THE Lagos State Cooperatives College has urged its members to recommit to cooperatives’ principles in order to manage the challenges posed by climate change.
The Chairman, LASCOCO Governing Council, Mr Oyebowale Raji, said this on Wednesday during the college’s maiden convocation lecture held in Agege.
Raji, at the event themed, ‘Concern for the 21st century community: What roles do cooperatives have to play in the transition to a sustainable economy?’ charged members to be cognisant of the effect of climate change on the cooperative movement.
He said, “Climate change, as we see in Africa, stems from deforestation practices that we see in our hinterlands and that is affecting the ecosystem which in effect, is also affecting the various co-operators that are in that subsector of the cooperative movement.
“In our various corners, in our various small places, we can try to manage the climate in such a way that everybody will benefit from it.”
The Chief Executive and Principal, United Kingdom Cooperative College, Mr Neil Calvet, advised members to ensure sustainability.
“All the seven cooperative principles are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and as such, members all over the world must strive to ensure sustainability, particularly as it applies to climate change.
“These are already encapsulated in the cooperative philosophy and business models; it is right there in our DNA and has been since the very start. The inherent tensions present in social and environmental needs with economic objectives must be acknowledged and actively managed,” he said.
The college’s Provost, Mr Akorede Ojomu, said the lecture was organised to deepen the knowledge of co-operators and key stakeholders to enable everyone to know the impact of their actions on the environment and learn ways to ensure sustainability.
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