Desjardins Group has released its 2008 Social Responsibility and Co-operative Report, the Quebec-based financial co-operative said Tuesday.

This year, for the first time, the report is available exclusively online, in keeping with Desjardins Group’s Sustainable Development Policy which emphasizes, among other goals, the reduction of paper consumption.

“The notion of social responsibility is woven into the very fabric of our cooperative financial group, whose mission is to contribute to the economic and social well-being of people and communities,” says Monique Leroux, president and CEO of Desjardins Group.

“That’s why our members and officers expect that, regardless of the circumstances, we will continue to assume a strong leadership role in terms of social responsibility.”

Launched during Co-operation Week, this report highlights the close ties between Desjardins Group’s co-operative nature and the way it practices social responsibility. It provides stakeholders with a means of measuring Desjardins Group’s actions in terms of governance, products and services, community involvement, investment, the environment, and human resource management.

IE