Bridgitte Anderson ICD.D became the first female President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade in the 132-year history of the organization in 2019. Her career spans multiple disciplines ranging from business consulting to public policy and communications to journalism.

The long-term viability of companies increasingly depends on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors. Everyone from investors to prospective employees are taking the ESG impacts of an organization into consideration when deciding where to invest their money or further their career. Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney made headlines when he raised $15 Billion to invest in businesses that reduce global emissions through the Brookfield Asset Management fund.

Fortunately, businesses in the Greater Vancouver region are uniquely positioned to capitalize. At the Board of Trade, we believe the opportunity is so significant that, recognizing a talent gap, we partnered with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) School of Business + Media to launch the ESG Fundamentals Microcredential in order to create a pipeline of skilled professionals equipped to help organizations measure and report on their ESG factors.

A robust regulatory environment and inclusive hiring practices in British Columbia have bred industry-leading companies that are greener, more sustainable and more diverse than their competitors in the global marketplace. These advantages will serve us well as our business environment becomes increasingly competitive, complex and constrained.

In spite of the significant advances in renewable fuel development, building technology and globalized thinking pioneered right in our own backyard, we can’t afford to rest on our laurels. As the urgency with which we must address the climate crisis becomes more acute and the benefits of diverse and inclusive communities become more apparent, it’s more important than ever for us to go further, faster, together.