The Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University announced that CIBC has joined a group of key industry partners in funding the Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI), a collaborative venture launched in May 2022 to promote sustainable business practices.
“We couldn't be more grateful for CIBC’s generous contribution to the SGI,” said Yolande Chan, Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management. “CIBC’s longstanding commitment to building more equitable, resilient communities is closely aligned with our mission.”
Anchored at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management, the SGI is a cross-faculty partnership with the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Engineering, and Faculty of Law. Academic leaders will work in close collaboration with industry partners and policymakers to develop practical, actionable solutions to build a more sustainable economy.
The recent $1.25 million gift from CIBC will expand the SGI's ability to translate insights into action through five major activities: research-to-action, community engagement, student competitions, thought leadership, and education.
“We are proud to be a founding member of the Sustainable Growth Initiative at McGill University,” said Susan Rimmer, Managing Director & Head, Global Corporate and Investment Banking, CIBC. “With new and intensifying environmental challenges, this partnership will help drive solutions to enable a more sustainable and inclusive economy.”
“Thanks to CIBC and our other initial funding partners, we are quickly building a network of collaborators who bring deep expertise and passion to the table,” affirmed Javad Nasiry, Director of the SGI and professor of operations at the Desautels Faculty of Management. “As we establish our five major activity streams, we look forward to making measurable progress in the work of helping businesses make a positive social and environmental impact on the world around them.”
In addition to supporting the SGI’s five primary activity areas, CIBC’s gift will fund the Office for Sustainable Finance within the SGI, one of the priority themes that will explore challenges faced by finance leaders in their ESG efforts.
“The SGI aims to support financial institutions in their ESG practices. Through the CIBC Office of Sustainable Finance, we will explore the effectiveness of sustainable finance strategies and tools,” said Nasiry.
Dean Chan expressed confidence that with the support of CIBC and other initial founding partners, including Power Sustainable, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), and Alstom, the SGI will emerge as a leader in developing practical solutions to a wide range of sustainability issues.
“Together, we are poised to continue to make meaningful contributions to complex challenges faced by the business community today,” she said. “We are ready to lead the charge.”