Many businesses would like to adopt a sustainable development approach and integrate eco-friendly practices into their activities. However, many of them do not know where to begin or in what order they should implement their green initiatives.
As in several other areas, innovation is key, and in the case of sustainable development, clean technology holds a predominant position.
Clean technology
Clean technology, or “cleantech”, encompasses technological innovations as well as industrial products and services that use natural resources, energy, water, and raw materials to improve productivity. This technology is called “clean” because it is based on three major principles:
- Reducing the impact on the environment by minimizing toxicity and volume of residual materials;
- Efficiency, productivity, and economic performance;
- Improving quality of life.
Implementing clean technology enables businesses to minimize their environmental footprint.
And the benefits of integrating it
For businesses, integrating clean technology into their daily activities lets them reduce their raw material and energy consumption as well the residual materials to be managed and eliminated.
Clean technology enables businesses to
- Optimize productivity
- Gain a competitive advantage over certain competitors
- Improve their reputation
- Mobilize and retain personnel
- Support other innovations
Returns on investment in clean technology are numerous and depend on the business’s performance, size, type and level of integration of the clean technology.
Innovative technology at your fingertips
There are no less than 400 organizations specializing in clean technology development in Quebec. The province is a world leader in the area, which is probably one of its best kept secrets. In the Montérégie region alone, there are eight research organizations specializing in the clean technology sector and close to 90 innovative enterprises in the water, air, energy and residual materials, and soil and groundwater sectors.
Clean technology is one of the most accessible solutions for organizations seeking to integrate a sustainable development strategy into their activities. To make it easier to access this technology, specialized organizations such as Centre de recherche industriel du Québec (CRIQ) and Réseau Environnement offer complete directories of clean technologies and suppliers who can provide tailored solutions. Furthermore, Investissement Québec, Gaz Métro, Hydro-Québec and several departments offer financing to integrate or develop these technologies.
Clean technology not only reduces the environmental footprints of the organizations that adopt them, it also contributes to saving energy, increasing productivity and often to creating value – an invaluable asset in these uncertain times. To efficiently integrate these technologies into your organization’s daily activities, it is important to identify the tools that you already have and obtain consensus on a true integration strategy.
