By Stéphanie Guico

Cooperatives are anything but business as usual. They are an alternative to the plain bottom line, as their purpose is to measure success in economic, social and ecological terms while responding to their members' needs. As private corporations are flaunting their CSR skills, the cooperative movement is capitalizing on what they have been doing all along. Here, we take a look at how cooperatives have been working through the 6th & 7th principles to act on environmental issues.

At all levels, cooperatives have been fulfilling their commitment to the 6th and 7th principles of cooperation, Cooperation amongst Cooperatives and Concern for Community, through actions which ensured a non-detrimental impact on the environment. Base cooperatives have seen the economic and social value in ensuring that they conserve energy and reduce their footprint, while federations have brought their members together to action plan on sector-wide reforms in the name of energy conservation, environmental conservation and climate change.

Perhaps the most ambitious example of such a collective movement has been witnessed in Europe, where Co-operatives Europe established a self-funded unit devoted entirely to coordinate the cooperative campaign to address the climate threat. The European wing of the International Co-operative Alliance, Co-operatives Europe launched the Addressing Climate Threat (ACT)! campaign on September 21, 2009, to provide a framework for action, share information on what has been done, and encourage cooperatives to do more. The website provides inspiration through case studies from cooperatives in a variety of sectors, from housing to insurance as well as retail and consumer.

So what has been done elsewhere, by worker and consumer cooperatives alike, to use their cooperative as a vehicle for environmental action? It would seem that cooperatives have used their strategic placement as hubs in their respective community to, on one hand, take responsibility and enact internal changes and become living examples of how to become more environmentally conscious with little hassle to regular operations: reducing energy consumption, rethinking delivery methods, etc. On the other hand, they have provided educational opportunities to members, allowing for awareness raising activities and the sharing of do-it-yourself (DIY) enviro-friendly strategies. Finally, they have spearheaded popular campaigns and lobbied in the name of their members and their communities, a sign that democratic ownership increases members' stake in the community and can lead to effective political organizing.

Examples abound both within and outside Canada on how cooperatives may be departure points for positive change. Where the environment is concerned, acting towards conservation makes more than just good business sense: it provides sustainable spaces for our communities, our members and their families.

For more information and inspiration from across the pond, check out the ACT! case studies website at http://resources.actonclimate.coop/BestPractice/CaseStudies/Default.aspx