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Published on July 9, 2025
• 3 min read
Optimizing your operations while reducing your impact on the environment is both possible and profitable.
In the current context of geopolitical tensions, the increasing scarcity of resources and persistent economic uncertainty, your company’s performance should be your main focus. However, your strategic plan must also take into account existing regulations and include environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.
For SMEs in Quebec, ESG criteria are no longer “secondary” or “nice to have.” Rather, they are a key to access markets, capital and talent.
Integrating ESG practices into your company’s operations enables you to combine profitability, agility and regulatory compliance. This approach also provides a lever for performance and resilience in the face of climate change, as well as easier access to financing.
Concrete actions that deliver fast results
You can start your energy transition by implementing concrete measures that yield immediate savings.
Lighting and ventilation
- Install LED lighting fixtures.
- Replace your motors with more energy-efficient ones.
- Get a return on investment in usually less than 12 months.
Smart technologies
- Connected thermostats
- Presence-sensing devices for automatic lighting
- Heat recovery systems
Optimizing logistics flows
- Reviewing internal logistics flows and reorganizing warehousing and transport can result in a 15% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions
- Transport pooling and progressively replacing fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles are also means to leverage efficiency.
Targeted digitization
- By implementing a targeted digitization of the company’s processes, adapted to its technological maturity, you can add significant value to your business.
- You can optimize your energy efficiency and modernize operations by using online collaborative tools and cloud computing software.
Substantial and measurable savings
The profitability of an ESG approach is confirmed by recent data.
- Every dollar invested in industrial energy efficiency generates $1.19 in direct savings (International Energy Agency, 2023).
- ESG-focused companies boast 6% to 9% higher productivity per employee (OEDC).
- A total of 85% of consumers prefer buying from sustainable SMEs (BDC, 2023).
- Circular economy manufacturing leads to a 9% to 16% decrease in the purchase cost of materials (Ecovadis and BDC, 2024).
You may achieve results in different areas of your activities, such as:
Reducing volatile organic compound emissions
In the manufacturing sector, replacing traditional chemical solvents with more eco-friendly products can generate a decrease of up to 40% in emissions. Such measures improve the air quality for employees, while also reducing the company’s environmental impact.
Digital eco-design
By optimizing digital practices, such as data storage management and choosing green hosting service providers, you can reduce your digital carbon footprint by 27% in just one year.
Keys for a successful transition
Aiming for sustainability is not about doing more but about doing things better. The main issue is refocusing management models around three levers.
- Eco-design of procedures: less waste and more value.
- Functional economy: optimizing use rather than ownership.
- Data governance: control, transparency and resilience.
For SMEs, the key to success lies in an incremental approach.
- Evaluate the high-impact areas (energy, transport, waste, digital technology).
- Prioritize quick-win solutions.
- Implement a simple ESG dashboard with clear performance indicators.
- Engage your employees around shared sustainable goals.
A sustainable competitive edge
Despite a temporary easing of certain regulations, businesses that keep up momentum on their ESG efforts now are better positioned for the future. By adopting an incremental approach, they can avoid massive catch-up costs when the standards are fully reinstated.
The key to a successful transition lies in a gradual change that respects your constraints. Our regional roots and understanding of Quebec’s entrepreneurial reality allow us to support you with personalized solutions, adapted to your specific needs and operational constraints.
Call on a team of experts who can support you throughout the process.
Available financing and subsidies
You are not left to fend for yourself when implementing necessary measures. This list presents a few examples of support programs available in Quebec for businesses, but it is not exhaustive. Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton does not favor any particular program and maintains a neutral approach. We encourage businesses to conduct their own research to identify the programs best suited to their specific needs.
- INNOV-R SME Program: Supported by the Electrification and Climate Change Fund (ECCF), this program funds innovative industrial research projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Quebec. Grants can reach up to $1,000,000.
- EFEC Program: This program supports feasibility studies and the planning of innovative projects in the circular economy, with a maximum aid of $100,000.
- Hydro-Québec: Offers support programs for energy efficiency and GHG emissions reduction.
- RECYC-QUÉBEC: (French only) Provides grants for waste management and recycling projects.
These programs are designed to help businesses adopt sustainable practices and contribute to a greener future for Quebec.