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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 12, 2012) - For the third year in a row, BMO Financial Group has been named to the Global 500 Carbon Performance Leadership Index (CPLI) by the Carbon Disclosure Project, which represents 655 institutional investors with US $78 trillion in assets.

BMO - the only Canadian-headquartered company named to the Index - has been recognized for the actions it is taking to reduce global emissions and mitigate the risks of climate change.

BMO is one of just 33 companies in the world to receive this honour - and one of just 12 financial institutions.

"BMO is proud to be named to the CPLI for the third year in a row," said Jim Johnston, Director, Environmental Sustainability, BMO Financial Group. "At BMO, green thinking extends to every area of our business. We're working to create a culture of sustainability that inspires our people, supports our communities and helps to protect the planet."

BMO and the Environment:

BMO accomplished carbon neutrality relative to its energy consumption and transportation emissions across the company by targeting emissions reductions, purchasing renewable energy and using carbon credits to offset the remainder.

In June 2011, BMO was named to the global Corporate Renewable Energy Index (CREX) as one of the top 20 companies in the world in terms of the percentage of renewable energy usage. The CREX is designed to provide transparency in corporate energy consumption, shedding light on the amount of renewable energy used by the world's largest corporations.

BMO is one of the initial investors in the Greening Canada Fund (GCF), the first-ever voluntary carbon emissions reduction fund aimed exclusively at large Canadian corporations. The fund provides direct access to high-quality carbon offset credits and helps BMO support Canadian-based energy efficiency projects in places such as Canadian public schools. BMO's initial investment commitment in the fund is $10 million.

BMO offers customers in Canada its BMO Eco Smart Mortgage, a mortgage product designed to encourage and reward Canadian homeowners looking to reduce their energy usage, and save on home expenses. People whose homes meet BMO's energy efficiency criteria will qualify for a competitive five-year fixed rate.

BMO is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, the Jantzi Social Index and the FTSE4Good Series Index. BMO has also been included on the Maclean's/Jantzi-Sustainalytics list of the Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations in Canada and Corporate Knights Magazine's Best 50 Corporate Citizens.

To review BMO's environmental performance data, visit www.bmo.com/environment.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $542 billion as at July 31, 2012, and more than 46,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.