Montréal, Monday, November 9, 2020 ‒ The Strategic Forum on Cleantech and the Green Economy held as part of the Relaunch MTL movement, powered by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and its partners, gave almost 500 participants a chance to interact with close to 30 panelists on opportunities to take action for and accelerate the transition to a greener economy, at a time when businesses are concerned about the health and economic crises and environmental issues.
During the event, the many strategic cleantech industry partners identified significant challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The slowdown in the sales cycle, extensive regulation in procurement, and constraints on international trade are issues on top of those that previously existed. Of the issues already affecting the sector before the crisis, financing is the one that most concerns participants for the development of the sector, followed by demonstrating and commercializing technologies.
Participants identified priority efforts for promoting innovation and making the transition to a sustainable economy central to the recovery. For the industry, Quebec is a market that will present many opportunities in the coming years. Quebec businesses need to further integrate cleantech to their processes and introduce mechanisms to foster innovation. For industry actors, it is essential that governments be present to stimulate the adoption of cleantech by creating incentives and targeted programs for businesses. Governments can also act as technology showcases by using public markets as a tool for economic development and strengthening innovation, and by promoting examples of sustainable practices.
The prioritization of solutions initially presented in the Action Plan to Strengthen the Cleantech and Green Economy Sector, jointly produced by the Chamber and Écotech Québec, in cooperation with KPMG, emerged from an exercise conducted during the Forum. The action plan noted the importance of the cleantech sector for Quebec, and specifically for Greater Montréal, in terms of the significant contribution to GDP and the many jobs, in a sector that increasingly appeals to young people.
“This morning we witnessed a massive mobilization of the cleantech and green economy sector,” said Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. “During the Forum, we noted that we have an obligation to get results, not just for the transition to a greener economy, but also to promote the development and success of our ecosystem. We need to allow SMEs in this promising sector to develop their technologies and innovations here, to commercialize them, and to reach their clients where they are, whether in Quebec or on international markets. In the next few months, mobilization platforms such as Écotech Québec will be central to efforts for a green, innovative recovery, and the Chamber will continue to be present to support them.”
“The cleantech sector must be a lever for the recovery with innovations that enable businesses and municipalities to improve their operational and environmental performance,” said Denis Leclerc, president and CEO of Écotech Québec. “The opportunities that are emerging from the current context must be seized to drive the economies of Montréal and Quebec around a transition to a greener economy that will contribute to job creation, sustainable prosperity, the fight against climate change, and improved environmental quality.”
The action plan enriched with input from a participative session held as part of the Forum will soon be available on the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal website. While awaiting the updated version, you can find the action plan here.
About the Strategic Forum on Cleantech and the Green Economy
The Strategic Forum on Cleantech and the Green Economy, which is part of the Relaunch MTL movement, is jointly developed by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and Écotech Québec, in cooperation with the law firm Dentons, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Hydro-Québec and Rio Tinto.
About the Relaunch MTL movement
The Relaunch MTL movement is powered by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and the Ville de Montréal, in association with Investissement Québec and the Palais des congrès de Montréal, and in cooperation with the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Conseil emploi métropole, CN, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and KPMG. The movement is also created with the support of Air Canada, CGI, Desjardins, Hydro-Québec, La Presse, Montreal Gazette, RBC Royal Bank and Rio Tinto, and in partnership with Aéro Montréal, AluQuébec, the Association de la construction du Québec, the Quebec Film and Television Council, CargoM – Logistic and Transportation Metropolitan Cluster of Montréal, the Conseil québécois du commerce de détail, Culture Montréal, Écotech Québec, Femmessor, Finance Montréal, the Fonds de recherche du Québec, the Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, mmode – the Metropolitan Fashion Cluster, Montréal International, Montreal InVivo, Numana, Propulsion Québec and Tourisme Montréal. More details on the movement at www.relaunchMTL.ca.
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
With a network of over 8,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source: Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Information: Caroline Des Rosiers, 514 880-2881, cdesrosiers@national.ca
Related link:
http://www.relançonsMTL.ca