News, testimonials and the thoughts that drive us...

Putting stakeholders at the heart of the process to accelerate the local climate transition of our MRCs

Individuals are the key players at the heart of the climate transition. When drawing up and implementing a climate plan for a regional county municipality (RCM), it's important to reach out to the people who make up your RCM's stakeholders, to mobilize the people affected by the actions proposed for your territory, because they are the ones who will directly experience tomorrow's changes. Working together means creating a space for exchange based on cooperation towards a common goal: a sustainable, collective climate transition for your MRC. But how?

With the participation of elected officials, municipalities, aboriginal nations, community organizations, businesses, industries, institutions and the general public, the creation of your climate plan will truly reflect your territory.

Posted by

Véronique Levy

13/5/2024

Systemic approach

Regenerative tourism to help the region prosper

Another new word, another new concept... But why talk about regenerative tourism when we already have our hands full with responsible and sustainable tourism? And how can regenerative tourism be a solution for revitalizing a region and making it healthier?

Why regenerative tourism? Because aiming for sustainable tourism is obviously necessary, even essential to the pursuit of our activities, but may not be enough to bring real long-term prosperity to our territories and communities. Indeed, the notion of "sustainable" implies keeping things "as is", as they are, without degrading them further...

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1/3/2024

News

What do a hemp plan, the Place Stanislas in Nancy and the We Work space in Medellin have in common?

On the face of it, nothing! But they are all gas pedals of the transition I witnessed during my last stay in France and my trip to Colombia.

For family reasons, I have to return regularly to my home town, Nancy. So I've decided to spend more time meeting people who are making a difference...

Posted by

Véronique Levy

15/1/2024

Systemic approach

Happiness as the company's purpose

The beginning of the year is always a good time to take stock and make good resolutions. In 2024, we'd like you to set your sights high on a goal that should mobilize all your energies and those of your teams! On the road to happiness!

There are over 8 billion human beings on the planet. And if there's one thing we all have in common, it's that we all want to be happy.

Posted by

Xavier Lecorgne

4/1/2024

News

Taking action for the climate: how can global action be applied at company level?

Science reminds us that carbon neutrality implies a balance between CO2 emissions and absorptions on a global scale. So a company is not carbon neutral: it contributes to achieving carbon neutrality on a global scale.

Based on this observation, the Net Zero Initiative offers a practical guide with 3 pillars of action for companies...

Posted by

Lucie Leignier

6/12/2023

Carbon neutrality: between good practice and greenwashing

Organizations' commitment to carbon neutrality is essential today, but it's important to understand what it's all about: the concept raises some fundamental questions. Carbon neutrality" or "net zero emissions" is defined by the IPCC as a situation of equilibrium between anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and their absorption over a defined period.

Posted by

15/5/2023

Business models

Sustainable development action plan 2023-2028: our 7 tips for ministries and organizations

Following the publication of Quebec's Sustainable Development Strategy, ministries and organizations are required to draw up and submit their Sustainable Development Action Plans (SDAPs). Ellio et ma petite boîte verte will pass on 7 strategic tips to ensure the success of your approach and meet the Quebec government's expectations.

With the publication of the Government Sustainable Development Strategy 2023-2028, the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs is inviting all provincial ministries and organizations to draw up and submit a Sustainable Development Action Plan, commonly known as a SDAP, by September 1, 2023.

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31/1/2023

News

2023: awareness, courage and action?

At the start of this new year, I wanted to put down on paper a few thoughts from 2022 and proposals for 2023.

What struck me in 2022 was the growing penetration of questions about the ecological transition and sustainable development. No matter how much insiders criticize the term, blaming it for all the ills of organizational lack of ambition, greenwashing and runaway growth, even if it is green, I know that it has not yet been taken on board by organizational leaders.

Posted by

Thibaut Allibert

15/11/2021

Top 3: from ideas to concrete action!

COP 26 crystallizes the challenges of our century to the highest degree, and we believe that this is, unfortunately, rather justified. Even if the prospect of global warming below 1.5 degrees seems increasingly utopian, at Ellio we believe that everyone in our society has the capacity to take action and make a difference. Our clients partners are perfect examples of this ambition, and here are some of their best achievements...

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6/10/2021

Interview

7 lives. Eduardo has already had 7 lives.

This is the first time I've met Eduardo Firak, and even a videoconference is still a meeting. Covid obliges, and screens leave a very strange impression, quite different from physical encounters. And to be different, it was going to be. Even by videoconference.

Hailing from Brazil, Eduardo is a nugget to be discovered, having settled in Quebec more than five years ago.

Posted by

Karine Navilys

1/9/2021

Lifestyle

Permaculture more than agriculture

Permaculture is more than just a method, it's an approach that needs to be integrated into our business models and communities.

A few years ago, with the support of students and the university administration where I worked, I co-founded Hectare urbain HEC Montréal with a dynamic doctoral student - a project focused on education and raising awareness of the sustainability issues facing our contemporary world.

Posted by

Collectif

2/6/2021

The principles of life as a strategy for organizations

The pandemic makes us think about the kind of society we want for ourselves and our children. In our case, it wasn't the desire to denounce, to accuse, to let hope slip away, but rather this conviction that a new world is possible, desirable and within reach. So we got together, a small group of people we liked both professionally and personally, people of inspiration and human values, who were already working towards a better world.

The page was blank, but it became colored with all kinds of reflections and influences, around a few questions: what does the society we want to help create look like? What role do organizations play in it? What posture should we adopt?...

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14/12/2020

The company's purpose: the pillar of recovery

The Pacte law promulgated in May 2019 enshrined purpose in French law and enables companies to be recognized as mission companies in their statutes. The health crisis we're experiencing today is putting it on everyone's agenda. In Quebec, it's an emerging but very present topic.

We wanted to compare the Quebec and French approaches to the subject and their impact on organizations. On the French side, Agnès Rambaud-Paquin with the Des enjeux et des hommes team and her partner Martin Richer, founder of Management&RSE, have accumulated extensive experience on the subject, in sectors as varied as agri-food, services, industry, real estate and distribution. Here, they share what they've learned on the subject.

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15/10/2019

The "World Forum for a Responsible Economy" in Lille shows us the way to innovate and make a responsible transition.

The World Forum for a Responsible Economy in Lille #WFRE19 is now in its 13th year. Like every year, it's a succession of speakers, each more inspiring than the last. But it's more than that. For international speakers, it's also a chance to spend 3 full days together, bonding, inspiring and doing good to the soul. And to realize that the challenges are sometimes very different, and sometimes very similar.

I have to admit that finding myself quietly talking about technological innovation and Canadian politics over a drink with Bertrand Piccard, of the Solar Impulse Foundation, is off to a great start. His talk this morning was a great moment, how shall I put it... an elevation?

Posted by

14/1/2019

Lifestyle

I took up the "Nothing new in2018" challenge! The results...

In mid-January 2018, a friend challenged me: buy nothing new in 2018... Surprise and resistance past, I accepted to take it up.

As I'm not necessarily inclined towards extremes, I saw it more as an opportunity to 1) reduce my consumption and 2) for purchases that were harder to "compress", to observe my needs and the gaps in second-hand alternatives.

Posted by

7/1/2019

Find out more about the benefits of Life Cycle Assessment

Our contributor Eduardo reveals the full potential of Life Cycle Assessment, through a comprehensive study published on the BtheChange website, the specialized Bcorp media.

n order to meet the challenges of the future, companies will inevitably have to take a more strategic approach to sustainable development, combining reduced environmental impact with business opportunities.

Posted by

25/12/2018

Case study

Calculating social and environmental impacts using Life Cycle Assessment - The case of Prana

Life Cycle Assessment is proving to be a powerful tool for directing corporate strategy towards the greatest potential for reducing environmental impact. This is the approach adopted by the ambitious Prana company. Our colleague Eduardo Sasso has written an article on the subject, published on the BtheChange media, associated with the BCorp certification.

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18/10/2017

Bcorp Champions Retreat: inclusive underwear

In 2016, BLab* launched the "Inclusive Economy Challenge". Each company wishing to participate had to choose 3 actions on which it would commit to improving over the coming year, in one (or more) themes.

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13/10/2017

Bcorp Champions Retreat: a meeting under the banner of interdependence

According to the dictionary, interdependence can be denied in the following way: "Interdependence is reciprocal, mutual dependence. It is the state of people or things depending on one another. Interdependence is also a Buddhist concept to describe the fact that all the elements of nature interact and depend on each other to exist". It was with this optimistic and fundamental theme that the annual meeting of Bcorp-certified companies took place at the beginning of October.

This year's 3-day event was held in Toronto. It was an important meeting, as the certification celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and it was also the first time the event was held outside the USA. Canada has established itself as an essential destination, with the 2nd largest community of Bcorp! companies.

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18/10/2016

Interview with Joyce Sou from BLab Canada: the latest episode in our Bcorp trilogy

Through an interview with Joyce Sou of BLab Canada, discover who the Bcorp are, what vision of the world they aspire to, how to join the movement, and a sneak peek at how BLab sees the future!

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14/10/2016

The latest trends in Life Cycle Assessment: Our foray into Cycle 2016

Circular economy, Social Life Cycle Assessment, Education, Communication... So many themes, and more, discussed at Cycle 2016, the 5th International Forum on Product and Service Lifecycle Management, which Ellio attended on October 13 and 14. Here we bring you the latest trends, lessons learned and highlights.

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11/10/2016

Meet the Bcorp community - Part 2

Here's the second episode of our trilogy on our Bcorp adventure! Today, meet other certified companies, see how they attract new talent or mobilize their employees, and discover how being part of this community can lead to new partnerships or business opportunities...

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3/10/2016

Ellio is a B Corp... But what's the matter with us?

Today we present the first in a series of 3 short videos about our experience as a B Corp certified company. Find out why we decided to take the plunge, and how we came out the better for it...

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8/4/2016

Offset your GHG emissions by surfing for the cause... on the web

Have you heard of Lilo, the search engine that lets you surf the web while supporting a project of your choice? The principle is simple and ingenious: every search, every click we make generates money, the equivalent of around $40 per person per year, thanks to commercial links.

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8/2/2016

Ellio radiation

Esther Dormagen in HEC Montréal's Creators of Value community

Esther Dormagen has joined HEC's Créateurs de Valeurs circle. The Créateurs de Valeurs project consists of ten video interviews with prominent Quebec personalities with exemplary achievements in sustainable development.

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16/10/2014

Glass in Quebec: recovered or recycled? It's not the same thing!

In Quebec, the glass recovery rate is around 50%. Yet glass from sorting centers is not recycled to make glass containers! Why not? Because recovery and recycling are not the same thing!

In reality, the glass that goes into the recycling bin most often breaks, and arrives at the sorting centers in the form of glass shards or glass powder, where it mixes with other materials.

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16/6/2014

Is your company transformational?

This was the question addressed by our speakers on June 4 at Ellio's second luncheon conference at the Maison du développement durable.

On this day, Ellio formally announced its partnership with Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR), an NPO that represents the largest business network and a key CSR resource in Canada. For the occasion, we were fortunate to welcome Mr. Steven Fish, Executive Director of CBSR, and two talented speakers: Jean-François Albert, Vice-President Manufacturing at Mega Brands, and Marie-France Sosa, Sales and Business Development Manager at Plastiques GPR inc.

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21/5/2014

Interview

Brasseurs de Montreal brews beer... ecoresponsible!

Marc-André Gauvreau has always dreamed of making his own beer, but he never thought he'd be making beer that fights climate change! But that's exactly what he's managed to do in his small business.

Founded five years ago by Denise Mérineau and Marc-André Gauvreau, partners in business and in life, Brasseurs de Montréal is a microbrewery-restaurant in Grintown, now expanding to welcome the neighborhood's future residents. Ellio caught up with Marc-André to find out more...

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20/3/2013