Sustainability

Sustainability at BDC

We help Canada and its entrepreneurs create a prosperous, inclusive, green economy. We are committed to empowering business owners of today to build a prosperous future for generations to come. As such, we are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and support the objectives of the Paris Agreement for a cleaner, more sustainable future by 2050.

Economic Value

Behind every small- and medium-sized business is a human story – a unique entrepreneur with aspirations and plans. We help them create economic value by providing financing and expert advice that enables them to succeed and grow in a quickly changing business landscape.

We are committed to supporting entrepreneurs through:

• Offering entrepreneurs a variety of kinds of financing for every stage of their companies’ growth.
• Acting as a strategic partner for the country’s most innovative and high-growth businesses through BDC Capital.
• Offering non-financial support and training through BDC Advisory Services.

Social Value

We create social value through the products, services and advice we offer to the vibrant community of Canadian entrepreneurs, through the hard work of our employees, and through a work environment that promotes inclusion and well-being. Our goal is to ensure that no one is left behind.

We are also proud of our ability to facilitate connections and partnerships that build diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) acumen among our stakeholders. We are committed to enabling sustainable, inclusive economic growth and development, and a key component is our DEI initiatives.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

We believe in championing diversity, equity and inclusion – inside and outside our organization.

Our commitment starts internally with a measurable action plan, informed by feedback from our employees and employee resource groups. They help shape our policies, and play a critical role in the success of our DEI initiatives. This engagement is one of the reasons we are consistently recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

We are working to empower entrepreneurs from equity deserving communities through our Client Diversity strategy. Our approach is to listen to what entrepreneurs need, learn by working with organizations that serve these communities, and then act to provide tangible solutions.

Environmental Value

A greener future is on the horizon – we accompany entrepreneurs as they foster and transition to a low-carbon economy in line with Canada’s Paris Agreement goals. Our efforts include:

• Our commitment to reducing our own operational footprint to net zero by 2025.
• Our Cleantech Practice invests in globally competitive cleantech firms as they discover and commercialize ways to combat climate change and pollution.
• We offer information, advice, and tools, notably the B Corp Impact Assessment tool which measures a company’s environmental and social impact.
• Our Venture Capital team backs innovative Canadian companies that are reinventing industries and making them more energy efficient.