POLARIIS+
Understanding the environmental footprint connecting our production and consumption patterns
POLARIIS+ is a collaborative project aimed at building a reference database on the environmental footprint of lifestyles in Canada. Grounded in a life‑cycle approach and aligned with both federal and provincial realities, the infrastructure seeks to produce credible, representative, accessible, and comparable data on Canadian consumption and production.
Led by Cécile Bulle as part of the Sustainable Consumption Chair, POLARIIS+ aims to become a Canadian reference infrastructure supporting governments, industries, and researchers, while also guiding citizens toward more sustainable lifestyles.
POLARIIS+ builds upon the Life Cycle Inventory database of consumption in Quebec developed by CIRAIG, whose food, housing, and hygiene datasets are publicly available.
These datasets have been updated, enhanced, and incorporated into POLARIIS+, a much broader infrastructure that covers all major consumption and production sectors across Canada and its provinces.
POLARIIS+ innovates through data that’s more...
POLARIIS+ links consumption behaviours with production chains to provide deeper insight into the environmental impacts of products, services, and lifestyles.
The infrastructure aims to deliver region‑specific data for Canada and its provinces, reflecting the diversity of actors, practices, and value chains.
The data are structured, well‑documented, and regularly updated using a transparent methodology that complies with confidentiality requirements.
Data to support action
POLARIIS+ transforms life‑cycle assessment data into practical tools for decision‑making and awareness.
By combining documented datasets with field data, the platform makes it possible to identify reduction opportunities, compare options, and communicate environmental impacts clearly and credibly.
Real-world applications
Thanks to the data developed in 2023, it became possible to carry out environmental display projects in food‑service settings, notably at Polytechnique Montréal and the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM).
By calculating the carbon footprint of cafeteria meals, the initiative made environmental information more accessible to users and helped organizations improve their food offerings.
Collaborations and Funding
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