Funding will help Canadian housing co-operatives and businesses understand and respond to growing climate risks.
The Academy for Sustainable Innovation (ASI) has received funding from Co-operators to deliver climate resilience education aimed at co-operative housing providers and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Canada.
Both projects are designed to help organizations understand and respond to the growing financial and operational risks posed by climate change.
Climate Resilience eLearning for Co-operative Housing
Funding from Co-operators is supporting the development of a new eLearning course for members of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada).
With over 900 member organizations nationwide, CHF Canada works with co-operative housing organizations, who are committed to safe, stable, and affordable housing while facing growing climate pressures.
The eLearning course will help CHF Canada members understand how climate change affects buildings, residents, and operations. The course covers climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience, with a focus on maintaining high-quality living conditions as climate pressures grow.
The course is part of ASI’s overarching program, Climate Resilience for Community Housing, and builds on a successful pilot with the BC Non-Profit Housing Association.
The goal of the program is to help community housing providers, including co-operatives, understand how climate change intersects with equity, health, and housing stability, and take informed, proactive action to make community housing safer and more resilient.
Climate Resilience for SMEs
Climate Resilience for SMEs is being delivered in partnership with local Chambers of Commerce, Business Improvement Associations (BIAs), and Boards of Trade. It features an eLearning course with locally relevant examples of how climate change is affecting businesses, their day-to-day operations, employee safety, and bottom line. Partners can offer the eLearning course as a value-added service to their members and have the option to pair it with an in-person workshop, online webinar, and/or additional coaching sessions.
A 2024 KPMG survey of 350 Canadian business leaders found that more than nine in 10 (>90%) feared extreme weather events had become the new normal. More than half said their profitability had already been hit by recent extreme weather events, while 49% reported significant cost increases from productivity loss, supply chain disruptions, and rising insurance premiums.
The initiative builds on ASI’s 2025 pilot program that partnered with the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce in British Columbia and three New Brunswick Chambers of Commerce, including Greater Moncton, Fredericton, and the Saint John Region.
Chambers, BIAs, and Boards of Trade wanting to bring this program to your members can learn more at the button below.
About Co-operators:
Proudly Canadian since 1945, Co-operators is a leading financial services co-operative, offering multi-line insurance and investment products, services, and personalized advice to help Canadians build their financial strength and security. With more than $79 billion in assets under administration, Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability.
Currently a carbon neutral organization, Co-operators is committed to net-zero emissions in its operations and investments by 2040, and 2050, respectively. Co-operators is recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and ranked as one of Corporate Knights’ Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada.
About the Academy for Sustainable Innovation:
The Academy for Sustainable Innovation (ASI) is a Canadian charity that helps people and organizations lead on climate action through education and engagement. Founded in 2018, we believe a sustainable future relies as much on people leading change as it does on technology.
Our Transition Leadership programs empower Canadians to see themselves as climate leaders – regardless of industry, job title, or prior experience. We’re here to support Canadians in thinking differently about how we show up as leaders, so that together we can transition to a world where sustainability is at the heart of all decision-making.
Contact: Tamara Connell, Chief Executive Officer, tamara@sustainableinnovation.academy