TLDR
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The RBC Sustainable Finance Expert Panel Series convened in Montreal, focusing on innovation and collaboration as steps to environmental sustainability
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Long-term environmental sustainability progress starts with mindset and culture, not checklists
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Real acceleration toward goals comes from collaboration across ecosystems
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AI is emerging as a more accessible and high-impact tool for environmental sustainability pursuit
The RBC Sustainable Finance Expert Panel Series brings together business leaders and industry experts to share ideas and discuss solutions that can spark meaningful change toward the transition to a low-carbon and resilient economy. The recent RBC Sustainable Finance panel in Montreal focused on what it really takes to make environmental sustainability stick inside organizations – from rethinking how decisions are made to working more closely with partners across the ecosystem.
Miguel L’Heureux, Director, Sustainable Finance, Corporate Client Group at RBC, moderated the session with fellow panellists:
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Angelo Cristofanilli, Commercial Delegate, Business De. New Tech, Hydro Quebec
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Stéphane Chayer, Strategic advisor to the President of Concordia University
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Julien Billot, CEO, Scale AI.
Here, L’Heureux shares his top takeaways.
1. Sustainable development requires a mindset and culture shift – not a checklist
Trying to turn ambition into measurable environmental sustainability results isn’t easy. As we discussed with Concordia University’s Stéphane Chayer at the event, and as I too have experienced firsthand, the hardest part is making environmental sustainability part of the organization’s purpose – not a separate project that sits off to the side.
It starts with engaging stakeholders. Until you understand their expectations, you’re not in the best position to identify the few truly transformative opportunities that can reshape the business. Incremental tweaks won’t make the difference you’re looking for.
I see a few common missteps that tend to hold companies back:
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Treating environmental sustainability as a standalone function instead of embedding it into strategic planning and incentives
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Underestimating the time, capital and capability required for real supply-chain decarbonization or circularity
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Struggling to measure and verify credit impact – especially Scope 3 – in a world where mandatory regulation is still evolving
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Viewing environmental sustainability as extra work instead of as a competitive advantage
The good news? Quebec has an unusually rich ecosystem of partners. With the right mindset, leaders can move from ambition to action much more quickly than they might expect.
2. Collaboration across public and private sectors is key
This leads directly into my next takeaway: environmental sustainability can only be properly advanced within an ecosystem – it is not an individual journey.
Fundamentally, environmental sustainability goes beyond your business and involves all stakeholders, including clients, suppliers, shareholders, employees and communities. Working with these partners is a vital first step in identifying the most material and high-impact opportunities.
What excites me right now is the sheer amount of high-quality support available. Quebec stands out in Canada for its depth of sustainability expertise, offering scalable and affordable guidance for organizations at all stages.
For example, at the event, we heard both Scale AI and Hydro-Québec, highlight the programs already helping businesses improve energy efficiency and deploy practical AI tools. These are the kinds of cross-sector collaborations that can help accelerate our transition to a low-carbon economy.
Regulation also plays a role. Canada’s evolving climate policies are pushing more companies to assess their climate metrics, while federal incentives are making Canada attractive for renewable energy and carbon project developers exploring new markets.
3. AI has the potential to enhance environmental sustainability efforts
There is rightful skepticism about how AI and the related energy demand can develop together with environmental sustainability. But what we heard from panelists is that AI, when used thoughtfully, can help companies prescribe, predict and optimize in ways that have immediate, measurable impact.
There are a number of different areas where AI can help significantly enhance sustainability efforts, and from the panel discussion, four areas stand out for their proven, scalable impact:
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Energy management and demand optimization: Analyzing usage patterns and predicting demand, enabling businesses to be more efficient and reduce carbon emissions.
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Supply chain decarbonization and resilience: Optimizing routes, reducing transportation emissions and minimizing waste through better inventory management.
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Waste reduction and circular economy: Identifying inefficiencies in production processes and suggesting improvements to reduce or repurpose materials.
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Environmentally Sustainable product design and lifecycle management: Supporting design choices that use eco-friendly materials, minimizing environmental impact throughout the product lifecycle.
One of the biggest perceived barriers to AI adoption is data quality. Fortunately, there are now many pre-built, ready-to-use AI and digital tools that work with general business data and offer fast, affordable implementation. Companies don’t need custom AI builds to see benefits.
Looking ahead, there’s reason for optimism. Canada’s new Climate Competitiveness Strategy and Buy Canadian Policy can help drive innovation, support growth and reduce emissions, all while strengthening domestic supply chains. But we can’t ignore the reality that climate impacts are intensifying. My hope is that the collaboration and decarbonization efforts we are taking today will help us make the kind of progress we urgently need.
The RBC Sustainable Finance team is here to help. Contact your RBC relationship manager to learn more about Sustainable Finance solutions. Visit RBC.com/impact
This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates.
