Future Shop and the David Suzuki Foundation launch new e-tools to help
Canadians reduce their environmental impact

Futureshop.ca and davidsuzuki.org offer new programs, tips and contests to help change behaviour

BURNABY, BC, April 14 /CNW/ - Thousands of Canadians will be invited to go green at home and at work thanks to several environmental initiatives being launched by Future Shop and the David Suzuki Foundation in the run-up to Earth Day on April 22.

Future Shop and the David Suzuki Foundation are announcing the official launch of two online campaigns that will help Future Shop customers, employees and the Canadian public save power and make greener choices at home and in the workplace. The two campaigns are Future Shop's Acts of Green contest and the David Suzuki Foundations Amazing Workplace Race.

"Future Shop and the David Suzuki Foundation are leveraging the strengths of our two organizations to offer information to as many Canadians as possible in order to promote environmental awareness and action," said Todd Empey, VP of Operations, Future Shop. "Solutions to environmental problems will be found only when we start working together to promote change."

With 10,000 employees at Future Shop and over 200,000 Canadians visiting futureshop.ca each day, the pairing between the two organizations offers the opportunity to reach a broad swath of the Canadian public in an effort to support environmental awareness and behaviour change. The two online campaigns will be aimed at encouraging Canadians to reduce their energy consumption at home through conservation tips and smart purchasing choices, as well as promoting greener workplace practices using online resources and a national workplace competition.

"By making simple changes in their lives, Canadians can help reduce their environmental impact and Future Shop recognizes this," said Randi Kruse, Manager of Community Building at the David Suzuki Foundation. "Programs such as their Acts of Green contest and the David Suzuki Foundation's Amazing Workplace Race are meant to engage more and more Canadians in helping protect the planet."

Recognizing the opportunity to build on existing initiatives aimed at reducing its environmental footprint, Future Shop turned to the David Suzuki Foundation for their expertise and learning resources, offering to help bring these resources to larger audiences. Collectively, the two campaigns will support and profile the efforts of thousands of individual Canadians who are finding innovative ways to reduce their footprints at home and work.

"Working with the David Suzuki Foundation is a great opportunity for us," said Cheryl Grant, Community Relations Manager at Future Shop. "Our goal is to be a source of information and solutions for our people and our customers. With tools from the Foundation and the launch of our new website, we hope to help Canadians take some of those first steps to change their daily behavior and reduce our collective impact on the environment."

David Suzuki's Amazing Workplace Race and David Suzuki Office Essentials: Green Your Workplace toolkit

On April 20th, the David Suzuki Foundation is launching an online competition aimed at promoting greener workplace behaviours. Participating employees across Canada will be eligible to win prizes donated by Future Shop simply by doing something good for the planet where they work and reporting their behaviours via an innovate online tool developed by the Foundation and Good Energy (www.goodenergy.ca). The competition is supported by David Suzuki Office Essentials: Green Your Workplace toolkit, an interactive educational resource that helps offices save money and the environment. The e-learning module, available through the Foundation's website at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/green-your-workplace/interactive-toolkit/ was a joint project between the David Suzuki Foundation and Canadian technology company MindMuze, who created the program using Shift, an innovative development tool that allows anyone to create eLearning courses quickly and easily.

Future Shop's Acts of Green contest

In celebration of Earth Day, Future Shop has launched the Acts of Green contest, where for every act of green submitted on www.futureshop.ca/greencontest, Future Shop will donate $1 to the David Suzuki Foundation with participants eligible to win a $1,000 Future Shop gift card. The contest ends on Earth Day, April 22, 2010.

For more energy saving tips from the David Suzuki Foundation, contest details and to learn how Future Shop is making a difference, visit www.futureshop.ca/futuregeneration.

About Future Shop

With 144 stores across the country and the nation's premier web store (www.futureshop.ca), Burnaby, BC-based Future Shop is Canada's largest retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics. The company employs more than 10,000 technology enthusiasts, has enabled its website, Futureshop.ca, to deliver unparalleled content about the products it sells. Futureshop.ca also hosts an online community forum and tech blog for technology beginners and tech-savvy experts to exchange ideas, reviews, tips and other consumer electronics information (www.futureshopforums.ca). As a proud corporate citizen, Future Shop has developed solutions to recycle used electronics and is committed to employee volunteerism and supporting non-profits organizations dedicated to transforming local youth into Future Leaders (see www.futureshop.ca/futuregeneration).

Since 2008, Future Shop has introduced a host of initiatives to reduce the company's environmental footprint. These include updating 93 stores with Energy Management Systems to reduce power use by 10-20 per cent (which equates to enough energy to power 1,300 homes per year); introduced ePay to eliminate more than 9,100 pay stubs across Canada; and offering telecommuting options to employees at its head office in Vancouver.

About the David Suzuki Foundation

The David Suzuki Foundation (www.davidsuzuki.org) works with government, business and individuals to conserve our environment by providing science-based education, advocacy and policy work, and acting as a catalyst for the social change that today's situation demands. The David Suzuki Foundation's At Work program (http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/green-your-workplace/) encourages businesses and their employees to find new ways to become green leaders. By offering resources and expertise in workplace sustainability, DSF promotes environmental awareness and action, helping companies improve their brand and save money at the same time.

For further information: Future Shop media contacts: Elliott Chun, Future Shop, [email protected], [phone]; Stefanie Niewada, Optimum PR, [email protected], [phone]; Tamar Nersesian, Optimum PR, [email protected], [phone]; David Suzuki Foundation media contact: Sutton Eaves, David Suzuki Foundation, [email protected], [phone], ext. 282