• Environmental Philosophies 


• Basic questions. Your answers will influence your strategy and brand. 


• Environmental vision


• Organic Meadow Co-operative Inc. incorporates
  environmental commitment into its Mission Statement

A critical success factor is to adopt and communicate an environmental commitment. 

You will want to adapt your environmental commitment statement to your organization's culture. For example, co-operatives can refer to their commitments in a number of ways: environmental commitment; environmental vision; environmental principles; environmental charter; environmental framework; or environmental policy. 

In addition to options regarding terminology, there are options as to what an environmental commitment might entail. Possibilities include: 

• A definition of the environment, sustainability, or sustainable development;
• A vision of a healthy environment;
• The scope of the policy (to whom and what the policy applies, including governance, management, operations-design, manufacturing, procurement, marketing, distribution, maintenance, reuse, disposal, and product stewardship-and areas of influence-members, customers, co-operative system, etc.); and
• Principles and aspirations:

• providing an intergenerational and long-term philosophy (e.g. need to operate in consideration of future generations);
• listing environmental impact areas (e.g. land, water, air, and all living organisms including humans);
• including the role of healthy ecosystems to support human communities and economies;
• including the interdependencies of environmental, social, and economic systems (e.g. there is an interconnection between environmental, social, and economic sustainability);
• taking responsibility for the direct environmental impacts of your operations;
• using your influence with stakeholders to be a catalyst for environmental sustainability;
• leveraging your resources and expertise to improve the environment;
• creating solutions to environmental issues;
• improving environmental conditions; and
• using the opportunity to benefit your members.   

Environmental Philosophies 

The following are some environmental philosophies that your co-operative could consider in developing your commitment statement. 

Precautionary Principle: In instances where science has not yet determined whether a new product or process will cause harm to the public or the environment, it should be prohibited or restricted in its use until it is known to be safe. The burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on the proponent of its use. 

Cradle-to-Cradle: A design framework in which a product is turned into something else at the end of its life so waste and environmental impacts are limited. 

Life-Cycle Analysis: An approach that assesses the environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its lifespan (cradle-to-grave), from extraction or harvesting, to sourcing and manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal. (See the CCA Sustainability Toolkit Part Two: Operational Framework to Improve Environmental Performance for Canadian Co-operatives for further details.) 

Your environmental commitment could be focused on your operations: the sustainability of your community or sector and healthy ecosystems overall. In addition to articulating your environmental philosophy and scope, you may wish to develop an overarching environmental aspiration in the areas of being an environmental leader; advocating for environmental progress; reducing your negative environmental impacts; making a positive environmental impact; and embedding your environmental commitment throughout your operations, into your business decisions and everything you do. You may wish to include references to working through partnerships to achieve your environmental aims, and finally, a commitment to manage, measure, and report your environmental performance. 

Vancity Credit Union and Mountain Equipment Co-op have adopted a set of commitments that include the environment. The Co-operators has adopted a sustainability policy that includes environmental sustainability. 

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Basic questions. Your answers will influence your strategy and brand. 

• Is your focus to reduce your direct environmental impacts?
• Is your focus to reduce your direct and indirect environmental footprint?
• Is your focus to embed your environmental ethic into everything you do?
• Is your focus to be a catalyst for environmental sustainability?
• Is your focus to be an environmental leader in your industry or sector?
• How can your environmental efforts provide strategic advantage to your business? 

Some organizations link their business objectives to their environmental policy, communicating the philosophy that by improving their environmental performance their competitive advantage and social license to operate will be enhanced. By linking economic and environmental sustainability aspects, co-operatives can communicate the business value of their environmental investments. This can help to overcome, or fend off, internal or external resistance that may exist or arise. 

A critical success factor is to understand the business case or rationale for an environmental program or strategy. 

Some environmental commitments or policies are short, visionary, and motivational; others are longer, detailed, and very formal. Your approach will depend on your organization's culture and pre-existing policy framework. It should at least reference your commitment to compliance with environmental legislation and regulations, and reducing your direct negative environmental impacts. For organizations seeking a leadership role, you will wish to more actively name your desire to be a catalyst for environmental sustainability and to use your products and services, supply chain, public voice, and relationships to foster environmental solutions and improve environmental conditions. 

It can be helpful to research environmental policies or commitment statements of other co-operatives, your competitors, and organizations outside of your sector. Contact your local co-operative or industry association for tips and advice.

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In addition to an environmental commitment statement or policy, or as an element of it, your co-op may also benefit from an explicit environmental vision that describes how you see events unfolding over 10 or 20 years if you are successful. Your environmental vision could be a short and inspirational description of what your organization intends to achieve at some future point; it could be forward thinking and aspirational, often allowing for out-of-the-box creative thinking. An environmental vision frees the heart and soul to dream of an end-state liberated from the pressures and constraints of the present. It can help set the stage for a visionary environmental program. This approach is not for every organization, however. Typically, organizations have pre-existing missions, visions and values, and prefer to incorporate their environmental aspirations into their current framework. This is fine, too. The rule of thumb is to use whatever works for your organization. As an example, The Co-operators has incorporated a reference to sustainability within its overall vision: "We will be a catalyst for a sustainable society." 

In recognition of the fact that environmental sustainability is one component of an overarching sustainability or corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach, co-operatives may wish to ensure their environmental commitment is linked to their sustainability or CSR framework. As demonstrated by the four sustainability concepts below, social, environmental, and economic sustainability are incorporated into an integrated and interdependent system. These are represented as a Venn diagram of interlocking circles; a three-legged stool; nested relationships; and the "braiding" of factors. Social, environmental, and economic factors are sometimes referred to as the "triple bottom line" of CSR. 

For those co-ops seeking an integrated model, a few additional steps are proposed. In addition to developing an environmental commitment statement or policy, co-operatives with CSR or broader sustainability ambitions may wish to ensure the following actions are also taken: 

• Incorporate your environmental commitment into an overarching sustainability (triple bottom line) policy or commitment; and
• Integrate your environmental ethic into your co-operative's mission, vision, and values. 

It is sufficient to simply focus your efforts on the development and implementation of an environmental policy or commitment statement. However, the degree to which your environmental commitment contributes to, and helps to shape, your co-op's mission, vision, and values can foster greater buy-in, engagement, and innovation from stakeholders. 

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Organic Meadow Co-operative Inc. incorporates
environmental commitment into its Mission Statement 

Organic Meadow Co-operative Inc. was formed to provide an opportunity for organic farmers to collectively store, process and market organically grown products. We are committed to ensure fair, consistent financial returns to farmers while maintaining quality at every stage from soil to table. We are dedicated to encouraging ecologically sound, diverse, self-reliant farm units where production efficiency is achieved in harmony with the surrounding environment......We will work to build unity among farmers based on the principles of co-operation, and will affirm their right to self determination and the maintenance of a strong rural heritage. Organic Meadow will strive to decrease the distance both physically and psychologically between farmers and customers. Our dealings with members, employees and customers will be carried on in an atmosphere of openness, honesty and trust.  

Developing your commitment statement in collaboration with your co-op's key stakeholders is a further means by which you can encourage buy-in and engagement. Stakeholders could include your board of directors, staff, members, customers, communities, environmental organizations, co-operative sector representatives, and others who have a strong interest in your organization's success and/or the local environment. There are myriad methods for consultation and collaboration, including focus groups, surveys, telephone interviews, task forces, roundtables, town hall meetings, etc. By consulting internal and external stakeholders you can develop a more robust commitment statement, build goodwill, generate excitement and motivation, and possibly identify partners who can help you achieve your goals.

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