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How EY and Desjardins are advancing sustainability through alliances
By working together, EY and Desjardins are creating an ecosystem in which more entrepreneurs can directly impact the climate crisis with innovative approaches.
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The better the question
How can we catalyze entrepreneurial progress to address climate challenges now?
EY and Desjardins have something in common. From core business projects to function optimization programs, EY has supported Desjardins’ strategic initiatives for more than two decades. What’s constant? A collaborative spirit. These organizations work as one integrated, multidisciplinary team with a shared vision and values to unleash truly remarkable results.
That spirit of collaboration extends to the way both organizations support the broader community. Through the EY Ripples corporate responsibility program, EY teams seek to make a larger, more positive difference by sharing skills and working with other organizations. In Desjardins, EY found a like-minded ally, equally keen to find new ways of addressing sustainability overall, and climate challenges specifically.
Together, EY and Desjardins asked: how can we catalyze entrepreneurial progress to address climate challenges now?
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The better the answers
EY and Desjardins codeveloped the Impact Alliance for Sustainability, an ecosystem where entrepreneurs can bolster resources, access fresh insight, make new connections and scale their impact.
EY and Desjardins codeveloped the Impact Alliance for Sustainability. In the first year, this innovative program brought together early-stage cleantech and sustainability entrepreneurs who were focused on developing innovative ideas to address the climate crisis through mitigation, adaptation and resilience-building en route to a greener economy. The goal? Spark additional progress by fostering an ecosystem in which these entrepreneurs can bolster resources, access fresh insight, make new connections and scale their impact.
Nearly 500 entrepreneurs registered for six workshops as part of this program. Through this initiative, professionals from EY and Desjardins jointly host virtual and in-person workshops for entrepreneurs across Canada. Each session is geared to a specific cleantech, sustainability or entrepreneurship theme.
For example, one workshop focused on illuminating trends and opportunities for impact entrepreneurs in Canada. The session was led by government incentive and ESG professionals from the EY Tax Advisory practice. Participants gained insight into opportunities, credits, funding and other resources to move their businesses forward. They also explored the design of innovative climate tech solutions, new business models to support climate solutions and means of gaining market validation for this kind of work.
Entrepreneurs from the first cohort are now actively incorporating that learning, and those relationships, into business models as they work to address the climate challenges through Canadian-made innovations.
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The better the world works
EY and Desjardins will offer programming that aligns companies that are looking to implement climate tech solutions directly with climate tech entrepreneurs.
Next up, EY and Desjardins are adapting to make even bigger ripples in year two. Specifically, EY and Desjardins will offer programming that aligns companies that are looking to implement climate tech solutions directly with climate tech entrepreneurs who are already focused on this area — all with the goal of making meaningful progress towards a more sustainable future. This will encourage Canadian companies to adopt and develop sustainable solutions as a core part of their strategy to be even more competitive in the rapidly shifting global market.