Desjardins chooses Carbone boréal for the voluntary offset of greenhouse gas emissions

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

Information (for the media):

Francine BlackBurn
Media Relations Advisor
Desjardins Group
514-281-7000 or 1-866-866-7000, ext. 7544
[email protected]

Claude Villeneuve
Professor
Director of the Chair on eco-advising
Département des sciences fondamentales
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
[email protected]
418-545-5011, ext. 5059