30 May 2014

PRESS RELEASE – Sherbrooke Innopole is proud to announce that it has received the Carbon Care^TC Certification – Enviro-access Compensated Emissions for 2013. The organization becomes the first Local Development Centre (LDC) in Québec to be recognized for its efforts in reducing its greenhouse gases (GHG). The announcement was concurrent with the 3^rd Cleantech Rendez-vous now taking place at the Université de Sherbrooke’s cultural Centre.

To qualify for the highest level of recognition awarded by Enviro-Access with its Carbon Care^TC certification, Sherbrooke Innopole has compensated the entirety of its GHG emissions by purchasing verified carbon credits from Ecotierra.

Étienne Desmarais, CEO of Ecotierra, Josée Fortin, Director General of Sherbrooke Innopole, Manon Laporte, CEO of Enviro-access, and Marc Cantin, President of Sherbrooke Innopole

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“From its inception, Sherbrooke Innopole has been committed to sustainable development, both as a promoter and participant in the green economy. The Enviro-access certification puts an official stamp of approval on our numerous initiatives and our philosophy in this matter, while it meets our goal of promoting a distinctive brand image, says the economic development organization’s President of the Board Marc Cantin. Sherbrooke Innopole wants to be a proactive player in sustainable regional development and we prove it again today by obtaining the Carbon Care^TC – Compensated Emissions certification, in the footsteps of Sherbrooke institutional leaders.”

The GHG inventory performed in conformity with ISO norm 14 064-1: 2006, compiled the GHG emitted by Sherbrooke Innopole at 113.7 tons of CO₂eq. for the period of January 1^st to December 31^st 2013. This inventory takes into account indirect energy emissions (electricity) as well as indirect GHG like all employee travel in the context of their work as well as commuting to and from work, the production of paper consumed and the disposition of residual waste. No direct emission is generated by Sherbrooke Innopole activities and all emissions generated from its events are compensated.

“The certfication Carbon Care^TC – Compensated Emissions goes beyond GHG compensation; it certifies that Sherbrooke Innopole demonstrates an active, even pro-active commitment to manage its emissions by having instituted a series of actions in addition to having performed an inventory in conformity with recognized standards in the field GHG measurement. It’s an inspiring example for other LDC in the province,” says Enviro-access President and Chief Executive Officer, Manon Laporte.

Sherbrooke Innopole has taken several concrete measures to reduce its GHG emissions, as follow, and is intent on pursuing its daily actions to reduce its ecological footprint:

• Integration of software for a paperless Board of Administration;
• Integration of video-conferencing software to reduce employee and customer travel;
• Installation of sorting stations for residual matter on each floor;
• Exclusive use of 100% recycled paper;
• Etc.

To become carbon neutral, Sherbrooke Innopole has compensated the entirety of its GHG emissions via the preservation project of Ecotierra’s REDD forest. The project’s goal is reducing emissions from the deforestation and degradation (REDD) of 500,000 hectares of Amazonian forest in the South-West of Peru.

“In addition to maintaining forested protection zones and protecting diversity, the project involves 3,500 Brazil nut producers with the objective of integrating them in the world market in an equitable fashion, explains Ecotierra’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Étienne Desmarais. This alliance between ecological and socio-economic impacts characterizes all our reforestation and conservation projects, and we are proud of Sherbrooke Innopole’s contribution.”