QNP and CCG launch “Low-Carbon SMEs” to equip businesses to thrive in the green economy
Workshops will provide a better understanding of the transition to a low carbon economy. For a first time in Canada, the Assessing low-Carbon Transition (ACT) assessment will be offered.
Montreal, April 29, 2021 – QNP and CCG are joining forces to launch “PME sobre en carbone” (Low-Carbon SMEs), an initiative offering five training workshops designed for Quebec SMEs to strengthen their skills on low-carbon transition issues by becoming better informed about prospective scenarios, transition pathways, and the rapid evolution of sustainable finance. Armed with this new knowledge, entrepreneurs and managers will be able to engage in constructive dialogue with their stakeholders and better target their efforts to access the resources available for implementing cost-effective and sustainable climate actions. In addition, three roundtables will be held in the fall of 2021 and a conference in February 2022.
Additionally, for the first time in Canada, companies that have already established an initial measurement of their carbon footprint will be able to take part in the Assessing low Carbon Transition® (ACT) evaluation and continuous improvement process, part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change agenda. The ACT initiative assesses an organization’s readiness to transition to a low carbon economy using a forward-looking sector-oriented methodology. ACT will be adapted for the benefit of Quebec SMEs in partnership with ADEME and CDP, who support its international deployment.
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
“Given the scale of the mobilization for a green recovery, we all stand to gain from SMEs being better equipped to contribute to it,” says Anne-Josée Laquerre, Executive Director of QNP. “Many innovative SMEs are already acting as catalysts for accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future, but no one should be left behind. It is crucial that the business community work together to create a climate conducive to the transition of all SMEs in Quebec,” she adds.
“The aim is to prompt companies to act and help them position themselves on a transition pathway compatible with a global warming of less than 2°C,” says Pascal Geneviève, General Director, CCG. “No matter their size, industry or geographic location, all SMEs will eventually be affected by the transition. At this point, the most important thing is to equip them to better understand the issues and take the first steps in the right direction,” he adds.
Through this collaboration, QNP and CCG hope to help more entrepreneurs anticipate the operational impacts of climate risks and seize new business opportunities in the green economy.
Accelerating the transition of the Quebec economy to a low carbon future requires new collaborations and synergies. In addition to the support from the Government of Canada and the international collaborations with ADEME and CDP, the “Low Carbon SME” initiative is presented by Desjardins Group and also made possible through collaborations with BDC (Craig Ryan); Finance Montreal; Investissement Quebec; Groupé Mauricie + Rive Sud; PME MTL Est-de-l’Île and its Synergie Montréal initiative; the PIVOT project of the McGill Sustainability Systems Initiative and the National Film Board of Canada; the Canadian Business Youth Council for Sustainable Development and its affiliates. The advertising partners are : Écotech Québec, le Fonds d’action québécois pour le développement durable (FAQDD) and Accélérer 2030 pour le Québec.
About Québec Net Positif
Launched in 2016, QNP is an independent think tank whose purpose is to accelerate the transition of Quebec’s economy toward a low-carbon future. Its mission is to raise awareness, equip, and mobilize businesses to help them seize the business opportunities of the low-carbon economy, go beyond risk mitigation, and activate their full potential to create positive impacts on society and the environment. QNP is supported by Desjardins Group and the McConnell Foundation, among others, and collaborates with Accélérer 2030 pour le Québec, a consortium of organizations and individuals committed to accelerating the achievement of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide Quebec’s prosperity by 2030.
About CCG
Founded in 2016 under the name Carbon Consult Group, the company changed its name to CCG in 2020. Since its inception, it has been assisting businesses and communities to take action in the fight against climate change. Its mission is to accelerate climate solutions and providing expertise in carbon management and adaptation. Based in Montreal and with an office in Quebec City, our experts help organizations measure and reduce their GHG emissions and implement a climate change adaptation plan. www.ccgclimat.com
About ADEME
Based in France, ADEME – The French Agency for Ecological Transition – is passionately committed to fighting global warming and the depletion of our natural resources. On all fronts, ADEME mobilizes citizens, economic actors and territories towards a fairer, more harmonious, low carbon and resource-efficient society. Whatever the field – energy, circular economy, food, mobility, air quality, adaptation to climate change, soils, etc. – ADEME advises, facilitates, and helps finance many projects, from research to solutions sharing. At every level, ADEME expertise and forecasting capacities serve to guide and inform public policies. ADEME is a public agency under the joint authority of the Ministry for an Ecological Transition and the Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation. www.ademe.fr
About CDP
CDP is a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. The world’s economy looks to CDP as the gold standard of environmental reporting with the richest and most comprehensive dataset on corporate and city. www.cdp.net