with climate change, as
well as the quality and effectiveness of pro-
grams they have in place to reduce their
overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Commitment to Carbon Neutrality
In September, we announced our intention
to achieve carbon neutrality relative to
energy consumption and transportation
across our enterprise, worldwide, by 2010.
We also committed to cut our greenhouse
gas emissions by 5% by 2010. With our
purchases of green power and ongoing
energy saving initiatives, we are making
significant progress toward these objectives.
Saving Energy
We are reducing our consumption of non-
renewable energy. In Ontario and Alberta,
we have opened 55 new branches powered
from renewable sources of electricity,
including wind and low-impact water
power. In 2008, BMO contracted with
Bullfrog Power an additional 3,300 MWh of
clean energy, raising the total to more than
8,300 MWh per year. This makes BMO the
leading purchaser of renewable energy
among Canadian financial institutions on
the bullfrogpoweredTM1 Green Index. At
Harris, construction of our first two Leader-
ship in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) certified buildings was completed
in October 2008.
Travelling Smarter
We are reducing our impact on the envi -
ronment by changing the way we travel.
Employees are encouraged to choose tele-
conferencing over travel, and to use public
transit when possible. We are working to
ensure we use the most fuel-efficient vehi-
cles possible. In Chicago, Harris employees
make use of a fleet of hybrid vehicles. In
Canada, we have mandated that all newly
leased sedans must be hybrids.
www.bmo.com/environment