Act! Addressing The Climate Threat Newsletter-sept09

ACT! – Addressing the Climate Threat Newsletter 2009/01 2 September 2009 Informing you of the co-operative campaign to address the Climate Threat...

ACT! Launched at Sofia 09 Cooperatives Europe, the European region of the ICA, launched ACT! – Addressing the Climate Threat at its General Assembly, June 2009 at Sofia, Bulgaria. ACT! was launched as a self-funding unit within Cooperatives Europe with the specific purpose of co-ordinating and promoting the activities of co-operatives in Europe to address the threat of impending climate change. This developing crisis will affect all countries, including those in Europe, one way or another. Therefore, co-operatives in all European countries should take steps to reduce the threat and impact of climate change, and will do this more effectively by working together. This will also increase the recognition of the contribution made by co-operatives and their members.

What will ACT! do? ACT! will focus its efforts in 3 ways. It will also propose that co-operatives undertake activities in each of these same 3 ways, although the emphasis between the 3 ways may vary from co-op to co-op, and from time to time. The 3 important elements that all co-operatives should undertake are:1. to reduce significantly the carbon emissions of the co-operatives themselves 2. to inform and motivate their workers and members to reduce their own carbon emissions 3. to lobby and campaign to persuade politicians to adopt good policies and to do the right things to address the climate threat COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL EUROPEAN HOUSE OF CO-OPERATIVES ◊ AVENUE MILCAMPS 105 ◊1030 BRUSSELS Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 ◊ Fax (32/2) 743 10 39 ◊ [email protected]

Each of these elements is important. Firstly, it is very important for co-operatives and co-operators to start quickly to make effective reductions in their carbon emissions. For this reason, ACT! is supporting a campaign to be launched 1st September 2009. The aim of this campaign is simple, and it is to encourage organisations and individuals to cut their emissions by 10% in 2010, as an important, practical first step, towards the more demanding targets, that we all must achieve by 2020.

Copenhagen December 2009 Due to the crucial importance of the worldwide conference on climate change that is taking place in Copenhagen in December 2009, ACT! will be focussing on lobbying and campaigning for the next 3 months. The EU will have an important voice at the Copenhagen conference and will determine the position it will adopt at the end of October. This highlights a particular need for co-operatives in Europe to campaign urgently for the EU to decide on substantial carbon reduction targets, and to work towards a strong Copenhagen Agreement that will reduce the Climate Threat.

ACT! Website ACT! is developing a website http://actonclimate.coop and an on-line co-operative petition that asks co-operatives and their members to register their support for a ‘FAB Agreement’ at Copenhagen, ie. Fair, Ambitious and Binding. The website is currently under development for launch on 21st September to coincide with a week of Climate Change activity organised by the UN and to coincide with an important G20 meeting, in the run-up to the Copenhagen conference.

Sign the On-line Petition ACT! will be asking co-operatives to encourage their workers and members to use the on-line petition to register their personal support. ACT! will provide an on-line tool, “cooper8” to enable co-operatives and co-operators to email friends and colleagues to ask them to support the co-operative ACT! petition. The co-operative petition will be sent to the UN, to Heads of Government, to MEPs in Europe, and to the global ICA. It is important to maximise the number of co-operatives and co-operators calling for a ‘FAB Agreement’ at Copenhagen to ensure that the co-operative voice is heard, as it should be. COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL EUROPEAN HOUSE OF CO-OPERATIVES ◊ AVENUE MILCAMPS 105 ◊1030 BRUSSELS Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 ◊ Fax (32/2) 743 10 39 ◊ [email protected]

Actions to support ACT! But, for all of this to work, we need your support and that of your co-operative. Therefore, you are asked to personally support ACT! and for you to ensure that your co-operative organisation agrees to support the ACT! campaign. We want your co-operative to agree to support and maximise the impact of the on-line petition when it is launched on 21st September. You are asked to do the following actions:  putting information about the ACT! co-operative website/petition on your co-op’s own website (ideally in mid September, just before the launch);  e-mailing members and workers to ask them to visit ACT! and to sign the co-operative petition  including information about ACT! in mailings to workers and members;  informing customers about the ACT! campaign and inviting their support, using websites, leaflets, mailing inserts etc.. We realise that time is short, but if you can make a quick decision to support the ACT! campaign, the website and tools that ACT! will provide will enable you to reach many members and workers very quickly and effectively. We look forward to your support; please contact us for further information at [email protected]

“We hope that you are encouraged to see the work that is being done to ensure that the co-operative voice on the Climate Threat is heard in the right places, and is effective. We are confident that this is the sincere wish of co-operative members throughout the world.” Bob Burlton, ACT! Principal

COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL EUROPEAN HOUSE OF CO-OPERATIVES ◊ AVENUE MILCAMPS 105 ◊1030 BRUSSELS Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 ◊ Fax (32/2) 743 10 39 ◊ [email protected]