Services and Initiatives

More specifically, we can:

• Conduct an audit of overall performance

• Identify and consult with internal and external stakeholders

• Conduct comparative analysis (benchmarking)

• Support a process of integrated strategic planning

• Develop a vision, a strategy and a plan for sustainable development / CSR

• Conduct monitoring and evaluation

• Support communication on overall performance

• Write a report on overall performance (sustainability / CSR)

UNISFÉRA notably has specialists on:

• the BNQ 21000 standard;

• on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) approach to business sustainability; and

• the ISO-14064 sustainability report on greenhouse gas emissions inventories.

For example, in 2017, UNISFÉRA identified funding sources and raised part of the financing required for the project entitled “Building differently with Nubian Vaults: Low carbon housing for a green economy”, in partnership with l’Association Voûte Nubienne. 

The project, which started in September 2017, promotes an ancestral construction technique that relies on raw earth bricks and mortars, called Nubian Vault. This low-cost technique relies on readily available local materials and allows for the construction of buildings better adapted to climate change. The buildings also contribute to climate change mitigation. The buildings built with this method are more resilient to rainfall and extreme climate conditions while offering improved thermal comfort. The technique also contributes to reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs), notably that resulting from the production and transport of cement and corrugated iron. It also reduces deforestation resulting from timber production. Nubian Vaults have a lifecycle of 50 years, compared to 10 years for more conventional buildings built in the region.

Thanks to support from the Government of Québec financed by its Green Fund through the 2013-2020 Climate Change Action Plan, UNISFÉRA will support its partner, l’Association Voûte Nubienne, in strategy development, communications, project monitoring and evaluation.  UNISFÉRA’s inputs will also contribute to scaling up the project and ensuring its longer-term viability.

UNISFÉRA carries out policy and foresight research, contributes to national and international policy processes and frameworks and provides management advice to government, businesses and international organizations.

We build bridges between academic research and policy development as well as between corporate social responsibility and business imperatives.

Large companies, SMEs and private and public organizations alike are increasingly affected by decisions taken in international fora on climate. We need only think of the annual rounds of negotiations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), commonly known as "COP" (Conference of the Parties) . Although complex and often far from the daily concerns of organizations and companies, these international negotiations offer promising business and collaborative opportunities and raise risk management issues for both businesses and organizations.

The UNISFÉRA team supports organizations and businesses wishing to better understand the opportunities offered by these negotiations and manage the risks that may stem from them.

More specifically, UNISFÉRA can:

1. Conduct strategic monitoring and prepare newsletters tailored to relevant issues for a client.
2. Support clients in climate negotiations.

Before the negotiation sessions

In collaboration with leaders, product UNISFÉRA publishes a Guide for Delegates focused on:

• Definining the participation objectives in international meetings
• Identifying issues of concern in the negotiations for the business or organization
• Defining the negotiation mandate and objectives
• Mapping the main stakeholders
• Developing a scenario of meetings with key influencers present at the negotiations
• Conducting monitoring and strategic analysis of the negotiations
• Write and present summaries to inform decisions on the negotiation strategy to adopt

During the negotiation sessions

UNISFÉRA offers the following services to support its clients during negotiation sessions:

• Conduct a mission to participate in relevant formal and informal meetings
• Networking with relevant stakeholders on site
• Propose collaborative initiatives with a view to creating strategic alliances with targeted stakeholders
• Produce summaries of meetings and activities (highlights, strategic areas for reflection, questions, etc.)

After the negotiation sessions

UNISFÉRA offers the following services to support its clients following negotiation sessions:

• Hold a meeting to " debrief " the mission with senior management
• Write a report with recommendations
• Propose collaborative projects with targeted business partners
• Resume intelligence and analysis activities

Planetair enables businesses, organizations, events and individuals to quantify their greenhouse gas emissions and to determine opportunities to reduce and offset their climate impact through carbon offsets.

Planetair also certifies carbon-neutral activities, events and organizations, thereby creating value for its clients. We also assist our clients with their strategies to disseminate and communicate their climate efforts.