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We’re invested in our planet

At Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU), our commitment to building stronger communities includes a deep responsibility to the environment. 

Environmental sustainability is embedded in our values and culture—and we take meaningful action to create, protect and sustain healthy environments. We actively support initiatives that promote climate action and environmental stewardship. This includes how we operate our business and how we invest in communities.

Sustainability is not just a goal; it’s part of who we are.

Our sustainable practices

We take everyday actions that reflect our environmental values. Here are a few of the ways we put sustainability into practice:
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Green building standards

We apply sustainable building practices, including energy-efficient technologies and environmentally responsible materials, when designing or renovating our spaces.

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Waste reduction

We reduce waste through composting, recycling and reducing our reliance on paper.

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Community support for climate action

Through our grants program, we support local environmental organizations and initiatives focused on climate solutions.

Recognized leadership

ACU’s commitment to environmental sustainability has been recognized at both the provincial and national levels. We're proud to be a climate change leader in Manitoba’s business community and among our credit union peers.

As a Certified B Corporation®, our environmental performance is independently assessed and publicly reported—keeping us accountable to high standards of transparency and long-term climate action.

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One of Manitoba's first LEED-certified buildings

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Power Smart and LEED certified since 2007

Long before sustainable building was common, our Disraeli branch set the standard. Officially certified in December 2007, it was Manitoba’s first financial institution's building designed to meet Power Smart and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards.

 

Designed with sustainability in mind, the building features several energy-efficient systems and environmentally responsible materials, including:

  • Geothermal Heat: Utilized for heating and cooling, reducing energy consumption.
  • Energy-Efficient Lighting: Equipped with high-efficiency fluorescent and compact fluorescent lights, along with occupancy sensors.
  • Advanced Windows: Installed to improve insulation and reduce heating and cooling demands.
  • Parking Lot Controllers: Implemented for block heaters to manage energy use.

These sustainable design elements reflect ACU’s long-standing commitment to environmental responsibility. While the Disraeli branch was a pioneering project, ACU has continued to integrate sustainable practices across its operations. For instance, in 2018, the Rivergrove and Charleswood branches underwent energy efficiency retrofits, including the installation of LED lighting and energy-efficient heating systems.

ACU the first carbon neutral credit union in Manitoba

ACU is recognized as a climate change leader within the Manitoba business community and our credit union peers.

This is why we support environmental groups focused on climate change solutions in our grants program and commit to business initiatives that promote positive actions to address climate and environmental issues.

In 2018, we became the first carbon-neutral credit union in Manitoba and the first Canadian organization to purchase Fairtrade Certified offsets. We’ve continued to purchase offsets every year ever since.

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Community engagement

We believe real change starts locally—and that means engaging our community in practical, collaborative ways to care for the planet.

Through partnerships and grants programs, ACU supports grassroots organizations working toward climate change solutions, environmental education and sustainable community development. By funding local action, we help amplify environmental impact across the province.

As a values-based financial institution and Certified B Corporation®, we also encourage our members and employees to take part in building a more sustainable future—one decision at a time.

We're doing our part to be environmentally responsible

ACU employees play a vital role in ACU's success in bettering the planet for all by actively participating in environmental programs, initiatives and incentives that help to support ACU's environmental performance and efforts to reduce our impacts on the planet.

We made the switch to 100% PCW in 2007 for our corporate stationary and in 2012 we switched all our office paper. 

Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 36% from 2012-2021.

We've decreased our internal consumption of paper by over 69% and external paper use by 86% from 2012-2021.

Employees making green and active transportation choices dropped commuting emissions by 43% from 2012-2021.

Diverting 14.5 tonnes of compostable materials, through a partnership with Compost Winnipeg, between 2016-2021.

First credit union in Canada to purchase green natural gas from Bullfrog Power.

First business in Canada to purchase Fairtrade Certified Carbon offsets.

13% of our offsets are from a Gold Standard certified project that supports Ethiopian Cookstoves. 

A total of 760 tonnes of carbon offsets purchased in 2021.

40% tonnes of offsets from a First Nations managed forestry program based in Coastal British Columbia.

47% tonnes of offsets from a forestry project in Zambia managed by a B Corp partner. 

Members have contributed to ACU reducing its GHG emissions by switching to eStatements between 2010-2021. 

  • Reducing GHG emissions by 42.6 tonnes
  • Reducing the total amount of mailed statements by 916,000

A total of 760 tonnes of carbon offsets purchased in 2021.

  • 40% tonnes of offsets from a First Nation-managed forestry program based in Coastal British Columbia.
  • 47% tonnes of offsets from a forestry project in Zambia managed by a B Corp partner. 

In 2020, ACU achieved B Corporation certification with a score of 166.4, the highest in Canada and sixth highest globally at the time. This certification reflects ACU's commitment to the highest standards of social and environmental performance.

Ensuring that Assiniboine Credit Union members have a healthy environment to live in is an important way for us to contribute to our communities. 

Highlights of our environmental sustainability initiatives include:

Climate action recognition

ACU has been honoured both locally and nationally for its environmental leadership. A past recipient of the Spirit of Winnipeg Award (Environment & Energy), we were one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for 11 consecutive years. These awards recognize our efforts to embed sustainability into our operations and workplace culture.

Visit our Awards page to learn about other recognition we’ve received.

Reducing paper consumption

Since 2010, to reduce our impact on the environment, we’ve committed to reducing our paper consumption. Thanks to a few key initiatives over the years:

  • ACU members contributed to ACU’s overall goal of reducing our Greenhous Gas Emissions (GHG) by moving to e-statements from paper statements between 2010-2021. Resulting in a reduction of GHG emissions by 42.6 tonnes and reducing the total amount of mailed statements by 914,000.
  • We also worked to reduce our overall paper consumption, internally we reduced our paper consumption by 69% between and externally by over 81% between 2012 and 2022.
  • We use 100% Post-Consumer Waste (PCW) paper. 

Want to switch to e-Statements? Here’s how.

Improving building efficiency

We continually invest in energy-efficient improvements across our branches. In 2018, we purchased over 2,000 gigajoules of green natural gas through Bullfrog Power—offsetting emissions at our owned and leased locations.

Encouraging active and greener modes of transportation

Over the years we’ve partnered and have taken part in various initiatives to promote active and greener modes of transportation.

  • We support GoManitoba, a carpooling and commuting matching website and App. 

  • We promote active modes of transportation to employees with incentive programs like the Transit Eco Pass, as well as secure bike storage and lockers and showers at several of our locations.

  • We were awarded a gold level performance in our workplace category in 2022 for our participation in the Commuter Challenge. We had 25% participation by employees. We sponsor and participate annually in Bike to Work Day and the Commuter Challenge.

Supporting environmental groups focuses on climate change solutions

Through our grants program, we are committed to business initiatives and working with organizations and groups that are focused on climate change solutions.

  • BizforClimate, an organization promoting positive actions to address the climate crisis.
  • Climate Smart. ACU follows an internationally recognized protocol to identify significant sources of GHG emissions. We use data from Manitoba Hydro, our suppliers and service providers and employee surveys to calculate our annual GHG emissions. We use tools and training from a social enterprise called Climate Smart to more accurately estimate our annual emissions.
  • Fair Climate Fund, whose aim is a world in which those who contribute most to climate change invest in CO₂-reduction projects that benefit people who are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
  • Fair Trade Certified Gold Standard, which manages best practice standards for climate and sustainable development interventions to maximize impact, creating value for people around the world and the planet we share.
  • Katingan REDD+ Forest Protection. In 2022 ACU purchased 211 tonnes of offsets from a project designed to protect and restore 149,800 hectares of peatland ecosystems in Indonesia.
  • SunCulture Solar Water Pumps. In 2022, ACU purchased 211 tonnes of offsets from Africa’s first solar irrigation carbon project helping Kenyan smallholder farmers transition to solar irrigation systems rather than using diesel and petrol water pumps.
  • Luangwa Community Forests Project. Protects over 940,000 hectares of vital forests in the South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi ecosystems.
  • Compost Winnipeg, which offers collection and compost services to homes, offices, multifamily residential buildings, on-site composters, small restaurants and cafés. ACU helped the organization divert over 16 tonnes of compostables from landfills between 2016 and 2021.