BMO Celebrates Earth Day with 3rd Annual Trees from Trades Day on its Global Trading Floors

• BMO trading floors in London, New York and Toronto donate a portion of day's trading fees to plant thousands of trees
• Trees from Trades has raised funds for more than 375,000 trees to date with a goal of 500,000 trees planted by 2025

TORONTO, April 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - BMO celebrated Earth Day early this year with its one-of-a-kind, third annual "Trees from Trades" day on April 19th. An innovative approach to fundraising that has raised funds for more than 375,000 trees to date, a portion of Global Markets revenue from the day's trades will go towards BMO's overall goal of 500,000 trees by 2025.

"As part of our Purpose to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to a more sustainable future," said Kate Whalen, executive sponsor of the program and Head of Global Client Coverage, BMO Capital Markets. "Trees from Trades, now in its third year, is an event our entire team rallies around every year. We're excited to be part of a program that helps to drive real progress toward a sustainable future through the planting of trees and the reduction of carbon emissions."

Tree planting will be carried out in partnership with organizations like veritree and One Tree Planted. The veritree platform provides on-the-ground transparency to global reforestation efforts and partners with local tree planting organizations with projects across the globe. One Tree Planted is a not-for-profit organization that works with partners across 80+ countries in North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific.

Carbon neutral in its own operations since 2010, BMO announced its Climate Ambition in March 2021, including the launch of the BMO Climate Institute, with a focus on being its clients' lead partner in the transition to a net-zero world. This goal built on a previous commitment to mobilize $300 billion (CAD) in sustainable lending and underwriting to companies pursuing sustainable outcomes by 2025. In 2021 BMO established a dedicated Energy Transition Group, to support clients' pursuit of opportunities driven by the increasing momentum of the global economy's shift in production and consumption of energy.

BMO's sustainability leadership continues to be recognized on a number of global rankings, including number one bank on the World Benchmarking Alliance's 2022 Financial System Benchmark released at COP 27, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Ethisphere Institute's list of the World's Most Ethical Companies, and the most sustainable bank in North America for the fourth year in a row on Corporate Knights' 2023 Ranking of the World's 100 Most Sustainable Corporations.

For information on BMO's Purpose and commitments to a sustainable future, visit its Sustainability Report, Purpose, Climate and Zero Barriers to Inclusion 2025 pages.

BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.15 trillion as of January 31, 2023. Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 12 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future and more inclusive society.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group