How Green is Your Co-op?

Have you been thinking about the environmental sustainability of your co-op or credit union? Are you looking for ways to "green" your co-op's policies, practices or procedures? Are you just setting up your co-op and want to make sure it starts out on the best environmental path? The Canadian Co-operative Association has recently launched an online environmental sustainability toolkit to address just these questions. 

The toolkit, which was generously funded by the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), the Co-operatives Secretariat of the federal government and the Co-operative Development Initiative, builds on the profiles of co-op and credit union environmental best practices that were released earlier this year.

"Canada's housing co-ops have led the adoption of sustainable practices in residential housing, and this new tooklkit can help all co-ops develop new policies focused on environmental sustainability."
 
- Nick Sidor, Director, Corporate Affairs, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada 

The toolkit provides an assortment of ideas that can help you bring more environmental awareness and sustainable practices into your co-op.  
 
Part 1 focuses on the governance, management, and leadership systems and processes that co-operatives can use to improve their environmental performance and contribute to sustainable communities. It was written by Coro Strandberg, Principal at Strandberg Consulting, one of the leading experts and advocates for sustainability and corporate social responsibility in Canada.
 
Part 2 provides an operational framework for co-operatives to use to help them improve their  environmental performance and to continue to lead by example.  It was developed by Sustainability Solutions Group, an innovative Canadian worker co-operative that nurtures and embodies a holistic understanding of sustainability, and works with clients and collaborators to meaningfully integrate social, ecological and economic practices in their organizations and work. 

"It's not surprising that co-ops and credit unions frequently appear on the lists of Canada's greenest businesses.  There are a lot of best practices that can be shared, and we hope this toolkit will be useful for co-ops at all stages of their journey toward environmental sustainability."

- John Anderson, Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy at CCA and responsible for the overall development of the toolkit

Check out the toolkit now!

 Vew online

- Part 1

- Part 2 

Looking toward the future

Environmental sustainability is a growing preoccupation of both the co-operative sector and the broader Canadian public. The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) has made an on-going commitment to provide co-operatives and credit unions throughout Canada with information, resources, and tools specific to co-operatives and environmental sustainability. CCA has also created an ad-hoc Environmental Sustainability Committee to advise CCA's board and staff on issues and policies related to the environment. For more information about CCA's environmental sustainability policies and activities, contact John Anderson at john.anderson@coopscanada.coop