The company
Transfert Environnement is a consulting firm, in the field of communications and public affairs, who works exclusively in the environmental sector. Started in 1987, the company’s first activities were in the areas of personnel training and the transfer of environmental know-how.
Transfert Environnement has since then diversified its field of action, which now includes evaluation of social impacts, facilitating public participation, mediation and environmental communication. The company uses diverse approaches and methods drawn from a range of socially oriented disciplines. It also conducts various studies with the aim of improving a project’s image and positioning.
One of the particular contributions that the company has made in this emerging field of social intervention is to use a “social engineering” approach to examine questions and problems, and propose solutions. Thus, Transfert Environnement sets itself a rigorous intervention process and pathway, using environmental assessment, diagnostic of social sensitivity and strategies based on increasing a project’s acceptability, in order to ease its reception in a given social milieu.
Social engineering: based on results not tricks
What it’s not:
- Conventional communication plans
- Public relations to sell a project
- Tricks to avoid consultations
What it is:
- Better anticipation of consequences and actions
- More efficient decision-making process
- Balancing decisions and project design with social expectations
- Reduction of delays and associated costs
- Competent accompaniment of project managers and decision-makers
- Environmental improvement of projects and decisions
Tangible benefits
- Preventive social investment
- Capital-building based on confidence
Transfert Environnement wants to create links with companies and institutions outside Canada, with the aim of exporting its know-how, especially in those areas involved in the public participation process.
Commercial activities
Environmental communication and social strategies
Transfert Environnement is actively involved in the leading edge of social engineering, notably the transfer of environmental know-how, training in socio-environmental management and strategic counselling for project implementation.
It provides the following services:
- Environmental and social impact studies
- Communications and marketing
- Relations with the population and securing social support for projects
- Management of public participation procedures
- Animation of public sessions and organisation of events
- Process of creating dialogue, conciliation and arbitration
- Public diffusion of scientific and technical material
- Training of managers and workers
- Strategic studies (surveys, feasibility, business and communication plans)
The company’s activities also extend into other areas of resource and environmental management, such as the energy, hydrology and forestry sectors. It offers expertise in museology as well.
The company relies on a network of collaborators to carry through its projects, thus tapping on the skills of appropriate environmental experts (biologists, chemists, engineers, agronomists, etc.) and technicians. Depending on the type of dossier, work-groups become multidisciplinary, thus helping to bring together a project’s technical, economical and social dimensions. For instance, when demonstrating environmental technologies or new industrial installations, a liaison committee is formed whose members are asked to closely scrutinise various aspects of the proposed project, and to make commentaries.
Achievements
Transfert Environnement has been involved in the following projects:
- Master plan for waste management
- Implementation of construction waste landfill
- Expansion and management of sanitary landfill site
- Operation of composting centre
- Recuperation of residues (forestry wastes, lawn cuttings, etc.)
- Demonstration of technologies
- Environmental evaluation process and public hearings (impact study, public participation, report)
- Factory project (implementation and expansion of production)
- Harbour and airport activities
- Environmental assessment / Industrial profile / Forestry assessment
- Action plan (Saint-Lawrence Vision 2000, climate change, associations)
- Socio-political strategies for government departments
- Training adapted to the needs of engineers, workers, etc.
- Expertise centre / Certification institute / Environmental assessment centre
- Exhibition (science and technology)
Markets
Research and development
Transfert Environnement is active in the following areas of environmental r & d:
- Voluntary participation process
- Risk management of projects (biotechnology and toxic wastes)
Existing market
- Quebec