Why collaboration and accountability are key to achieving climate goals

Whilst, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer for the City of Toronto, Heather Taylor had a big vision — to embed ESG into the organization and life. In this episode, she tells Meghan Mills, EY Global Government & Public Sector Strategy & Operations Leader, about the importance of collaborating with stakeholders and being accountable for results.

Initiatives so far have included driving the city’s C40 Women4Climate Mentorship Program and joining up with city CFOs across Canada and the world. Toronto is also the first Canadian city to introduce a Social Sustainability framework and issue an annual ESG report. Together with initiatives to decarbonize transport, buildings and homes, Heather believes these create a template that other organizations can replicate. 

Key takeaways:

• Cities can’t achieve their ESG goals on their own. They need the private sector to invest and citizens to change their behavior.
• Green and social bonds can attract the right investors while ISO certifications and blockchain technology show serious intent.
• Communicating progress and asking stakeholders for feedback and challenge will keep cities focused on their commitments. 

You can also listen to this podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcast and Spotify.

A full text transcript of this podcast is available­­­­­­ too. Read the transcript.

Since recording this episode of The City Citizen, Heather has moved into a new role.