International Day of Cooperatives 2020
International Day of Cooperatives: Industrial and service cooperatives are a laboratory of environmental sustainability.
The 4th of July is the International Day of Cooperatives. An annual celebration recognized by the United Nations that takes places on the first Saturday of July, since 1923. This year’s theme is “Cooperatives combating climate action”.
Additionally, CICOPA is committed to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, which invites governments and all levels of society to take urgent measures to reverse the devastating effects of climate change on all levels.
Cooperatives all over the world have been actors of change, and have set the example for other organizations and enterprises in protecting and sustaining our communities, which leads to a healthier and better environment.
“Together we can do more, and the more we do together, the more the world will become more cooperative. Industrial cooperatives are great laboratories for social innovation, where solutions to combat climate change can be found” says CICOPA President Iñigo Albizuri Landazabal in a video message.
In the last years, CICOPA has observed members make great progress in modifying their practices in order to achieve sustainability, and more and more new worker and social cooperatives have entered the cooperative atmosphere with new and vibrant green approaches that ultimately contribute to changing the direction of our world.
“It is our duty as worker and social cooperatives to protect the environment by ensuring that our practices are sustainable and to ensure we are reducing our carbon emissions. Our concern for community is ingrained in our cooperative principles, and I cannot think of a more relevant moment than right now to provide our society with environmental and social wellbeing; which are strongly interdependent” emphasizes Diana Dovgan, CICOPA Secretary General.
From waste fighting to emission reducing solutions, CICOPA invites all cooperatives to collaborate with each other so that the world can be changed together; all of this while providing quality jobs, embracing democracy at work, and staying true to the cooperative values. As worker and social cooperatives, one of the core values is solidarity, so thinking of others in one’s community should be the priority in order to achieve greater things.
Raise your voices and become global actors in this change! CICOPA wishes you a very happy International Day of Cooperatives!