How your organization can be carbon neutral

Vancity is proud to be the first North American based financial institution to become carbon neutral.

Being carbon neutral means that after reducing your impact as much as you can, you then invest in carbon offsets so the emissions you create as an organization are equal to the emissions you're reducing elsewhere through carbon offset projects.

There are three steps to get there:

1. Calculate your CO_2e footprint by adding up the emissions your organization creates. At Vancity, we used the World Resources Institute's greenhouse gas protocol, and the ISO 14064 standard.
2. Reduce your CO_2e emissions by making operational changes to reduce the amount of CO_2e you create.
3. Offset what you can't reduce by investing in high quality offsets to balance your remaining emissions.

You can measure and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions for your business or not-for-profit too. Vancity is 'paying it forward' by helping our business members shrink their own carbon footprints. For advice on ways to 'green' your business, go to our .

Vancity and ClimateSmart workshops

Vancity is co-facilitating training with Ecotrust Canada's Climate Smart program to provide training, tools and technical assistance to organizations on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In a group-training format, ClimateSmart:

• Teaches you how to map your emission sources.
• Shows you how to collect emissions data and calculate your carbon footprint.
• Helps you identify the best greenhouse gas reduction opportunities and estimate cost savings.
• Teaches you about carbon offsets and becoming carbon neutral.
• Demonstrates how you can tell the world about what your organization is doing.

Learn more

• Find out about the ClimateSmart Business program or to register for workgroups, visit the ClimateSmart website, email info@climatesmartbusiness.com, or call 604-CLIMATE (254-6283); toll-free 1-888-688-6283.
• Between 2007 and 2010, Vancity provided 81 scholarships for small businesses, co-operatives and not-for-profit organizations - training 150 people to measure and reduce their organizations' greenhouse gas emissions. Vancity is offering a limited number of ClimateSmart scholarships to Vancity business members. Contact greenbusiness@vancity.com to apply.
• Learn how Vancity can support your business or not-for-profit in saving energy and reducing your .
• Vancity invests in energy and environment. Learn more.