Background
The world is in crisis. Climate change is real and dramatically impacting our natural resources, shifting agroecosystem boundaries, and increasing frequent and extreme weather events. Today, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop strategies to sustainably counterbalance future impacts of climate change. UN Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s COP 26 urged global demands for higher, more aggressive, and achievable emissions reduction and concrete pathways to change. As part of this response, Canada, together with more than 120 countries, is part of a global response pledging to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Canadian Co-operatives and Credits Unions are asked to rise to the challenge. Carbon neutrality and net-zero are being more and more aggressively pursued, and emissions reductions are becoming an essential part of all serious ESG strategies. The challenges and necessary constraints that are imperative to the fight against climate change also hold the potential to demonstrate the extraordinary relevance of the co-operative model.
Co-operatives put people in the center, using their reach and their muscle to play a central role in building more resilient communities. Only collective efforts can ensure an effective and sustainable response to climate change, and collective efforts are what the co-operatives model is all about.
CDF Canada is uniquely positioned to help the co-operative sector advance its climate action goals. CDF Canada has a strong track record of building capacity in co-op governance and business management that has generated sustained and rippling positive impacts for the communities, businesses, and families involved.
In its 75+ years of existence, CDF Canada continues to sustain positive outcomes in the lives of people worldwide, including poverty reduction, food security, gender equality, and economic empowerment. The fight against climate change is a great opportunity to continue to show the world the power of the co-operative model. In light of climate change challenges, CDF Canada and its partners bring the Co-operative Climate Action Proposition (CAP).
Co-operative Climate Action Plan
CDF Canada, in collaboration with Co-operatives and Mutual Canada and Canadian Credit Union Association, is designing the Co-operative Climate Action Proposition (CAP).
CAP is both a call to action to mobilize the Canadian co-operatives sector and a roadmap forward in the face of the ongoing climate emergency.
CAP will:
- Investigate potential direct, effective, and innovative climate actions to mitigate emissions through the collaboration of co-operatives around the world;
- Demonstrate how Canadian Co-ops can offset their emissions while helping Global South Co-ops and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals; and
- Provide accessible climate actions that go beyond simply off-setting emissions, by bringing exciting and innovative mitigation and ecosystem solutions into reach.
How Does it Work?
Most mitigation opportunities are in the global South together with a disproportionately high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. CAP will work toward meeting these needs and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through international development projects that incorporate verified climate action, using Climate Mitigation (M) and Climate Adaptation (A) techniques. A suite of restorative climate innovation practices and Nature-based Solutions will be integrated into CAP Projects using an intersectional approach to international development.
CAP will be a platform to design development projects that include important climate action (M/A) components.
Within these projects, CAP will identify, design, and evaluate carbon offset opportunities. These will include co-operative Environmental/Ecosystem Services, Co-operative Carbon Credits, and Direct Sponsorship Projects established in the South to meet the needs of participating communities. Offsets will be available for purchase to Canadian Co-operatives and Credit Unions. This will create long-term revenue for co-ops in the South to strengthen their livelihoods and fund ongoing climate actions designed to create Climate Action Co-benefits, including food security, gender equality, and more. Innovative climate actions will be shared in Canada and the global South through formalized learning opportunities with CAP’s Knowledge Exchange Center.
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Co-operative Climate Action Process
CAP will support both Canadian Co-operatives and co-operatives in the global South to streamline their involvement in carbon sequestration and ecosystem services, equipping them with the knowledge and capacity to take real steps forward in response to the climate emergency.
Project Development: CAP will work collaboratively to identify project opportunities. Canadian co-operatives, together with co-operatives and communities in the global South, will play an active role in the design of projects, fostering buy-in and ownership. Through a participatory climate risk assessment process, tailored solutions will be chosen to sequester greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen co-benefits, and support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. These will be implemented, monitored, and certified through CAP.
Access to Offsets: Through CAP, the accessibility of offsets and ecosystem services will be improved to create an efficient way for Canadian co-operatives to operationalize their CSR and ESG targets. By accessing verifiable and real offset projects, Co-operatives will avoid the pitfalls of the offset market.
Knowledge Exchange: Through CAP, Canadian co-operatives teams will be able to visit projects, provide expert advice, engage in professional development, and foster global engagement. Knowledge exchange on climate change actions with global south Co-ops will build global resilience in the face of climate change through shared innovation. Through CAP, the Canadian co-ops sector will be seen as an innovative and dedicated climate leader – Co-ops designing and implementing innovative climate change.
Through supporting the creation and exchange of “Co-operative Carbon Credits’’ and other offset services, CAP will enable co-ops and CU to meet their ESG targets and help them fulfill the 6th and 7th Co-operative Principles.
Want to learn more download the complete brochure – Co-operative Climate Action Plan (CAP)