Americana 2023 Program
Program
Over 200 environmental professionals, researchers, technicians, managers, and business leaders, who hail from Quebec, Canada, the United States, South America, Europe, and Africa, will be featured in the program of Americana 2023.
Preliminary Program
Americana 2023’s preliminary program is now available! For an overview of the entire event, check out the summary PDF.
To discover all the speakers that will spice up these three days, check out the sections below.
Day 1 - March 20, 2023
Plenary room
More details to come
Presented by Matrec
Can we have finite economic growth in a world of limited resources? At a time when the climate emergency is being felt around the world, Réseau Environnement proposes a moment of reflection on the transition to a more sustainable and socially responsible economy. Faced with the multiple crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, the need for a transition to an economy designed for humans and the planet is necessary. So how do we ensure a social anchor, so that no one is deprived of the essentials of life, and an ecological ceiling, so that humanity does not exceed the planetary limits that protect the Earth’s life support systems? And what indicators would allow us to take into account social and environmental well-being? In this conference, we propose a reflection on how we can build an economy capable of meeting the major challenges of the 21st century.
- Speakers TBD
Water Sector
Session presented by AWWA.
In the current context, water is one of the resources most affected by the impact of man on the environment. Indeed, water resources are impacted by several issues: scarcity, increase in pollution, increase in extreme events, etc. It is becoming imperative to be able to react and anticipate these problems which are likely to intensify over the next few years. This session will address several technologies, studies and predictions in order to highlight the current major issues and explore ways to improve to preserve this resource.
- Analyzing and monitoring water and wastewater quality for Industrial Processes by Jean-Philippe Amiet – Chromatotec
- Using artificial intelligence to predict favorable conditions for cyanobacteria development by Sonja Behmel – WaterShed Monitoring Europe
- Sanexen speaker to be announced
- Speakers TBD.
Climate change brings with it several problems, including scarcity of water. The management of this resource must be a key issue, at the heart of development strategies of municipalities and industries. This session discusses different solutions in terms of managing, saving and reusing this resource.
- Building water footprint reduction strategy
By Eddy Dureuil and Timothé Roy-Bouchard – Solution Ecotime - Why the Plant of the Future Will Recycle Its Own Waste and Produce Its Own Energy
By Richard Arcos – CALLISTO
Presentation TBD
Presented by Stantec
Moderator : Erica Corbeil – Stantec
Protecting water quality is an increasingly important issue these days. Sanitation is at the heart of this awareness-raising and new tools make it possible to take real steps forward in terms of data collection and analysis monitoring, thus facilitating adaptation to climate change and compliance with ministerial standards. This session will address these different aspects as well as Quebec regulatory control.
- Control of non-residential discharges: regulatory application on pre-treatment and sewer discharge standards
By Martine Lanoue – Ville de Terrebonne - AuditEAU : Benchmarking the performance of wastewater systems
By Gabriel Cliche – Fondation Rivières - Techno-Economical Analysis of various process intensification technologies for the conversion of high-purity oxygen (HPO) to complete nutrient removal process at Fish Creek WWTP Alberta
By Mehran Andalib – Stantec - Other speakers TBD
A significant proportion of Quebec’s population as well as world’s population is supplied with water directly from an aquifer. The climatic situation and the environmental impacts associated with it are advancing rapidly and bring their share of dangers and uncertainties concerning the future state of these aquifers. This panel will focus on groundwater from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN.
Panelists:
- Marie Larocque – WaterShed Monitoring Europe
- Other panelists TBD
Waste Management Sector
Presented by Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
Moderator : Marie-Pierre Donati
More details to come.
Presented by FTQ
Moderator : Marie-Pierre Donati
For several years now, we have seen the emergence and evolution of ecofiscal measures to improve the waste management. The “polluter pays” principle, a very useful lever, has appeared in several forms: eco-taxation, incentive pricing, EPR, etc. This workshop will allow us to identify and find ecofiscal measures to reduce the disposal of residual materials.
- Speakers TBD
With the evolution of environmental concerns, business economic models have greatly evolved over the years. Nowadays, it is crucial to remember the importance of the circular economic model based on the 3RV-E concept. This hierarchy prioritizes actions to evolve the ultimate residue and that is why it is important to dedicate our efforts to it. It is our duty to optimize the use of our resources at all stages of the life cycle of a good or service, reducing our environmental footprint and contributing to the well-being of individuals and communities. Therefore, the objective of this panel will be to represent, on a global scale, initiatives that advocate this circular logic in its entirety to influence a collective movement towards a continuous improvement of our economic model.
- Center for Intersectoral Studies and Research on the Circular Economy (CERIEC) – 4 panelists TBD
Air, Climate Change and Energy Sector
With Ax1.
In Quebec, the transportation sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG). Therefore, this session will put forward solutions promoting sustainable mobility that contribute to decarbonize the transportation sector.
- Structural actions to reduce our transportation footprint through land use planning by Éline Bonnemains – Vivre en Ville
- Speakers TBD
More details to come.
Air quality and the quality of the sound environment are important to consider for the well-being of the populations. Thus, this session will present solutions and methodologies that can be used to optimize this management.
- Continuous detection and quantification of odorous compounds on site by integrated automatic analyzer
by Manuel Almarcha – Chromatotec with Jean-Michel Amiet - For a better representation of fugitive dust emissions
by François Châteauneuf – INO - Other speakers TBD
Green and blue infrastructures have an important role to play in adapting urban environments to climate hazards. This session will address the role that these infrastructures can play in a sustainable urban development.
- Reconnecting nature and care: a perspective on the design and integration of green spaces in healthcare facilities by Samuel Charlebois – Nature Québec
- Performance of green infrastructure for stormwater management in Quebec
by Sophie Duchesne – INRS - Other speaker TBD
Presented by Desjardins.
With the evolution of environmental concerns, business economic models have greatly evolved over the years. Nowadays, it is crucial to remember the importance of the circular economic model based on the 3RV-E concept. This hierarchy prioritizes actions to evolve the ultimate residue and that is why it is important to dedicate our efforts to it. It is our duty to optimize the use of our resources at all stages of the life cycle of a good or service, reducing our environmental footprint and contributing to the well-being of individuals and communities. Therefore, the objective of this panel will be to represent, on a global scale, initiatives that advocate this circular logic in its entirety to influence a collective movement towards a continuous improvement of our economic model.
- Center for Intersectoral Studies and Research on the Circular Economy (CERIEC) – 4 panelists TBD
Soil and Groundwater Sector
The development of new technologies, sustainable innovations and effective practices are crucial to rehabilitate our soils and achieve the objectives of revitalization of territories, in Quebec and around the world. The conferences of this session will present some of these global practices and technological innovations in order to inspire and equip all actors in the field.
- In Situ Biogeochemical Process for the Treatment of Chlorinated Organics and Metals by Malika Bendouz – Chemco
- Reference framework for managing contaminated sites under public stewardship
by Éric Hardy SNC-Lavalin, Olivia Dawson MELCCFP, Sarah Blondin SNC-Lavalin, Matthieu François SNC-Lavalin - Presentation TBD
EN: Degraded sites such as sandpits, quarries and roadsides can be found throughout Quebec in varying numbers and sizes. This series of presentations will take a closer look at various strategies that have been put in place both within the province and elsewhere in order to shed light on some of the more effective and long-term remediation solutions that can be used to address this issue of growing concern.
- Lending nature a helping hand in reclaiming sandpits by Jonathan Doucet -MRC de Maria-Chapdelaine
- Enhanced Bioremediation of Contaminated Soils using Sustainable Soil Amendments by Fayaz Lakhwala – Evonik
- Urban lands: A plus for the cities of tomorrow
For several years now, we have seen the emergence and evolution of ecofiscal measures to improve the waste management. The “polluter pays” principle, a very useful lever, has appeared in several forms: eco-taxation, incentive pricing, EPR, etc. This workshop will allow us to identify and find ecofiscal measures to reduce the disposal of residual materials.
A significant proportion of Quebec’s population as well as world’s population is supplied with water directly from an aquifer. The climatic situation and the environmental impacts associated with it are advancing rapidly and bring their share of dangers and uncertainties concerning the future state of these aquifers. This panel will focus on groundwater from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN.
Panelists:
- Marie Larocque – WaterShed Monitoring Europe
- Other panelists TBD
Biodiversity Sector
Green and blue infrastructures have an important role to play in adapting urban environments to climate hazards. This session will address the role that these infrastructures can play in a sustainable urban development.
- Reconnecting nature and care: a perspective on the design and integration of green spaces in healthcare facilities by Samuel Charlebois – Nature Québec
- Other speakers TBD
Multi-sector
Session presented by Sanexen.
More details to come.
Day 2 - March 21, 2023
Plenary room
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria encompass all of a company’s activities and take into account the effects they have on society or the environment. But ESG is primarily a risk management tool to improve long-term risk-adjusted returns. ESG thus invites the financial system to contribute to the transition to a more inclusive world and a sustainable planet for the next generations. This panel will present current and future ESG perspectives and how they can contribute to business success. Guest speakers from industry, insurance and finance will share their own backgrounds and experiences and answer questions from the moderator and participants.
Panelists:
- Nancy Goudreau, Managing Director, Sustainable financing at Desjardins
- Paul Copti, Senior Vice President in the Construction & Infrastructure practice at Marsh Canada
- Other panelist TBD
Water Sector
More details to come
More details to come.
More details to come.
Challenges that future generations will have to face are new and growing every year. The asset maintenance deficit is one of these challenges and it is essential to act now. This panel will focus on management of water assets in Quebec and abroad and on the tools aimed at enhancing and improving the practices of water services.
- Panelists TBD
Waste Management Sector
Due to the growing phenomenon of ephemeral fashion, the continuous increase of the world’s population as well as the difficulty of treating the materials from this exploitation, the textile industry is one of the most polluting industries. It is therefore crucial to leverage everyone’s efforts to move towards a circular economy model for this industry. The goal of this session is to demonstrate solutions and alternatives to the entire cycle of the textile industry, from production to treatment, on a global scale, to reinvigorate people’s hope for this industry and to inspire participants in the transition to a circular textile economy.
- Circular economy and consumer awareness in the fashion and apparel sector by Ennouri Triki – Vestechpro
- Post-consumption textiles : a field of opportunities by Marianne-Coquelicot Mercier – Consultant in ciruclar economy in textil industry
- Sabine Weber
- Speakers TBD
Around the world, innovations never cease to surprise us. With the climate crisis, we can see that emerging technologies in the environmental field are growing rapidly. The field of waste management is no exception to the rule. Several new technologies now make it possible for residual waste to be genuinely disposed of. The improvement of the management of our end-of-life materials depends imperatively on technological advances and therefore the sharing of expertise becomes an important asset in the improvement of our practices on a large scale. The goal of this session is to present international technological innovations that will inspire and equip all stakeholders in the field to continuously improve the management of our waste.
- Sorting of household waste and detour of materials to landfill in the MRC Beauce-Sartigan by François Léveillée – Environnement Viridis
- The environmental impact of electrification: challenges, obstacles, issues and solutions for optimal management of materials related to the energy transition in a circular economy perspective by Laura Cicciarelli – RECYC-QUÉBEC
- Other speakers TBD
With the increasing amount of waste worldwide, it is now common to see new regulations regarding the management of waste. With most engineered landfills reaching their maximum capacity, not to mention those that have already exceeded it, it is of particular interest to learn about the regulations in place that are influencing the reduction of materials sent to landfill. The purpose of this session will be to share regulatory applications from around the world, to recognize successes from one continent to another, and to open the door to the replicability of regulatory systems to reduce the disposal of our waste.
- Speakers TBD
Air, Climate Change and Energy Sector
Presented by Desjardins.
This panel looks at the path to carbon neutrality. The challenges and opportunities of this process will be discussed. In order to reach our GHG emission reduction goals, it is necessary to review our current practices and to be innovative.
- Hélène Lauzon – Conseil Patronal de l’Environnement du Québec (CPEQ)
- Julien Bourque – Canadian Climate Institute
- Panelist TBD
Presentations TBD
Presentations TBD
Recent climatic events, such as drought and heavy rainfall, have caused countries to take a closer look at the issues surrounding soil conservation. Although often overlooked when discussing climate change, our soils are a fundamental tool to mitigate and reduce the impacts of this new reality. In this panel, our panelists will highlight the many benefits that we can gain from using and managing soils in the fight against climate change.
- Marie-Josée Lamothe – Northex Environment Inc.
- Panelists TBD
More details to come.
- Panelists TBD
Soil and Groundwater Sector
Presentations TBD
Dubbed “eternal chemicals” by the media, PFAS pose unique challenges due to their persistence, rotating life cycle, and distinctive chemical characteristics. As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) become a growing concern in the soil sector, this conferences session will explore PFAS sources, potential alternatives, and current regulatory approaches and guidance in the field to further the understanding of the presence and persistence of volatile PFAS in industrially contaminated soils.
- Removal of PFAS from landfill leachate using foam fractionation
By Martin Bureau – Sanexen Services Environnementaux - Innovative In Situ solution to persistent PFAS Groundwater and Soil contamination by Julian Bosch – Intrapore
- Agathe Vialle – MELCCFP
- Jean Paré – Chemco
- Speakers TBD
Recent climatic events, such as drought and heavy rainfall, have caused countries to take a closer look at the issues surrounding soil conservation. Although often overlooked when discussing climate change, our soils are a fundamental tool to mitigate and reduce the impacts of this new reality. In this panel, our panelists will highlight the many benefits that we can gain from using and managing soils in the fight against climate change.
- Panelists TBD
Biodiversity Sector
Humans have significantly altered the planet’s land and have had a significant negative impact on much of the oceans, so that it is estimated that about a quarter of species are threatened with extinction. In order to stabilize and reduce the current rates of loss of biodiversity and natural areas around the world, threatening the natural life support system, the 30% by 2030 target aims to take ambitious action to address the global biodiversity crisis. The UN High Ambition Coalition for People and Nature’s initiative is pushing countries to commit to these protection targets and sparking new conservation action around the globe. This session will be an opportunity to present some of these actions around the world.
- Speakers TBD
Presentations TBD
Communication is an essential element of conservation biology. Over the years, natural environments have been transformed and humans have gradually distanced themselves from nature and its benefits. To counter this trend and make visible the impacts of ecosystem degradation on our daily lives, it is essential to communicate the goods and services that these environments provide. This panel will focus on severals perspectives that can be approached with different audiences in order to get them to take action to protect ecosystems and the quality of life of our planet.
- Panelists TBD.
Multi-sector
Presented by AWWA.
Access to quality drinking water is a vital need for all. Nevertheless, fears continue to grow with regard to contaminants of emerging interest. This panel is therefore interested in the challenges, dangers, technologies and existing solutions to better understand and solve the problems related to emerging contaminants of interest.
- Panelists TBD
Presentations TBD
Day 3 - March 22, 2023
Plenary room
Ecofiscal Policy is an essential tool for a successful transition to a more sustainable and fair economy. Implementing such policies requires a rigorous economic vision and a good dose of political determination. Over the course of the three days of Americana 2023, several findings and recommendations related to ecofiscal policy will be made. In this final plenary, which will take the form of a panel, invited speakers will discuss the policy aspects and feasibility of implementing eco-fiscal proposals that have emerged from discussions throughout this edition of Americana. Our panelists are drawn from senior levels of the provincial and federal governments in Canada and Quebec and will share their perspectives, experiences and analysis on the implementation of eco-fiscal measures in the North American political and economic context.
Panelists :
- Yves Giroux, Parliamentary Budget Officer, Canada
- Nicolas Marceau, Quebec Minister of Finance from 2012 to 2014
- Carlos Leitão, Quebec Minister of Finance from 2014 to 2018
- François Delorme, Economist at University of Sherbrooke
Water Sector
With Benoit Chevrier – The centre d’interprétation de l’eau.
Currently, preservation and protection of water resources are major issues. Helping citizens understand these issues is a crucial first step in achieving resource preservation objectives. This workshop aims to encourage everyone to reflect on the importance of informing and educating the population from an early age on the necessity of protecting and preserving this resource.
- Speakers TBD.
Nowadays, stormy episodes are intensifying both in terms of water volume and frequency. These events make the treatment of water in factories more and more difficult. This leads, subsequently, to discharges of waste and untreated water directly into rivers. This session will focus on existing technologies allowing better control and more adequate management of overflow water in order to minimize discharges.
- Incorporating Retention Basins into Montreal’s Automated Interceptor Management System (CIDI) by Martin Pleau – Tetra Tech
- Options for Managing and Treating Combined Sewer Overflows by Christian Scott – Veolia Water Technologies Canada
- Other speakers TBD
Presented by Stantec
Moderator : Beatriz Ramos – Stantec
Wastewater treatment faces many challenges, especially in the context of climate change. Many different technologies exist to ensure the quality of our releases. This session will focus on innovative biofiltration technologies and provide solutions for treatment plants to maximize their efficiency using advanced technologies.
- Wastewater secondary-treatment using BAF technology : Peacehaven WWTP, Brighton UK – Case study by Arthur Umble – Stantec
- Putting 10 pounds of upgrades in a 5 pound box: What Quebec Can Learn from Seoul’s Recent Wastewater Intensification & Upgrade Program
by Jonathan Liberzon – Tomorrow Water - Other speakers TBD
Waste Management Sector
Presented by RECYC-QUÉBEC
Today, climate change initiatives are at the center of many of our ambitions. Around the world, the fight against food loss and waste is gaining momentum. The problem is that these organic materials end up in landfills and produce methane gas, not to mention that the resources needed to produce this material have also been wasted. It is therefore important to look at all the possible initiatives, on a global scale, to fight against this problem linked mainly to overconsumption. The goal of the session will be to present measures that go through the 3RV-E steps to influence the habits of citizens as well as to bring changes within companies.
- Falling in love with an issue!
by Guillaume Cantin – La Transformerie - Taking action to stop food waste in Montreal by Sylvain Boissonnier – Ville de Montréal
- Other speakers TBD
Presented by ÉEQ with Philippe Cantin.
With the evolution of environmental concerns, business economic models have greatly evolved over the years. Nowadays, it is crucial to remember the importance of the circular economic model based on the 3RV-E concept. The material marketing stage is critical. Indeed, it is easier to foresee the end-of-life management of a product during the post-market stage than once it is already designed, produced, and sold. Eco-design is the key to this stage. With more than 22 million tons of plastic released into the environment each year, the design of consumer goods requires special attention. This panel will showcase international eco-design initiatives to reduce the amount of material send to landfill.
- Rémy Boquien – Éco-Plastiques
- Louis Papineau – Papineau & Co
- Cindy Vaucher – Retournzy
- Other panelists TBD
Air, Climate Change and Energy Sector
Building construction involves significant embodied carbon emissions associated with the production of building materials over their entire life cycle. Thanks to computer modeling systems, it is now possible to calculate all the emissions of a building during its construction, operation and demolition. This allows us to make choices at the planning stage of a project that will concretely reduce GHG emissions without affecting its functions. This panel will explore different perspectives on architectural choices, the content of plans and specifications, and the final results of large construction projects through a holistic view and accessible modeling tools.
Panelists:
- Philippe St-Jean – McGill University
- Steve Poulin – Société québécoise des infrastructures
- Laure Gérard – National Centre of expertise for Public Services and Procurement Canada
Man-made climate change is a reality. In all regions of the world, we are seeing risks that were once only theoretical become the new reality of the present day. Although biodiversity provides goods and services that are essential both for adapting to the effects of climate change and for mitigating climate change, it too is directly threatened by climate change. In many parts of the world, species composition has been altered and species have been lost at a rate of 100-1000 times greater than normal. This panel will discuss the links and bi-directional impacts of these two major global challenges, the biodiversity crisis and climate change.
- Rachel Charbonneau – Nature Québec
- Panelists TBD
Biodiversity Sector
It is certainly essential to conserve natural areas and ensure access to nature in all environments, but what about its presence in urbanized areas? The protection of biodiversity has become a priority for many cities and towns. Although it is omnipresent and its actions are not always visible on a daily basis, it is nevertheless at the service of the environment, ensuring the proper functioning of ecosystems, the diversity of our food, etc. This conference session will provide an overview of several initiatives to enhance biodiversity in cities and increase the integration of such solutions in our urban territories.
- An innovative approach to urban biodiversity and ecosystem service monitoring
by Christian Messier – Habitat - Abidjan: A Biodiverse City by François Kouame N’Guessan Université Nangui Abrogoua
- Other speakers TBD
Man-made climate change is a reality. In all regions of the world, we are seeing risks that were once only theoretical become the new reality of the present day. Although biodiversity provides goods and services that are essential both for adapting to the effects of climate change and for mitigating climate change, it too is directly threatened by climate change. In many parts of the world, species composition has been altered and species have been lost at a rate of 100-1000 times greater than normal. This panel will discuss the links and bi-directional impacts of these two major global challenges, the biodiversity crisis and climate change.
- Rachel Charbonneau – Nature Québec
- Panelists TBD
Multi-sector
Adaptation is an issue that affects all spheres of society. Thus, it is necessary to coordinate actions with different stakeholders, such as private, public, academic and civil society actors. This panel will address the necessary elements to consider in order to mobilize and coordinate these actors for the effective implementation of climate change adaptation measures.
- Raphaëlle Fréchon – Chaire de recherche du Canada en économie écologique, Université du Québec en Outaouais
- Pierre Valois – Université Laval
- Laniel Bateman – Environnement et Changement climatique Canada
- Martijn Pakker – Institute for the European environnemental Policy
Études de cas, informations techniques et scientifiques, résultats de recherches innovantes et présentations de projets inspirants pimenteront les 100 conférences du Salon. Ces conférences, panels et tables rondes seront regroupés sous forme de session thématique, s’inscrivant dans les secteurs de l’eau, Sols et Eaux Souterraines, Air, Changements climatiques et Énergie, Biodiversité, Matières résiduelles.
Vous souhaitez faire partie de la programmation de cet événement incontournable ? L’appel à conférences est maintenant ouvert ! Vous pouvez soumettre une proposition de conférence jusqu’au 4 novembre 2022.
Session 2
Air, Changements climatiques et Énergie
Réduire les émissions de GES grâce à la mobilité durable
Favoriser la décarbonation en améliorant la résilience et la coordination du secteur de l’électricité
Transition énergétique: les défis et les opportunités
La gestion de la qualité de l’air pour protéger la santé des populations
Impressionnez-nous
Biodiversité
Comment atteindre l’objectif de protection de 30% des terres et dans les océans d’ici 2030 ?
La valorisation de la biodiversité dans les villes
Impressionnez-nous
Eau
Les solutions aux pénuries d’eau
La sensibilisation au service de la protection de la ressource en eau
L’assainissement et la protection de la qualité d’eau
L’apport d’une saine gestion des eaux pluviales dans un contexte de préservation de la ressource en eau
L’importance du financement du service d’eau et de la gestion d’actif pour les générations futures
Les solutions innovantes pour protéger l’or bleu
Impressionnez-nous
Matières résiduelles
Les synergies et les bons coups en économie circulaire
Initiatives pour contrer le gaspillage alimentaire (citoyens, ICI, gouvernements) et résultats)
Gestion des textiles (solutions et alternatives, impacts de l’exportation, etc.)
Technologies émergentes en matières résiduelles (gestion des matériaux difficiles à traiter (plastiques d’hôpitaux, palmes d’éolienne, batteries lithium, etc.), projets d’universités, etc.)
Les règlements qui ont un impact sur l’élimination (applications règlementaires, bons coups et résultats)
Impressionnez-nous
Sols et Eaux souterraines
Stratégies de valorisation des sols faiblement contaminés dans un contexte d’économie verte
Qualité des eaux souterraines
Technologies durables, innovations et pratiques efficaces en réhabilitation des sols
Impressionnez-nous
Multisectoriel
Écofiscalité : mécanismes financiers au service de l’environnement
Implantation d’une politique de durabilité au sein d’organisation (ESG)
La cybersécurité et la gestion des données dans les villes de demain
Comment allier développement économique et préservation de l’environnement/des ressources naturelles ?
Liens et impacts des changements climatiques sur la crise de la biodiversité
L’usage des sols pour lutter contre les changements climatiques
Comment mobiliser les différents acteurs pour l’adaptation aux changements climatiques
Le rôle des infrastructures vertes et bleues dans un aménagement urbain durable
Étude de cas à succès et acceptabilité sociale en valorisation énergétique
Rôle des eaux souterraines dans l’atteinte des objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU
La gestion des contaminants d’intérêt émergent
Impressionnez-nous
