Forum focuses on sustainable practices
At least 80 out of 100 pairs of hands shot up when "Climate Walt" Palmer asked the audience at Guelph's Corporate Social Responsibility Forum yesterday if they had seen Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." Perhaps a testament to the fact that climate change awareness is lighting up the business world -- or at least the Canadian industry of cooperatives and credit unions represented at the three-day forum.

Développement International Desjardins launches a new four-year program in collaboration with CIDA's Canadian Partnership Branch
A new agreement signed with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) under its Canadian Partnership Programs will enable Développement international Desjardins to launch a brand new program aimed at broadening access to financial services in developing countries. Signed March 30, this four-year agreement (2007-2011) follows the positive assessment made by CIDA of DID's most recent results. CIDA will provide $19.85 million for the new program, to which the Desjardins Group will add a financial contribution of $4.4 million along with services worth $2.22 million for a total contribution of $6.6 million.