The SME in transition action-research initiative began in January 2023 and will officially conclude on January 12, 2025. This project aims to reveal and co-create innovative approaches to help SMEs undertake and accelerate their transition to a low-carbon economy.
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.
HIGHLIGHTS
Mobilization of manufacturing SMEs to measure their GHGs and implement climate actions.
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Manufacturing SMEs need simple tools, accessible expertise and subsidies to take action on GHG measurement. Increased pressure from governments, customers and investors as well as a clear and predictable legal framework for disclosure requirements would also accelerate this adoption. Despite the significant challenges, particularly in terms of lack of expertise, costs and complexity, manufacturing SMEs in Quebec have every advantage in integrating GHG measurement into their strategic management in order to implement and prioritize actions with real positive impacts for them.
Foresight: thinking about tomorrow to act today.
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Although perceived as complex
or abstract, foresight is a key approach to integrating the socio-ecological transition into the strategic planning of those who practice it. By sharpening creativity and systemic thinking, this discipline can help overcome short-term reflexes, explore solutions aligned with their long-term objectives, seize new business opportunities and evolve their business model so that they are ready to evolve in a low-carbon economy. The variety and adaptability of approaches and formats will undoubtedly allow a growing number of organizations to integrate foresight into their strategic planning, according to their objectives and resources.
Communities of practice: catalysts for the transition.
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Although perceived as complex or abstract, foresight is a key approach to integrating the socio-ecological transition into the strategic planning of those who practice it. By sharpening creativity and systemic thinking, this discipline can help overcome short-term reflexes, explore solutions aligned with their long-term objectives, seize new business opportunities and evolve their business model so that they are ready to evolve in a low-carbon economy. The variety and adaptability of approaches and formats will undoubtedly allow a growing number of organizations to integrate foresight into their strategic planning, according to their objectives and resources.
Strategic Monitoring : tools to anticipate and take action.
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Strategic monitoring is crucial for identifying emerging signals, anticipating trends and guiding SMEs towards sustainable practices. It supports decision-making, allows you to be on the lookout for best practices, discover inspiring companies and better support customers in their ecological transition.
Human factor: barriers to climate action
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Better understanding the cognitive, psychological, psychosocial, motivational, or emotional factors underlying how SME owners and co-owners perceive the climate challenge allows for exploring barriers to climate action from a new perspective. This qualitative research revealed that factors such as learned helplessness, confirmation bias, or psychological distance can influence decisions and hinder climate action.
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How to read the mappingThe mapping designed by the Québec Net Positive team highlights the growth sectors and the main existing and emerging levers within the low-carbon economy in Quebec. This overview is intended to help develop a common vision of the dynamics of the transition within the Quebec economy and to facilitate the identification and implementation of synergies. The legend allows you to quickly identify the different elements of the mapping: CURRENT DIRECTIONAL TRENDS The gray boxes at the top of the growth sectors and the levers summarize the main directional trend of the transition pathway that seems to be emerging for that specific economic sector or lever These trends in transition pathways are identified from academic research, industry association publications, government goals, or other credible sources STANDARDS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS The light-colored boxes closest to the grey boxes present standards and measurement indicators - most of them specific to Quebec - for each of the key sectors and levers of the transition. In particular, the map lists the main barometers that allow us to observe the evolution of various aspects of the transition to a low-carbon economy in Quebec. GROWTH SECTORS The growth sectors presented at the top of the map provide an overview of the sectors that are best positioned to seize new business opportunities from the transition to a low-carbon economy and prosper during the transition. The energy sector is positioned at the heart of the growth sectors, thanks in part to the fact that Quebec is one of the only jurisdictions in the world to produce electricity that is close to 100% renewable, an asset that companies in all sectors can capitalize on to accelerate their transition. LEVERS & TRANSITION SIGNALS At the bottom of the map are the main sectors that play the role of key levers and from which pressure as well as financial and human resources emerge to help accelerate the transition businesses across all economic sectors. The Finance sector is positioned at the heart of the levers because Quebec is committed to becoming a world-class financial center in sustainable finance and play a leading role at the heart of the transition. Québec Net Positive is also one of the founding members of the Climate+Positive Investment Alliance (C+PIA) that is calling on investors to go beyond Net Zero to Net Climate Positive as quickly as possible to truly solve climate change and align with the latest science.
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About the MappingThe mapping of the low-carbon economy in Quebec is a visual representation that aims to: Highlight the growth sectors and the main existing and emerging levers on which Quebec can rely to create wealth and sustainable jobs, while accelerating its transition to a low-carbon, more just, prosperous and resilient economy. Equip key stakeholders with an actionable tool to simplify the identification of challenges and drivers for the transition and facilitate stakeholders engagement. Foster the integration of the transition perspective into business, investment, infrastructure and economic development strategies. The mapping is based on a database and qualitative information compiled by the Québec Net Positive team. It is presented in the form of an interactive .PDF document giving access to a glossary of key terms, available in French and English, to help foster a constructive dialogue around a common language of the transition.
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October 2022: Overview of major updatesIn order to reflect the transition to a low-carbon economy within the Quebec economy, the October 2022 update includes additions or improvements to 194 boxes in the map, including: For the first time, we have been able to identify directional trends for transition pathways that are emerging for each of the growth sectors and levers In this update, we have added a number of barometers and measurement indicators specific to Quebec, related to certain growth sectors and levers, which allow us to measure the state of transition in Quebec from different angles, as well as local, national and international reference frameworks that have an influence on the transition pathways of Quebec businesses The notion of "governance" has been added to the talent lever, in order to represent the acceleration of the mobilization of a large number of stakeholders, sectoral associations and business groups towards the integration of ESG aspects in corporate strategy and operations, including the fiduciary duties of boards of directors and management team in the face of climate change The visual of the manufacturing sector has been updated to reflect the transition dynamics around the value chains in that sector December 2021 – Updates Overview June 2020 – Read the mapping launch press release
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
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How to read the mappingThe mapping designed by the Québec Net Positive team highlights the growth sectors and the main existing and emerging levers within the low-carbon economy in Quebec. This overview is intended to help develop a common vision of the dynamics of the transition within the Quebec economy and to facilitate the identification and implementation of synergies. The legend allows you to quickly identify the different elements of the mapping: CURRENT DIRECTIONAL TRENDS The gray boxes at the top of the growth sectors and the levers summarize the main directional trend of the transition pathway that seems to be emerging for that specific economic sector or lever These trends in transition pathways are identified from academic research, industry association publications, government goals, or other credible sources STANDARDS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS The light-colored boxes closest to the grey boxes present standards and measurement indicators - most of them specific to Quebec - for each of the key sectors and levers of the transition. In particular, the map lists the main barometers that allow us to observe the evolution of various aspects of the transition to a low-carbon economy in Quebec. GROWTH SECTORS The growth sectors presented at the top of the map provide an overview of the sectors that are best positioned to seize new business opportunities from the transition to a low-carbon economy and prosper during the transition. The energy sector is positioned at the heart of the growth sectors, thanks in part to the fact that Quebec is one of the only jurisdictions in the world to produce electricity that is close to 100% renewable, an asset that companies in all sectors can capitalize on to accelerate their transition. LEVERS & TRANSITION SIGNALS At the bottom of the map are the main sectors that play the role of key levers and from which pressure as well as financial and human resources emerge to help accelerate the transition businesses across all economic sectors. The Finance sector is positioned at the heart of the levers because Quebec is committed to becoming a world-class financial center in sustainable finance and play a leading role at the heart of the transition. Québec Net Positive is also one of the founding members of the Climate+Positive Investment Alliance (C+PIA) that is calling on investors to go beyond Net Zero to Net Climate Positive as quickly as possible to truly solve climate change and align with the latest science.
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About the MappingThe mapping of the low-carbon economy in Quebec is a visual representation that aims to: Highlight the growth sectors and the main existing and emerging levers on which Quebec can rely to create wealth and sustainable jobs, while accelerating its transition to a low-carbon, more just, prosperous and resilient economy. Equip key stakeholders with an actionable tool to simplify the identification of challenges and drivers for the transition and facilitate stakeholders engagement. Foster the integration of the transition perspective into business, investment, infrastructure and economic development strategies. The mapping is based on a database and qualitative information compiled by the Québec Net Positive team. It is presented in the form of an interactive .PDF document giving access to a glossary of key terms, available in French and English, to help foster a constructive dialogue around a common language of the transition.
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October 2022: Overview of major updatesIn order to reflect the transition to a low-carbon economy within the Quebec economy, the October 2022 update includes additions or improvements to 194 boxes in the map, including: For the first time, we have been able to identify directional trends for transition pathways that are emerging for each of the growth sectors and levers In this update, we have added a number of barometers and measurement indicators specific to Quebec, related to certain growth sectors and levers, which allow us to measure the state of transition in Quebec from different angles, as well as local, national and international reference frameworks that have an influence on the transition pathways of Quebec businesses The notion of "governance" has been added to the talent lever, in order to represent the acceleration of the mobilization of a large number of stakeholders, sectoral associations and business groups towards the integration of ESG aspects in corporate strategy and operations, including the fiduciary duties of boards of directors and management team in the face of climate change The visual of the manufacturing sector has been updated to reflect the transition dynamics around the value chains in that sector December 2021 – Updates Overview June 2020 – Read the mapping launch press release
3 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION-RESEARCH TO BE PURSUED
THANKS TO ALL OUR COLLABORATORS AND PARTNERS
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).
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