Earth Day's evolution
Earth Day has evolved from being just a small grassroots movement to a worldwide phenomenon. It’s earned the title of “The World’s largest environmental movement” and brings together people from all over the world in an effort to engage in acts of volunteerism to help the environment.
In 1970, Earth Day took off in the US in response to the rising levels of air pollution emanating from industries and vehicles. The core purpose of this movement was to raise awareness around the impact this type of pollution was having on the environment.
As the world enjoys more time outdoors during the pandemic, let this Earth Day be a true appreciation of the healing effects nature can have during unsettling times.
Celebrating with us
Earth Day isn’t an opportunity to showcase our efforts to drive sustainable progress. We don’t believe in a singular Earth Day. We believe in making everyday Earth Day.
Wanting to do our part for the cause, we became one of the Founding Signatories of the Principles of Responsible Banking. We did this not only because we believed in the movement but also because we felt that it’s our inherent responsibility towards our customers and our environment. Not just for one day but for all days to come.
We’re focused on:
- Developing free banking and other customizable solutions so you can keep your hard-earned money safe.
- Forming a team that’s grounded in diversity, human dignity and equality.
- Driving sustainability through adding green initiatives to our product development.
Go Green Friday
It’s been our pleasure to partner with Stark & Marsh and the City of Swift Current to plant trees and beautify Swift Current even more. This 10+ year old event saw our staff volunteers helping to plant thousands of trees and creating green project sites for everyone to enjoy. It’s been truly a community event as we’ve seen over 100 volunteers from various groups and organizations participating each year.
“We are thrilled to play a part in laying the foundation for a greener future in Swift Current,” says our CEO Dan Johnson. “Go Green is no small feat and the impact we make within the City is something to be proud of. An event of this size takes a significant amount of time and resources to plan so thank you to Stark & Marsh and the City of Swift Current for all your hard work and planning to execute this project over the years.”
From the desk of our CEO, Dan Johnson
Today is the perfect day to start a conversation with you, our members, about how we can work on contributing towards environmental sustainability and be better, together. I recognize that although Innovation might not be an expert on these matters but what we lack in complete knowledge about this, we make up for with relentless drive and unyielding passion to make the world a better place. Working together is critical to our success.
This doesn’t mean turning our backs on the people and industries that have built and sustained our economy in Saskatchewan. We’ve always been proud to support these members and industries for the past 80 years. Our conversations and movement towards a more healthy environment and sustainability won’t change that. These industries have paved the path for our economic growth and diversity, positioning us for flexibility and prosperity as we consider how to be a part of the solution both now and in the future. Every product development or action that shows a commitment towards a “greener” life will make all of us a lot stronger than yesterday. In fact, with trillions of dollars in assets backing climate change, expanding into business lines specifically tailored to environmental issues will offer significant benefits to our entire membership.
Innovation has already made - and lives - a deep commitment to responsible banking in alignment with the United Nations. As one of the Founding Signatories of Responsible Banking, we’ve promised to align our business strategy with making a positive contribution to society. This move has motivated us to assess our current standing and figure out how we operate responsibly here, at home but lest we forget that we’re on a global stage. Canada and Saskatchewan are part of the global community and it’s our responsibility to take a proactive approach towards making the world a bit better than yesterday, every day.
Earth Day, every day!
As with everything we do as a credit union, our approach to this will be thoughtful, incremental, and informed. Finding solutions and new opportunities that support our evolving stance on sustainability will honour our past, secure our present and ensure the future we want. Making a commitment to thought leadership, listening, asking the right questions, and being a part of the conversation is how we can achieve this. It’s the ideal foundation for making our communities and our world a better place.
After all, this planet is the only home we’ve got.