COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH
COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH AIMS TO :
Strengthen the willingness and capacity of manufacturing SMEs to implement climate action.
Activate a business ecosystem conducive to accelerating the transition to a low-carbon, "net positive" economy.
DISCOVER THE THREE COMPONENTS OF THE INITIATIVE
HIGHLIGHTS
Implementation of climate actions is not a priority for manufacturing SMEs in Quebec
1
The economic and operational uncertainty in which manufacturing
businesses operate leaves little room for integrating climate action into business strategy and operations.
If they had funds to reduce their GHG emissions, the manufacturing SMEs interviewed would mainly consider the following actions
2
The manufacturing SMEs interviewed would mainly consider the following actions:
• Hiring staff
• Replacing fossil fuel powered equipment
• Workforce training/awareness raising
• Hiring experts or an environmental manager to draw up and
implement action plans
• Acquiring electric vehicles
The directional trends that are emerging for likely
transition pathways
3
For manufacturing SMEs
include :
• Energy productivity (measure of
economic benefit received from
each unit of energy used)
• Circular economy
• Industrial symbiosis
• Industry 5.0
Communities of practice (CoP) are a collaborative format with strong knowledge-building potential
within manufacturing SMEs
4
The appeal of CoPs lies mainly in the fact that they are a highly concrete and flexible learning mode that fosters trust within a network of peers, including the sharing of best practices
The concept of foresight
5
The concept of foresight is still relatively unknown in the business community, and current
approaches are not well suited to the reality of SMEs.
The five main climate actions identified in the first seven months of monitoring activities
6
are consistent with the quantitative data from the Business Transition Barometer – Manufacturing Sector. The main actions observed are:
• Waste reduction and composting
• Optimization of operations and reduction of resources
• Improving and adapting product and service offerings to
reduce GHGs
• Circular economy and recycling
• Responsible procurement
The three main opportunities for improvement identified in terms of regional mobilization are:
7
• Consolidating the role of “coordinator” of businesses’
climate action at the regional level to facilitate access to the support ecosystem and foster greater cooperation and fluidity within it.
• Simplifying access to regional data to better guide SMEs, monitor progress and encourage collaboration to help focus efforts on reducing significant sources of emissions.
• Reinforcing the boldness and leadership of local governments, including clearer and more predictable laws and regulations to guide and encourage businesses to take action.
The three main motivations for taking action to reduce the carbon footprint
8
The three main motivations as expressed by executives and managers in field interviews are:
• Executive and corporate values
• Individual awareness
• Business opportunities
SEE IN REPLAY
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THANKS TO ALL OUR COLLABORATORS AND PARTNERS
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Rachel Lefrancois (Québec Net Positif), Mélanie McDonald (Chemins de transition), Marguerite Rose (BDC), Anne-Josée Laquerre (Québec Net Positif), Frédérique Mouly (Excellence industrielle Saint-Laurent); Deuxième rangée de gauche à droite : Benoît Péran (CRE Montérégie), Katrin Hauschild (Québec Net Positif), Joëlle Vincent (Ciblexpert); Troisième rangée de gauche à droite : Isabelle Lemay (Banque Laurentienne), Marie-Pierre Garcia (Banque Laurentienne), Leesa Hodgson (Excellence industrielle Saint-Laurent), Léa Leroux (PHAR), Caroline Bouchard (PHAR) , Yves Lusignan (Ciblexpert); Quatrième rangée de gauche à droite : Jérémie Bourgault (ADDERE), Pascale Lagacé (BRAV.), Jeanne Martel-Thibault (Québec Net Positif), Jacques Blanchet (Maison du Développement Durable), Sylvain Foulon (Excellence industrielle Saint-Laurent), Marc Delesclefs (Ciblexpert).
Supported by
Outreach Partner
« At Laurentian Bank, we put our customers first and are constantly committed to helping them "see beyond numbers”. We integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects into our operations and have started to engage in constructive dialogue on ESG issues with our clients. We are proud to support this new collaborative action research initiated by Quebec Net Positive and to join a group of leaders committed to helping Quebec SMEs make a successful transition, implement climate actions and get ready to thrive in a low-carbon, more just and sustainable economy »
– Éric Provost, Executive Vice President, Business Services and President, Quebec Market, Laurentian Bank
« At BDC, we are fully aligned with the ultimate goal of this action research project proposed by Québec Net Positif. We believe that the B Corp movement, to which we belong, is already contributing to the realization of the vision put forward by Québec Net Positif. Indeed, the SME in Transition program aims to ensure that companies recognize the benefits of going beyond mitigating their negative impacts and realize their full potential to collectively generate net positive impacts on society and the environment. Together, we are encouraging more and more Quebec SMEs to imagine and implement transition trajectories that contribute to Canada's 2050 carbon neutrality goal »
– Craig Ryan, Director, Sustainability & ESG, BDC