RCEN 2007 Annual General Assembly and 30th Anniversary Celebration
Environmental Finance and Entrepreneurship Workshop
The aim of the session was to provide citizens and non-profit organizations with practical tools and knowledge to better invest their time, money and resources all while staying aligned with their values. The workshop further stimulated discussion on how to incorporate such approaches by starting up, encouraging or working with environmentally-friendly enterprises.
Background:
There is a shift in the environmental movement that the member groups of the Canadian Environmental Network need to come to terms with. On one hand, public and private sector attitudes towards the environment are changing: concern for environmental sustainability and conservation are increasingly being accepted as not only compatible with economic viability, but as fundamental to ensure long-term sustainable economic prosperity.
Socially responsible investing and other forms of alternative finance are recognized to offer leverage on key environmental issues. On the other hand, environmental groups are showing fatigue with the traditional non-profit, non-governmental organization model which has relied on fund-raising or grant-writing to generate revenue, which takes energy from the primary environmental mission of many environmental organizations. Social entrepreneurship: where the business model is used to promote financial self-sufficiency while adhering as a means to supplement traditional sources of revenue. In both instances, it is hoped that the fundamental way that society creates money and wealth can be conducted in a more environmentally conscious manner.
Workshop Speakers:
1. Alexander Gillett, Co-Director – Scryve
Web: www.scryve.com
Topic: Tools for Change
Please visit Scryve.com for information about this company, whose aim is to ensure the responsible behaviour of business.
2. Douglas F. Jack, Project Coordinator – Sustainable Development Association
Web1: http://dwell.ecube.info; Web2: http://eco-montreal.mcgill.ca
Topic: Canadian Non-Profit Participatory Incorporation Workshop
|
