Two Canadian ICMIF member organisations took the first and third place spots respectively in the 2012 Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada ranking in June of this year. The Desjardins Group was ranked first and The Co-operators was ranked third.
Corporate Knights is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of responsible business practices in Canada and the advancement of social and environmental sustainability worldwide. Its annual ranking is based on environmental, social and governance indicators found in the public domain.
“This new honour will continue to spur our efforts in the realm of sustainable development and social responsibility,” said Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group. “In this International Year of Cooperatives, we intend to stay the course to ensure the sustainable prosperity of our 5.6 million members and their communities, whether by enhancing our member experience, reducing our ecological footprint or introducing new innovations in democratic governance to our caisse network.”
This marks the third consecutive year that a cooperative organisation has captured first place in the ranking by Corporate Knights, which awarded top honours to Mountain Equipment Co-op in 2010 and The Co-operators in 2011. Ms. Leroux commented that she was pleased to see financial cooperatives occupy the top three slots in 2012 with Desjardins Group followed by Vancity and The Co-operators. “This speaks volumes about our ‘cooperative DNA’,” she noted. “As organisations, we’re rooted in our communities, dedicated to our people and the environment, and managed with a view to long-term development.”
Commenting on the award, Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of The Co-operators said, “It’s fitting that during 2012, the International Year of Co-operatives, co-ops and credit unions are ranked so highly on this list. It reflects the genuine commitment that so many co-ops have to serving their members while contributing to the well-being of their communities. Throughout Canada and around the world, co-ops are viable, highly competitive enterprises working to build a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable world for future generations.”
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