
Worker ESG priorities
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The Fonds is an integral part of our ESG approach and our go-to for resources."
— Patrick, Maibec, a partner company
Why it’s important to us
We believe that when we invest in companies and funds involved in the environmental transition, we encourage even more companies to do their part for our future and accelerate Québec’s environmental transition.
86.9%
of companies reported having at least one environmentally friendly business practice in 2022.[1]
Between 2019 and 2022, the proportion of companies with an environmentally responsible approach to investing de- creased by 17% to 12%.[2]
Between 2020 and 2023, the proportion of companies with a formal sustainable development approach increased from 4.8 % to 7.5 %.[2]
The environmental transition is everybody’s business, so it must be equitable for us all. That’s why we’re committed to moving Québec in the right direction, without leaving anyone behind. We invest your savings in companies, projects and funds that are working to reduce our collective carbon footprint, and we’re invested too.
We also encourage our partners to adopt sustainable business practices by supporting them in rolling out new solutions. We urge them to check with their teams to ensure that workers’ skills are always up to date. And we make sure that the change we initiate benefits as many people as possible.
That’s how we’ll reach our ambitious goal of $12 billion in sustainable development assets.
Here’s some of the things we’ve done this year:
Your savings should be invested where it matters, so we analyze the main ESG (environment, social, governance) factors for every new investment the Fonds is considering, whether in development or venture capital. If those ESG practices are contrary to our mission, values and strategic priorities, and if the company’s management is not willing to improve them, we may not move ahead.
This analysis allows us to determine whether the investment meets the Fonds’ definition of sustainable development assets.
As at May 31, 2024, the Fonds had invested over $60 million in companies that develop and/or market products or services to fight climate change.[4]
Montréal
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Our way of contributing to the environmental transition is to make science more accessible, concrete and practical."
— Jérôme Dupras
General Manager
Habitat
Jérôme Dupras is CEO of Habitat, the environmental engineering firm he cofounded in 2017 with long-time friends Christian Messier and Andrew Gonzalez, both scientists, researchers and professors. Habitat helps decision-makers and organizations take concrete action to address biodiversity and climate change issues.
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We realized that, often times, our recommendations for companies and governments based on the results of our studies didn’t actually reach them", said Dupras.
Habitat was founded to change all that. After getting several urban forestry and land-use plans under its belt, Habitat now works with MRCs, municipalities, government institutions, NPOs and businesses to preserve our natural environments and adapt to new climate realities.
The Fonds and Habitat started working together in 2022, when the company was going through what Jérôme likes to call "its teenage years." That’s when the company decided to develop a strategic plan.
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We were getting lots of positive feedback from our clients and realized that the more we could work with different clients in various sectors, the bigger our impact would be."
To achieve this, Habitat pinpointed three main areas for development for which it needed financial support and strategic coaching. Habitat wanted to increase their market share in Québec, develop a plan to take their knowledge international and invest in research and development to continue innovating.
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As we travelled around, we realized that the needs in Québec are pretty much the same everywhere. At the Fonds, we have teams that specialize in supporting companies that are expanding outside Québec. Together, we’re currently assessing how we can have a strong presence in different territories."
The aim is to accelerate the environmental transition beyond our province’s borders.
Every day, Habitat addresses the two distinct aspects of the environmental crisis around world: climate change and biodiversity loss. And while climate change is a hot topic, biodiversity is less talked about. Habitat intends to change this by increasing social literacy about biodiversity. It partnered with the Fonds to create the new Centre de recherche appliquée sur la biodiversité et les écosystèmes (CRABE) in collaboration with Université du Québec en Outaouais.
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Large organizations, cities, businesses and national governments have the capacity to think about biodiversity, but SMEs or small municipalities don’t. At CRABE, our goal is to gather the finest scientific knowledge on biodiversity so that it can be incorporated into all these sectors."
All of Québec stands to benefit from this new initiative. Habitat will soon make it possible for Québec organizations, small or large, to take action to preserve biodiversity.
Our Asthuce team offers a wide range of services to partner companies that want to make a successful environmental transition: training on a range of key environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues specific to the company’s reality; support in incorporating ESG factors into the corporate strategy and practices; and assessments of greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency. Specifically, Asthuce offers strategic support to assess the maturity of existing practices, identify opportunities aligned with client expectations, and address the potential impact on the company’s various stakeholders.
Lévis
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We already know that reducing travel, consuming less and better managing our resources helps us emit less greenhouse gas. Why wait until we’ve calculated our GHG emissions to act?"
— Patrick Labonté
Chief Executive Officer
Maibec
Patrick Labonté is President and CEO of Maibec, a contraction of "Maine" and "Québec," in reference to their operations near Saint-Pamphile, Québec, right next to the US border. The company, which employs over 700 people, specializes in integrated real wood, wood composite and aluminum exterior cladding systems. And since Maibec depends on natural resources, they’ve always been committed to respecting and preserving them.
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We’ve always reused all our products and by-products. We turn our cedar chips and bark into mulch and use our fir and spruce shavings for animal bedding. When we had sawmills, we sold all our by-products to paper mills," Labonté said.
In addition to reusing its resources, Maibec has made a major environmental, social and governance (ESG) transition over the past several years. The Fonds, a minority partner since 2012, has supported the company in various ways: formalizing its approach, helping them ask themselves the right questions, as well as providing several staff training courses and sitting on their board of directors.
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As a shareholder, the Fonds is always there to discuss the company’s direction. “They’re an integral part of our ESG approach and our go-to for resources."
Labonté believes that an ESG transition needs to play out, first and foremost, in day-to-day operations. But that doesn’t stop him from thinking about the future and putting his vision on paper, which is what he and his team have done by publishing three ESG reports since the end of 2018, first a low-carbon transition plan and, most recently, a more overarching ESG approach. But contrary to the traditional way of doing things, Maibec didn’t wait for analyses, reviews and other reflections to be completed—or even begun—before they took action.
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The first steps were easy and came naturally. Even if we don’t exactly know what final impact they’ll have, or whether we want to be carbon neutral by 2027 or by 2037, we can and must act now. We can take time afterwards to work out a grand plan as a team. Meanwhile, everything that’s been started and done will have been accomplished."
At Maibec, everyone is committed to ESG issues.
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When we ensure that all our people have ESG in mind, we ensure that ESG is part of everything we do," Labonté explained. He prefers to assign mandates to established teams rather than to internal or external groups that are not immersed in their operations.
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My greatest satisfaction is seeing that the wheels are in motion and our approach is mainly internal. That means that our people are on board with our project and they believe in it."
Of course, Maibec can also count on the support of external partners, such as the Fonds, to help steer it in the right direction.
Both businesses and workers have a role to play in the environmental transition. To help you better understand yours, we’ve gathered some useful information here. Together, we can make it happen.
In 2023, we created the Fonds de solidarité FTQ Bioénergie, an initiative that supports the development of innovative biomethanization projects. And this year, our continued investment is giving it momentum.
Biomethanization is a transitional energy source and one of the most effective solutions for fighting climate change. Biomethanization recovers organic waste from agriculture, restaurants and municipalities to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy and considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Our investments in biomethanization don’t just support plants and businesses that make a positive impact on the environment, they also create jobs and generate positive spin-offs for local communities. And we’ve only just begun.
From organic waste to renewable natural gas. See how your savings allow us to invest in an innovative process that plays a major role in fighting climate change.
We like to take our own advice, especially right here at home!
The Fonds de solidarité FTQ has always been an agent of change. And to continue making a difference, we've rallied around a clear vision: to accelerate Québec's development into a just society and a sustainable economy for all.
It's a vision that reflects our ambitions.
As at May 31, 2024, the Fonds’ Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions intensity decreased nearly 15% compared to May 31, 2023, mainly due to the amount of natural gas consumed during the year.[4]
Information
All the information and data provided on this website are for information purposes only; they are not intended to provide advice or recommendations of a financial, legal, accounting or tax nature with respect to investments. Although they are deemed reliable, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy, quality or completeness of this information and data. The opinions expressed should not be construed as a solicitation or an offer for the subscription or sale of shares of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ or the units referred to herein and should not be viewed as a recommendation. We recommend you consult your legal advisor.