Our Commitment to the Climate Action Agenda
Since 2015, awareness of climate change within ACCOSCA’s members has accelerated, as the impacts are more concrete and visible. ACCOSCA is present in 28 African countries, through its members, the confederation accounts for more than 24,000 SACCOs. The African Confederation of Co-operatives Savings and Credit Association is a full member of World Council of Credit Union (WOCCU), and has a special consultative status with the sixth principal organ of the United Nations – Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Over the years, ACCOSCA has oriented its products and activities to the concept of sustainable development and operations in the face of climate change.
Through the Proxfin Action Research in partnership Project, the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA) and Desjardins (DID) are developing a climate action plan, adaptable to the context of SACCOs and national associations in Africa.
In our last General Assembly to set the agenda for the strategic plan, the board and management made a conscious and unanimous decision to incorporate Environmental Social Governance (ESG), and green finance in our operations and writing.
This aspect, therefore, formed a crucial part of the strategic plan document for the future and made ACCOSCA one of Africa’s leading organizations in promoting ESG and the green concept. Since ESG applies to many areas in different contexts, in the context of ACCOSCA, institutional governance, products, services, and the Co-operative Movement are the key fronts where ESG is encouraged.
ACCOSCA believes that the Cooperative movement in Africa can significantly contribute to Sustainable Development Goal NO.13 Climate Action. To this end, we have begun building a framework for the African Co-operative Climate Action Plan and integrating climate protection measures into our policies, business practices, and training.
For the most part, ACCOSCA strives to equip its employees with working approaches that ensure optimal and efficient use of resources to reduce waste, save energy, and avoid environmental degradation.
ACCOSCA continues to positively impact the lives of people around Africa through its projects and activities; this includes fighting against poverty, working towards gender equality, economic empowerment, and creating partnerships for development. Henceforth, incorporating ESG and green knowledge into our training programs will be a crucial part of the association’s contribution to promoting sustainability and environmental protection.