Working in an environment while restoring it. Not only is it possible—it’s essential.

Balancing industrial development with respect for the land

With intensifying environmental and social pressures, industrial companies have every reason to factor the environment into project design from the very beginning.

”Bringing an environmental team on board from day one helps us move beyond basic compliance to sustainable environmental performance. It allows us to anticipate, consult and build environmental considerations into every project stage,” explains Luc Guillemette, Biologist and Director of Operations at Groupe Synergis.

Environmental teams play a critical role in every phase of the project life cycle:

1. Before work begins: They help assess natural areas, identify potential impacts, consult with stakeholders and secure the necessary permits. When done right, these steps reduce delays, help secure social acceptance and lay the groundwork for a solid, well-structured project.
2. During operations: We need to closely monitor natural environments: wildlife, vegetation and water, air and soil quality. These environmental data help us adjust our practices in real time, meet regulatory requirements and transparently demonstrate the project's environmental performance.
3. When the site closes: This is the time to dismantle infrastructure, restore the land and reintegrate ecosystems. Rehabilitation is often long, complex and sensitive, and requires careful planning.

Start early to make restoration more effective

Progressive rehabilitation isn’t standard practice yet, but it’s starting to gain ground.

This proactive approach involves restoring ecosystems during the active life of a project, rather than waiting for complete site closure. It reshapes how we manage final project stages and supports more responsible and sustainable land use.

There are many benefits:

• Environmental protection: By quickly reducing our ecological footprint, we can safeguard ecosystems, biodiversity, water and air more effectively.
• Risk management: Acting early avoids costly corrective measures and limits legal and reputational risks.
• Stakeholder engagement: A proactive approach signals strong environmental responsibility to communities and regulators.
• Economic benefits: This approach often generates substantial long-term savings. It lowers closure costs, reduces the scope of final rehabilitation and can even generate revenue if restored land is reused. In some regions, it also allows companies to gradually recover financial guarantees set aside for site reclamation.
• Continuous learning: Each phase becomes an opportunity to assess what works, adjust methods and improve final rehabilitation.

”Yes, progressive rehabilitation requires a shift in how we structure, plan and monitor projects. It means forging new links across the environment, engineering and operations. But it’s a powerful tool for continuous adaptation, enabling us to correct, improve and, ultimately, better respect the environments we transform,” adds Théo Charette, Senior Environmental Consultant and Office Director at CPP Environmental.

What if ingenuity also meant restoring the land as quickly as we transform it?