Haleco Architectural Rendering
Genevieve Roy, Vice President of Environment and Sustainable Development at Pomerleau, presented at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Sustainable Communities Conference in Ottawa about our commitment to greening our operations and delivering projects that better respect ecosystems.
Following the launch of Perspective (our ESG strategy) in 2022, Pomerleau is committed to building the living environments of tomorrow. Our team strives to accelerate the construction industry’s shift towards more sustainable business practices.
During the presentation we discussed our expertise in building sustainable infrastructure projects, how innovation is modernizing construction and creating value for municipalities, and how a builder can lead the industry towards better support of the environment and communities.
Sustainable Development Advisor, Andrea Vickers was also in attendance to detail Pomerleau’s experience on the Haleco project, winner of the international competition Reinventing Cities, initiated by the C40 organization. The project is built in partnership with Ivanhoe Cambridge and COGIR.
A glimpse into Pomerleau’s experience on the Haleco project
The building sector is the nation’s third-largest greenhouse gas producer, making it imperative that we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. In the case of Haleco, a mixed-use real estate development project, we have adopted a design-build format, where the builder is implicated early on. This approach enables Pomerleau to guide the client in making decisions about choosing low impact materials, designing efficient systems, and getting the right consultants at the table early on. To reduce the impact of Haleco’s environmental footprint, the 100% electric complex will meet the highest standards of energy saving and water management.
From a social impact standpoint, Haleco invites citizens to actively participate in the project's mission to build an engaged community that is committed to reducing their collective carbon footprint. The development will provide tools to reduce the footprint of the users and visitors in the building by using a combination of building information systems, and educational programming.
We are seeing a significant increase in sustainable projects in Canada, and projects like Haleco will become tomorrow’s standard. In 2020, sustainable building projects accounted for 36% of our building portfolio. In 2022, that number increased to 51% of our projects and this ratio is only increasing. By 2030, Pomerleau expects that approximately 80% of its building projects will be sustainable.
Through innovation, we can improve our practices and tools, allowing us to be efficient, agile, and sustainable in our endeavors. Together, as an industry, and as exemplified during the FCM Conference, we can build a more sustainable future for our communities.