For a responsible future

Sustainability at the heart of our operations

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Hydroelectricity Clean energy powering our future

Sustainability Report 2018

Discover our 17th sustainability report, published in May 2019. Once again, we describe our performance over the last year with respect to our main environmental, social, economic and governance challenges.

The report is organized around the seven major sustainability challenges we face, making for easy reading. New

The addition of a Communication on Progress section demonstrates Hydro-Québec’s commitment to the UN Global Compact. New

The Sustainability Report is available exclusively in electronic format.

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Sustainability achievements sustainable development in 2018?

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Our approach

Hydro-Québec has a sustainability vision that goes well beyond the environment. Sustainability is at the root of all our activities and projects. The company endeavors to contribute to the province’s economic vitality and to encourage stakeholders to participate in its decisions.

The energy sector is changing and electricity generation worldwide is increasingly green.

Replacing fossil fuels with clean, affordable energy involves changing the way we generate and consume power. We are committed to this energy transition and support the development of renewable energy sources. We develop innovative technologies that allow us to provide our customers with new products and services. Our hydropower benefits our customers in two ways: it is renewable and is sold at very stable prices.

In this section you will find information on the following topics:

The effects of climate change are significant, and the only solution is change is to end our dependence on fossil fuels.

In North America, our electricity exports already enable us to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions every year. We share our expertise with a view to decarbonizing the power industry not only in Québec, but worldwide. We also incorporate environmental management into our business processes and preserve biodiversity on a daily basis.

In this section, you will find information on the following topics:

Our projects and activities are linked to your daily life.

We put every effort into ensuring that our facilities blend into the surrounding environment as seamlessly as possible. We hold regular discussions with the communities concerned. We listen to them and adapt our projects to their concerns and expectations as much as possible. In this way, we strive to ensure that our activities are socially acceptable and generate economic spinoffs throughout Québec.

In this section you will find information on the following topics:

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Our main sustainability challenges

Climate change together with our changing energy sector, business environment and objectives mean major sustainability challenges ahead

Contexte

Until now, Hydro-Québec’s approach to governance has been conservative, relying on the expertise of key people within the corporation. Like other enterprises, Hydro-Québec is working to develop a customer-centred culture, and this requires openness and greater agility. To achieve this, Hydro-Québec is counting on the diverse competencies of its current employees and the know-how of new hires.

Solutions and initiatives for 2019-2025
  • Increase employee engagement, leadership and pride in the company
  • Encourage and recognize employees’ volunteer work
  • Launch a field observation program for managers to improve occupational health and safety performance
  • Bring employees into the conversation on corporate culture
  • Clarify behavior expected and recognize employees who demonstrate it
Related UN sustainable development goals and targets

Goal 8 — Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Target 8.5 – By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

Target 8.8 — Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.

Hydro-Québec, an employer of choice? Find the answer in our report
Reading time : 7 minutes

Contexte

We have projects and operations in all corners of Québec. It is crucial that we have a good understanding of the interests of host communities and act with openness and transparency. Ensuring the social acceptability of our operations means truly meeting the needs of land users. We are committed to harmonizing our facilities with their host environments and optimizing project spinoffs across Québec’s many regions.

Solutions and initiatives for 2019-2025
  • Better inform the public about the purpose of our projects
  • Ensure that more of those affected by our projects get an opportunity to tell us what they think
Related UN sustainable development goals and targets

Goal 11 — Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Target 11.3 – By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.

Learn about our presence in Québec in our report
Reading time : 10 minutes

Contexte

Between now and 2025, some customers could switch from being consumers of electricity to being independent power producers. Continuous improvement in the quality of our services will help develop customer loyalty and encourage employee engagement. We will then be able to reach our goal of setting the standard in customer service.

Solutions and initiatives for 2019-2025
  • Reduce call wait times and customer request processing times
  • Keep rate increases below or equal to inflation
  • Offer more products and services to help customers understand and manage their consumption and reduce their bills
  • Increase customer awareness about energy savings
Related UN sustainable development goals and targets

Goal 7 — Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Target 7.1 – By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.

Find out what we’re doing for you in our report
Reading time: 7 minutes

Contexte

We are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. The increase in precipitation intensity, for example, and in the frequency of episodes of freezing rain and high winds requires that we adapt our facilities to this new reality. We are continuously incorporating the management of these environmental impacts and the preservation of biodiversity in our management practices.

Solutions and initiatives for 2019-2025
  • Add light hybrid or plug-in vehicles to our vehicle fleet
  • Continue exporting electricity, helping to reduce GHG emissions in northeastern United States
  • Extend climate change impact assessment to all our business practices and facilities, ensuring that all aspects (for example, permafrost thaw and faster vegetation growth) are covered
  • Set a goal of a net zero carbon footprint (carbon neutrality) for GHG-emitting activities
Related UN sustainable development goals and targets

Goal 13 — Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Target 13.1 — Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

Target 13.2 — Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

See our contribution to climate stabilization in our report
Reading time: 9 minutes

Contexte

We export our electricity beyond our borders. By helping to eliminate dependence on oil, natural gas and coal in neighboring regions, we play a role in the global fight against climate change. This transition offers new business opportunities, but it also means new challenges.

Solutions and initiatives for 2019-2025
  • Convert off-grid systems to green energy
  • Test microgrid technology in Lac-Mégantic and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine
  • Promote development of a smart grid adapted to customer needs
  • Monitor solar energy investment costs and fields of application
  • Simplify grid integration of residential wind and solar systems
  • Purchase assets or stakes outside Québec
  • Develop markets in Québec and in neighboring regions
Related UN sustainable development goals and targets

Goal 7 — Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Target 7.2 – By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Learn more about the energy transition in our report
Reading time: 6 minutes

Contexte

We must ensure that we have enough electricity for our customers at all times. This is especially important in cold weather, when heating needs increase. This is why our generating stations, dams and transmission lines are strictly maintained, to meet customer needs as well as possible no matter what the season or time of day.

Solutions and initiatives for 2019-2025
  • Introduce demand response programs
  • Meet some of the increased demand through energy efficiency initiatives
  • Develop new markets
  • Reduce peak power demand by 300 MW
  • Offer residential customers the option of reducing their energy consumption during peak periods by turning off their heating in exchange for compensation
Related UN sustainable development goals and targets

Goal 7 — Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Target 7.3 – By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

Learn about our demand response management in our report
Reading time: 7 minutes

Contexte

The export of electricity on demand is a business opportunity for Hydro-Québec. The combination of hydroelectricity and intermittent renewable energies (solar and wind, for example) is also a promising avenue. Exporting more, commercializing our innovations and developing new markets here and abroad create wealth for all Québecers. This is how we plan to increase our profitability.

Solutions and initiatives for 2019-2025
  • Sign new long-term contracts for the sale of electricity to our neighbors
  • Acquire or purchase shares in electricity companies outside Québec
  • Continue efforts to commercialize our innovations
  • Take advantage of business opportunities involving alternative energy sources, such as solar energy produced by photovoltaic panels
  • Solicit energy-intensive companies to set up shop in Québec
Related UN sustainable development goals and targets

Goal 8 — Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Target 8.2 — Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value-added and labour-intensive sectors.

Learn more about our profitability and innovations in our report
Reading time: 7 minutes

Want to find out more?

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