Climate Change is one of greatest challenge humanity will face during the 21st century. It is a problem that affects us all and that has a global dimension. Immediate action is necessary to try to stop the devastating effects of past policies and actions that could irreparably harm the environment.

Consumer co-operatives, as responsible economic and social actors, have and are ready to play a fundamental role. They are enterprises which act according to values and principles. They have at the same time an international vision and a local focus, which puts them in a privileged place to establish sustainable practices and policies.

In this regard, we decided to take up the challenge. We know that alone we can not solve this problem but we also know that we have a responsibility to our members and to society to be fully engaged and to deliver to the best of our ability concrete results.

For this purpose, Euro Coop organised in June 2007 a major European Conference entitled "Climate Change: The major challenge of the 21st century? Maximising the response of consumer co-operatives", which resulted in a fruitful and lively debate.

As a follow-up to the Conference, the Euro Coop General Assembly called on and obtained by the European consumer co-operative movement to recognise that Climate Change is one of the greatest emergencies of our time and that it is of the utmost importance to act now. On that occasion, a document stating concrete engagements undertaken by the European Consumer Co-operative movement has been adopted. Please find it also at the link here.

More recently, the Secretariat has decided to cooperate with the joint Belgian NGO initiative CompenCO2 to offset carbon emissions produced by the travelling of its staff. Indeed cap and trade programs are seen by Euro Coop as last-step initiatives because reducing CO2 emissions still remains the ultimate objective. Yet this engagement adds to the valuable and day-to-day work carried out by consumer co-operatives across Europe and represents another initiative to head towards a truly sustainable economy and society.