Desjardins Group Publishes its 2008 Social Responsibility and Cooperative
Report

LÉVIS, QC, Oct. 13 /CNW Telbec/ - Desjardins Group is proud to present its 2008 Social Responsibility and Cooperative Report. This year, for the first time, the report is available exclusively online, in keeping with Desjardins Group's Sustainable Development Policy which emphasizes, among other goals, the reduction of paper consumption. You can read the report, which is based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) performance indicators, at the following address: www.desjardins.com/socialresponsibilityreport.

"The notion of social responsibility is woven into the very fabric of our cooperative financial group, whose mission is to contribute to the economic and social well-being of people and communities," stated Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group. "That's why our members and officers expect that, regardless of the circumstances, we will continue to assume a strong leadership role in terms of social responsibility. We intend to satisfy those expectations, both in terms of our actual endeavours and in the assessment and reporting thereof, as is exemplified by this 2008 report."

Launched during Cooperation Week, this report highlights the close ties between Desjardins Group's cooperative nature and the way it practices social responsibility. It provides stakeholders with a means of measuring Desjardins Group's actions in terms of governance, products and services, community involvement, investment, the environment, and human resource management.

In order to maintain an open dialogue with its stakeholders and to pursue methods of improving reporting, Desjardins invites all those who read the report to share their feedback by answering a short online survey which can be accessed through the report itself.

Desjardins Group's social responsibility performance led to its 24th place ranking in Corporate Knight magazine's Best 50 Corporate Citizens in the country for 2009 and to it being listed among the 50 Best Employers, as compiled by Report on Business magazine.

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada , and the eighth largest in the world, with overall assets of approximately $160 billion . Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in Québec and Ontario, as well as its subsidiaries, several of which are active throughout Canada , Desjardins offers a full range of financial products and services to its 5.8 million individual and business members and clients. Desjardins Group is also home to a wealth of expertise in property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance, wealth management, services for businesses of all sizes, securities brokerage, venture capital, asset management and secure leading-edge virtual access methods, all part of an integrated offer that is the only one of its kind in Canada . One of the largest employers in the country, Desjardins is backed by the knowledge and skills of its 42,000 employees and the commitment of its 6,300 elected officers. To find out more, consult www.desjardins.com.

For further information: (for journalists only): Hélène Lavoie, Advisor, Information and Media Relations, [phone], 1-866-866-7000, ext. 7275, [email protected]