Majority of Quebec SMEs implementing sustainability plan: Survey

Policies to encourage less printing, improve recycling most popular initiatives

The majority of small and medium enterprise (SME) executives in Quebec are planning concrete measures in favour of sustainable development, according to a recent survey by the Fonds de solidarité (FTQ).

Eighty per cent of the 202 SME executives surveyed said they are planning to implement concrete measures related to sustainable development within the next 18 months, found the SME Confidence Index.

"It is important to have an overall vision for sustainable development and that vision must include Quebec SMEs,” said Mario Tremblay, vice-president for public and corporate affairs at the FTQ. “The results… show that a majority of SME executives are concerned by the environment, but there remains a minority that still needs to be made aware of issues related to sustainable development."

The main measures considered by SME executives include putting in place or improving policies for the reduction of documents printed by their enterprise (50 per cent), putting in place or improving recycling policies (45 per cent) and increasing the awareness about the use of energy in the workplace (42 per cent), found the survey.

The replacement of existing equipment by more energy efficient equipment (28 per cent), increasing employee awareness about the use of disposal utensils (24 per cent) and putting in place financial measures to encourage employee use of public transit and car pooling (nine per cent) are among the other measures being considered by SME executives.

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