Cascades today launched a pilot transportation electrification project for its employees. To encourage them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by acquiring an electric vehicle, the company has installed twenty-two 240‑V charging stations and one 480‑V fast charging station at its various plants in Kingsey Falls . In addition, Cascades announced it would be offering a $2,000 financial incentive for employees who acquire an electric vehicle in the next year—a supplement to the government grants in effect.
Mario Plourde , President and CEO of Cascades, made the announcement at the Salon du véhicule électrique de Saint-Hyacinthe trade show alongside Isabelle Melançon, Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, and André Fortin, Minister of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification, before numerous representatives of the sustainable transportation industry.
A unique program
“Since its beginnings, Cascades has been focused on innovation that reduces its environmental footprint and sets an example in sustainable development. Knowing that a change in transportation habits is required to make a substantial dent in GHG reductions, we believe that this unique pilot project is an important gesture for the future,” affirmed Mario Plourde, President and CEO of Cascades.
The $2,000 incentive for new electric vehicles will initially be limited to employees based in Kingsey Falls , who number approximately 1,400. These employees will be able to charge their vehicles for free at the 23 new and the 7 existing charging stations. With a total of 30 charging stations available for a resident base of approximately 2,000, Kingsey Falls is now Quebec’s most “plugged-in” city.
“Cascades’ employees care about environmental issues. In fact, an internal survey revealed that 63% of our employees are considering purchasing an electric vehicle in the near future. As a responsible employer, we would like to help them turn intentions into action. We will assess the results of the program in a year, with the goal of extending it to all of our units in North America where it’s possible to reduce the greenhouse gases,” added Mr. Plourde.
more at: https://www.cascades.com/en/media-centre/press-releases-and-news/press-release/2017/6049/cascades-launches-a-transportation-electrification-program-for-its-employees