Alain Lemaire, Executive Chairman of the Board at Cascades, was named "Greenest CEO in Canada" — a recognition initiated by Corporate Knights, an organization specialized in the promotion of good corporate practices in terms of social responsibility.
The prestigious award, given for the first time, was presented to Lemaire before more than 500 guests gathered at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto as part of Corporate Knight's 12th annual gala which reveals and honors Canada's best 50 corporate citizens.
The selection of Lemaire was unanimous among the jury members. Lemaire co-founded Cascades and lead the company for nearly 10 years, taking over from his brothers Bernard and Laurent,
The jury was made up of leaders from Canada's five most recognized environmental organizations: Équiterre, the David Suzuki Foundation, World Wildlife Fund-Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Pembina Institute.
According to Toby Heaps, President of Corporate Knights, "The jury recognized in Alain Lemaire a man who has a number of environmental achievements to his credit. Among these, the ongoing concern to prioritize recycled fibres over virgin wood fibres as a raw material; the development of strategic partnerships to offer Cascade's expertise, namely in energy efficiency and in the management of waste materials; and lastly, the continued willingness to improve the company's results with regard to water and energy consumption."
