SMEs are increasingly committed to sustainable development and the adoption of eco-friendly measures. This is the encouraging observation we made on Tuesday, August 31, during the first day of live training for our 2021 cohort. It was in the elegant setting of a terrace in the heart of Montreal’s international district that twenty SMEs gathered to share their experiences and expectations for the next few months of their Journey. It was also the perfect opportunity to (finally!) meet in person (always respecting the sanitary measures in effect) and share good times under the theme of sustainable development.

SMEs are motivated to develop sustainable practices

Environmental standards, environmental issues, corporate social responsibility… These were some of the topics discussed during the meeting. A total of 20 small and medium-sized companies were represented at this training day.

Before getting straight to the subject, some of the SMEs were keen to share their experiences and learnings – during the cross-view period – that they acquired following the first two workshops that we offered them. These workshops have enabled them, unanimously, to have a better understanding of the issues related to sustainable development and to define the position in which their company is situated with regard to environmental issues.

In addition, the previous workshops were also an opportunity for SMEs to deeply reflect on their own mission and vision, on how to integrate sustainable practices in the short and medium term, as well as to assess the impact their activities have on the environment and society.

The quality of the discussions and the involvement and dynamism of the participants delighted Romain Michelis, Coordinator of the Parcours Développement Durable and Ellio Project Manager. “The launch of the 2021 cohort is going very well. This year’s hybrid formula, due to the health restrictions still in place, poses some challenges of a technical nature, but we are delighted with the presence of many companies, both in the classroom and online”.

Romain then went on to talk about the involvement and enthusiasm of the participants in this event: “We are delighted to see SMEs involved and keen to integrate sustainable practices. We feel that they really want to learn, they fully take part in the discussions and this can only be positive for the future.

Embracing the ecological transition

This is the main objective on which the participants agreed and which emerged in all the discussions. In addition, topics such as the collaborative economy, the role of large industries in the ecological transition and corporate social responsibility are all subjects that appeal to the participating SMEs and they wish to explore them further via the discussions and meetings that will take place in the following months, as part of this cohort.

In general, the expectations and needs of the participating companies are relatively the same. They wish to:

• Develop eco-responsible communication.

• Develop a vision and objectives in terms of sustainable development for their organisation.

• Respond efficiently to customer/partner requirements on sustainability issues.

• Learn more about sustainability issues and ecological transition.

• Adopt tools and control mechanisms to monitor the impact of their activities on the environment.

We wish this cohort all the best and look forward to seeing you all at our future events! Stay tuned for our latest news.