Quebec Net Positive publishes report on mfg. transition to a clean economy
by CM Staff
The economic and operational uncertainty in which manufacturing businesses operate leaves little room for integrating climate action into business strategy and operations.
MONTREAL — Quebec Net Positive, an independent non-profit think tank, released the report on the first year of “SMEs in Transition“, a collaborative action research initiative focused on small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in Quebec and the business ecosystem that supports them.
This project was carried out with the support of the Government of Canada and Laurentian Bank. The initiative aims to gain a better understanding of how to accelerate the implementation of climate action within Quebec’s manufacturing SMEs operating at the heart of complex value chains, undergoing significant transformation with the ongoing decarbonization of the global economy. This initial report presents key elements to be implemented to help SMEs successfully engage in this significant transformation, which presents both risks and business opportunities.
“The collaborative action research format of SMEs in Transition allows us to be in the field, with collaborators committed to multiplying exchanges between de various stakeholders in the business ecosystem in order to generate new knowledge, with a common goal of triggering the move to action and the implementation of climate actions by manufacturing SMEs,” emphasizes Katrin Hauschild, Deputy General Manager and SMEs in Transition Leader, Quebec Net Positive
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RESEARCH REPORT
Implementation of climate actions is not a priority for Quebec’s manufacturing SMEs. 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 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 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
Emerging directional trends for likely transition pathways for manufacturing businesses 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. The appeal of CoPs lies mainly in the fact that they are a highly concrete and flexible learning mode that fosters trust within a peer network, including the sharing of best practices.
“It is vital for the whole of the Quebec economy that its nearly 250,000 SMEs, which employ over 2 million workers, are aware of the risks and opportunities of the significant economic transition underway, and successfully engage in it. We look forward to the second year of our collaborative action research activities. Each new meeting is an opportunity to learn together, build bridges and take one more step towards transition,” concludes Anne-Josée Laquerre, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Quebec Net Positive.
