Paving the way for SMEs transition at the Green Horizon Summit
One week ago, on December 6th, we gathered business leaders from a wide range of sectors and industries, alongside community and government leaders in Moncton for the Green Horizon Summit. This summit served as a vital platform for fostering meaningful conversations, exchanging knowledge, and building capacity to support the ongoing efforts of greening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and supply chains across New Brunswick.
The Green Horizon Summit represents the second phase of the Green Horizon project, which is funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB). This initiative is part of a broader strategy to help businesses transition toward more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, ultimately contributing to New Brunswick’s long-term economic and environmental goals.
Lana Asaff, Senior Economist at the Atlantic Economic Council, kicked off the day with an insightful presentation that provided a clear perspective on the current state of New Brunswick’s transition toward Net Zero. Drawing on extensive research, Lana highlighted key findings from the Council’s recent studies on decarbonization in the region, helping participants understand the broader context in which businesses are operating. (Read Lana’s blog post to dive deeper into her findings.)
Following Lana’s presentation, Dan Arnold from Pollara Strategic Insights presented the results of our most recent survey on New Brunswick’s perspectives on decarbonization. His engaging presentation sparked valuable discussions, with attendees delving deeper into the survey findings during an interactive Q&A session.
Participants then had the opportunity to engage in an insightful panel discussion on government and business collaboration for decarbonization. The panel led by Lindsay Murray (Senior Partnerships Manager at Foresight Canada) featured Josh Jenkins (Director of Innovation, Trade & Growth at ACOA), Andrew Blair (Strategist at ONB), Kim Wilson (CEO of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce), Morgan Peters (CEO of the Fredericton Chambers of Commerce), Stanley Barnaby (CEO, the Joint Economic Development Initiative) and Craig Wilkins (Director of Entrepreneurship & Business Growth, Envision Saint John). Together, they discussed the challenges and opportunities in aligning business practices with government policies aimed at achieving sustainability and decarbonization goals.
The afternoon sessions shifted focus to business leadership and sustainability in the green economy transition. A standout moment was the panel discussion with leading SME founders from D.A.S. Concrete Countertops (Emma Theriault), Grimross Brewing (Stephen Dixon), and PLAEX Building Systems Inc. (Dustin Bowers). These entrepreneurs shared their experiences and challenges in integrating sustainability into their business models, offering valuable insights into the practicalities of going green.
Following this panel, Allison Murray’s keynote challenged attendees to think about the possibilities for embedding sustainability into their operations. Her thought-provoking address prompted lively discussions about the needs of different sectors and the necessary steps to lead New Brunswick toward a sustainable future.
Another highlight of the afternoon was the compelling panel discussion titled “Business as a Sustainability Advantage,” which was led by Claire Harris (President of Clean Energy Connections) and featured Paula Copeland (Vice President of Engagement & Sustainability at Port Saint John), Phyllis Bannister (Owner Extreme Windows and Entrance Systems), and Jeanne Charbonneau (Director CCNB INNOV). This panel explored how businesses can leverage sustainability as a competitive advantage, illustrating how adopting green practices can improve brand reputation, reduce operational costs, and open up new market opportunities.
The Summit closed with a critical discussion on the importance of measurement as a start in a business transition journey. The panel discussion was led by Chloé Burton (Project Coordinator of Strategic Priorities & Alignment at ONB) and featured Luke Robertson (Senior Business Sustainability Manager at Green Economy New Brunswick), Claire Harris (Co-Founder & CEO of Goodwork Sustainability) and Dr. Maria Murphy (VP Development & Social Sustainability at Bloom Funding).
Special thanks to Myrianne Ouellette for her excellent role as emcee and to UNB President Dr. Paul Mazerolle, Hemant Kumar, Josh Jenkins and Katie Davey for their inspiring opening remarks.
The rich discussions of the day were captured by the talented Camille Perron-Cormier, whose event summary is below. Camille’s insights provide a comprehensive overview of the summit’s key takeaways, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as we work to green New Brunswick’s SMEs and supply chains.
Looking Ahead: The Next Phase of the Green Horizon Project
As we transition to the third phase of the Green Horizon project, we will leverage the valuable insights gained through the summit and the survey to co-create solutions for the ongoing transition of New Brunswick SMEs. This next phase will focus on developing actionable strategies and innovations that will support local businesses in their green transformation.
If you are interested in participating in our upcoming social innovation lab in the new year, please don’t hesitate to contact us at innovate@unb.ca. Together, we can continue to work toward a greener, more sustainable future for New Brunswick.