Raymond James Ltd., the Canadian arm of North American investment dealer Raymond James Financial Inc., has launched a sustainability investment banking team.

The team will be headed by veteran investment banker, Jimmy Leung, who previously oversaw the firm's Canadian technology investment banking unit.

"As more and more corporations and investors are integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their strategies, we felt it was crucially important to adopt a more focused approach to serve the needs of the market," said Paul Allison, chairman and CEO of Raymond James Ltd.

Leung has extensive background

"With Jimmy's extensive background in capital markets and mergers & acquisitions, as well as his 15 years of experience working with clean technology companies as part of his previous role, he is the perfect fit to lead our sustainability investment banking efforts."

Leung said his team will leverage the full resources of Raymond James to support innovation in clean generation, resource management, efficiency technologies, bio-based chemicals and fuels.

The Raymond James investment banking team consists of more than 350 investment bankers across Canada, the United States and Europe.