Desjardins is financing research to fight climate change through the
sustainable management of forest carbon
LÉVIS, QC, Jan. 17, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Desjardins Group is
participating in the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi's Carbone boréal
program and has bought greenhouse gas emission offsets for its 2012
statutory activities and for the 2012 International Summit of
Cooperatives, which was held last autumn.
Carbone boréal is the only program in the world to combine academic
research and GHG offsets. By selecting this program, Desjardins is
financing research to fight climate change through the sustainable
management of forest carbon. Desjardins has purchased more than
$100,000 in carbon credits to offset GHG emissions—the equivalent of
taking 765 cars off the road for a year.
"The scientific community recognizes that climate change is real and it
is listed as one of the three most likely global risks in the Global Risks 2013-WEO report. Now more than ever, governments, businesses and citizens need
to work together to find solutions to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions. Participating in a certified greenhouse gas emission offset
program like Carbone boréal is a solution. By all accounts, sustainable
development needs to be an important part of any economic development
strategy," said Pauline D'Amboise, Secretary General and
Vice-President, Cooperative Support for Desjardins Group. "Businesses
need to create sustainable prosperity by making environmental
protection a priority."
About Desjardins Group
Desjardins Group is the leading cooperative financial group in Canada with assets of
nearly $200 billion. Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in
Québec and Ontario and its subsidiaries across Canada, it offers a full
range of financial products and services to its 5.6 million members and
clients. Desjardins specializes in Wealth Management and Life and
Health Insurance, in Property and Casualty Insurance, in Personal
Services, in Business and Institutional Services. Best Corporate Citizen in Canada for 2012 and among Canada's Top 100 Employers, Desjardins is supported by the skills of its 44,645 employees and the
commitment of nearly 5,400 elected officers. A new education and
cooperation program is now available to Desjardins members and the
general public. For more information, visit www.desjardins.com/co-opme.
About Carbone boréal
In 2008, the Chair on eco-advising and its partners created Carbone
boréal: the world's first program combining GHG offsets and academic
research. The quantification of GHG emissions absorbed by experimental
devices in the boreal forest is done through published works in
scientific journals which are the result of several years of graduate
research. Contributions to the Carbone boréal program are paid to the
Campagne majeure de développement of UQAC and are 100% dedicated to
research on mitigating the impacts of, and adapting to, climate change
through sustainable management of forest carbon. For more information,
visit http://ecoconseil.uqac.ca.
SOURCE: DESJARDINS GROUP
