10:10 For Business

Become a 10:10 Co-operative Business

Join 10:10 and make your co-operative part of the solution, by urging your colleagues and members to join ACT! and sign up to 10:10. Commit to making the most ambitious emissions cuts you can. By reducing emissions you will reduce costs, get ahead of other businesses and show the world that through co-operation, co-operatives can make a difference.

What exactly do we have to do?

To become a 10:10 co-operative, you must sign up to do everything you can, to reduce your carbon emissions by 10% in just one year. We recognise that many co-operatives have already led the way in emission reduction and for this reason we want to celebrate these past savings. Any emission cuts above 3% in 2010 will be celebrated and we would like to include case studies of progressive action already undertaken on our website (see case studies). Those that lead the way will act as catalysts, showing other co-operators how it can be done.The reductions will come from four key areas of emissions- Electricity, on site fuel usage (gas for the majority of us), road transport and air travel.

Why should we take part?

There is no escaping the fact that the future for businesses is going to be drastically different and the days of profiting from mass consumption of fossil fuels are over.

By reducing emissions co-operatives can save money and increase profits. You will save money through energy efficiency and also be in a position to save money when laws enforcing efficiency do come into effect. By co-operating together, Co-operatives Europe hopes that co-operatives can become the business model that is seen to do the most in the fight against the climate threat and increase awareness and raise public opinion above that of rival business models.

If the business case is not enough then we can look at our values and principles and see that, as co-operatives we are obliged to work together to tackle climate change. The future not only of business but also of the planet really does depend on it.

Why 10% in 2010

For decades global leaders have discussed the need for a global climate deal, while all the time emissions continue to rise and the global population continues to grow. It is acknowledged that in order to avoid the catastrophic level of two degrees warming, current emission trends must be reversed by 2020 to take into account a 20-year lag between emissions and their warming effects. For this reason we think that without an immediate reduction in the short term, long-term targets will fail. 10% is easily achievable and by acting now we can show that the co-operative sector supports more ambitious, fairer, binding targets on climate change.

For ideas on how to cut emissions see www.1010uk.org

Go back to the 10:10 main page and sign up!