Canada's Greenest Employers (2025) - Flipbook - Page 26
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CANADA'S GREENEST EMPLOYERS (2025)
CIBC is committed to its sustainability goals
C
aroline Cruickshank
enjoyed a long career
in international
banking, during which
she gained experience
with sustainable products, before
starting down a new path in a
different sector in 2019. Three
years later, she returned to her
professional roots and joined
CIBC in a role where she could
continue to support sustainability
and the transition to clean energy
activities.
For many people, it’s
important to understand
that the energy transition
is underway and will most
likely continue for much of
their careers.
Heintzman, vice chair, energy
transition and sustainability.
“We’re ranked seventh in North
America by IJGlobal for financing
renewable energy projects in 2024.
We’re right up there with the
biggest global banks operating in
the United States.”
The bank also set a goal of
mobilizing $300 billion toward
sustainable finance activities and
services by 2030 (2018-2030) and it
is well on its way to meeting that
target. For more details, the
Sustainable Finance Methodology
can be found on the company's
website. “This includes money
that we lend,” Heintzman says.
“It’s also money we raise for
others. Sometimes we’re acting as
an advisor and we’re raising
capital for companies for
sustainable investment purposes.”
In 2025, CIBC was recognized by
‘Global Finance’ magazine’s
Sustainable Finance Awards for
Best Sustainable Finance Bank in
Canada, Best Bank for Green
Bonds in North America, and Best
Bank for Sustaining Communities
in North America.
“We’re constantly looking at new
opportunities,” says Heintzman.
“We’re financing large EV
charging networks in the U.K.,
providing financing and advice to
various players throughout the EV
supply chain, as well as large
carbon capture and storage
projects in Europe and North
America.
“It doesn’t matter where
companies are on the spectrum,”
he says. “We serve both mature
— Tom Heintzman
Vice Chair, Energy Transition and
Sustainability
“I appreciate the importance of
financial markets’ contributions in
the transition to a low-carbon
economy,” says Cruickshank,
director, sustainability advisory
group, CIBC Capital Markets.
“This role gives me an opportunity
to support our clients through this
transition.”
CIBC participates in many
energy financing transactions
— supporting innovative deals
and serving a wide range of
clients.
“We have built a growing
renewables franchise, providing
our clients with expert advice,
access to capital, and marketbased solutions,” says Tom
Caroline Cruickshank, director, sustainability advisory, at CIBC.
energy players and young
companies that are producing
next-generation technology.”
Cruickshank is part of the team
supporting advisory work. This
includes developing thought
leadership on sustainability and
energy transition to help clients
navigate the complexities of the
landscape. “I manage a podcast
channel called the Sustainability
Agenda that was launched in
2021,” she says. “We have more
than 80 episodes which have
generated over 30,000 downloads.
This is just one way we deliver
subject matter expertise.”
Her group also produces video
webcasts and a monthly
newsletter discussing sustainability issues, and organizes two key
conferences per year, including an
