KPMG Commits $500,000 to Concordia University Business Decarbonization Initiative

The KPMG Foundation, together with KPMG's Quebec office, committed $350,000 in cash to Concordia University's John Molson School of Business, with an additional $150,000 in audit, tax and advisory services bringing the total contribution to $500,000 for the school's Business Decarbonization Initiative.

The in-kind portion carries a specific deliverable: KPMG's professional services will directly support the development of a decarbonization playbook series for organizations, a practical resource with clear applications beyond the classroom. Beyond the playbooks, KPMG committed to providing in-kind expertise for research projects, mentoring students, and participating in academic and industry events.

Michael Baratta, an audit partner at KPMG and a John Molson alumnus who holds a BComm 96 and GrDip 97 from Concordia, framed the commitment in terms of talent pipeline. "This partnership reflects KPMG's commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders who will tackle climate and sustainability challenges," he said. For KPMG professionals, that framing is notable: the firm is pairing its sustainability credentials with direct access to students who may one day sit across the table as clients, colleagues, or recruits.

Stéphan Drolet, Regional Managing Partner at KPMG, said the firm is "proud to contribute both financial resources and our expertise to advance decarbonization knowledge and training at John Molson." The dual commitment, cash plus billable-grade professional services, signals that KPMG is treating this as a substantive advisory engagement rather than a straightforward corporate donation.

Anne-Marie Croteau, dean of the John Molson School of Business, said the support deepens the school's capacity to connect classroom learning with applied sustainability work. "KPMG's ongoing support strengthens our ability to offer transformative learning opportunities that connect academic knowledge with real-world sustainability challenges. We are sincerely thankful for their continued commitment," she said. In a separate LinkedIn post, Croteau thanked "KPMG Canada" for the full $500,000 commitment, a formulation that differs slightly from Concordia's formal announcement, which names the KPMG Foundation and KPMG's Quebec office as the contributing entities.

Michel Magnan, a Concordia-affiliated researcher, echoed the sentiment in French on LinkedIn: "John-Molson confirme son leadership en développement durable! Merci à KPMG pour son soutien!."

For KPMG staff, particularly those in the Quebec office working in audit, tax, or advisory, the in-kind component means practitioners will directly shape the decarbonization curriculum and research coming out of John Molson. The playbook series, once developed, is intended for organizations rather than purely academic audiences, which suggests the work could generate client-facing intellectual capital alongside its educational purpose.