Vancity Climate Change Strategy

Vancity Credit Union has been a leader on the climate change issue for many years and has been actively attempting to reduce its carbon footprint since the mid-1990s. Climate change activities at Vancity were undertaken to invest in Canadian solutions to climate change, to build local knowledge about reducing emissions and to create local sources of high-quality carbon offsets. The carbon offset program, in particular, was developed under the advisement of The David Suzuki Foundation, the Natural Step, the Pembina Institute and Ecotrust. Specifically, Vancity Credit Union is interested in collaborating with interns to research implementation strategies for the latest stage of this strategy. With this in mind, the goal of this research project is two-fold, and aligns with Vancity Credit Union’s strategic aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2010. The first purpose of the project is to develop a quantitative emissions model for Vancity Credit Union’s current and future greenhouse gas emissions. The second purpose is to develop behavioral reduction strategies where possible to reduce Vancity’s overall climate impact via its carbon footprint.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Gunilla Oberg

Student:

Brian Gouge and Jeremy Osborn

Partner:

Vancity Credit Union

Discipline:

Resources and environmental management

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

University of British Columbia