Desjardins Group has announced the results of the Desjardins Paper Challenge and the Desjardins Eco-Friendly Statement Challenge.

Launched as part of the sustainable development policy adopted by Desjardins in October 2005, the Desjardins Paper Challenge aims to reduce printer and photocopier paper consumption by 15% by 2008, and to increase the use of recycled paper by the same amount.

The program, which was introduced in parallel with Earth Day 2005, has already led to a reduction in paper consumption of 18% per capita, which, according to the Ecoadvisory Chair of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of around 98 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or the biomass equivalent of 1,840 trees.

The results also show that the target of replacing 60% of new ink cartridges by recycled cartridges, target fixed by the Desjardins Group Procurement Committee, is well on the way to being reached, since after one year, this figure stands at 52%.

In addition to the challenge underway in all Desjardins Group components, the Paper Challenge is also being implemented throughout the caisse network. Already, 387 caisses, business centres and administrative centres out of a total of 604 have signed up for the challenge.

The Desjardins Eco-Friendly Statement Challenge, which ran from May 1 to September 30, 2006, is part of Desjardins’ Earth Day program agenda. As a reminder, 450 Desjardins caisses in Québec and Ontario took part in the challenge, whereby Desjardins promised to plant a tree for every member who switched from paper statements or booklets – including VISA Desjardins credit card statements – to virtual statements accessible online through AccèsD.

The goal of the Desjardins Eco-Friendly Statement Challenge was to plant 100,000 trees by 2009. Desjardins is pleased to announce that 92,295 members have already signed up for the project, after only five months of activities. In the spring of 2007, therefore, Desjardins will begin planting 92,295 trees in regions throughout Québec and Ontario. Corporation Saint-Laurent, the official sponsor of Earth Day in Quebec, will be responsible for following the progress of the plantings.

In light of the program’ s success, the Desjardins Eco-Friendly Statement Challenge will be run again in November 2007, along the same lines as last year.