BMO Financial Group Receives 2017 Thomson Reuters/S-Network ESG Best Practices Award

TORONTO, Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - BMO Financial Group has been named the winner of the 2017 Thomson Reuters/S-Network ESG Best Practices Award. The award recognizes superior ESG ranking and corporate best practices as measured by the Thomson Reuters/S-Network ESG Best Practices Ratings.

BMO Financial Group was selected as the 2017 award recipient from a ranking of approximately 5,000 companies. The award highlighted that BMO's high ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) scores place it above all other ranked companies across all industry groups in the United States and Canada and the highest ranked in the financial sector worldwide.

"As a financial institution that has attained and maintained carbon neutrality across its enterprise since 2010, achieved a goal of 40 per cent representation of women in senior leader roles, and has a 30-year track record in responsible investment according to their December 2016 accounting, BMO Financial Group gives evidences of a consistent application of best practices in ESG areas," said Gregg Sgambati, Director of ESG Solutions at S-Network Global Indexes, Inc.

"We're honoured to be ranked number one among all industry groups in North America," said Simon Fish, General Counsel for BMO Financial Group, and Chair of BMO's Sustainability Council. "In 2017, BMO proudly celebrates 200 years in business. As we continue to pursue sustainable growth, we will aim to uphold our legacy of trust as a responsibly managed bank."

Previous recipients of the award include Praxair in 2016, Johnson & Johnson in 2015, Intel in 2014 and Unilever in 2013.

For more information on BMO's ESG activities, please read our Environmental, Social and Governance Report at: https://www.bmo.com/home/about/banking/corporate-responsibility/our-approach/reporting#esg_pas

About BMO Financial Group
Established in 1817, and currently marking its 200th year of operations, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of $719 billion as of April 30, 2017, and more than 45,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

About S-Network Global Indexes, Inc.
S-Network Global Indexes, Inc. is a publisher and developer of proprietary and custom indexes. Founded in 1997, S-Network publishes over 200 indexes, which serve as the underlying portfolios for financial products with over USD 5 billion in assets under management. S-Network indexes, which are supported by a state-of-the-art technology platform, are known for their transparency and efficiency. S-Network is a leader in socially responsible investment, publishing best-practice benchmark indexes in collaboration with Thomson Reuters. S-Network published the first global alternative energy and water indexes, which today serve as the recognized benchmarks for those sectors worldwide. In addition to publishing socially responsible indexes, S-Network produces proprietary environmental, social and governance ratings on nearly 5,000 public companies worldwide.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group