Pomerleau Named One of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the First Time
News, ESG
Efforts to protect our natural environment and mitigate the alarming effects of climate change are constantly ongoing at Pomerleau. Since we communicated our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy in 2022, we have been working hard to attain the goals we set. The start of this year has brought many achievements on our sites including the update of our environmental policy, a sustainable competition, and the construction of a LEED certified project. Read along as we dig into our latest advancements.
Reducing On-Site Emissions Through the Heat Better Challenge
The Heat Better Challenge was founded upon the success of our pilot heating project, which was conducted in the winter of 2022-2023. Teams tested different heating units with smart thermostats to assess their optimization potential and demonstrate their increased cost-effectiveness and reduced environmental impact compared to conventional temporary heating units.
After a successful pilot project, we launched the Heat Better Challenge over the winter of 2023-2024. This internal initiative, driven by collaboration among different Pomerleau teams, aimed to expand the use of remote monitoring units, optimize heating conditions, and increase the use of electric units. Overall, 17 project teams participated in the challenge, installing more than 150 units, putting Pomerleau on track to reduce 1,000 tons of CO2e.
Constructing the Mellem Manoir-des-Trembles
In collaboration with Montreal developer, Maitre Carré, we are pursuing LEED Silver certification on the Mellem Manoir-des-Trembles project. The 8-storey, 189-unit rental building in Gatineau, Quebec is being built with community in mind.
This certification requires that the building's design and construction include a range of actions and commitments, such as:
- Strategic choice of the building’s location.
- Proximity (access) and diversity of available means of transport.
- Proximity to different types of services.
- Construction on a previously decontaminated and revitalized urban site.
- Efficient management of water, energy, materials and resources.
- Innovation.
- Attention to indoor environmental quality.
Establishing a New Environmental Policy
To support our actions in terms of environmental protection, compliance, and continuous improvement., we adopted a new environmental policy that better represents our objectives and strategy as an organization engaged in the fight against climate change. The policy includes eight core commitments that reflect our environmental protection efforts on-site and help us achieve carbon neutrality for our facilities and activities (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 2050.
With the adoption of a new environmental policy, we are not only setting clear objectives, but also actively implementing strategies to combat climate change and promote environmental protection through collective action.
