Desjardins Group Surpasses the Objectives of Its Desjardins Paper Challenge and Desjardins Eco-friendly Statement Challenge

Montréal, April 15, 2008 – Desjardins Group announced the results of the Desjardins Paper Challenge and the Desjardins Eco-friendly Statement Challenge at the kick-off of the 38^th edition of Earth Day.

The Desjardins Paper Challenge and Desjardins Eco-friendly Statement Challenge are part of the Group’s integrated approach to sustainable development, especially in the “Waste management” component of its “Change the world, one step at a time” campaign in association with Equiterre. Desjardins is the first organization in Québec to have entered this campaign in which it committed to taking 12 initiatives that will yield concrete results in Québec and Ontario with regard to waste management, energy efficiency and responsible consumption.

The aim of the Desjardins Paper Challenge was to reduce consumption of printer and photocopier paper by 15% between 2005 and 2008 and to increase the use of recycled paper by the same percentage. The program resulted in a per capita paper consumption reduction of 21% within Desjardins Group, representing a reduction of 43 million paper sheets. According to the Chaire en Éco-conseil of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), this reduction also prevents about 227 tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions – related to the paper life cycle - or a biomass-equivalent of 3,435 saved trees. The use of recycled paper within Desjardins Group went up from 22% to 55% during the same period of time. This performance is a result of the decision made by Desjardins to switch to eco-friendly paper for all its activities, whether internal or commercial. A concrete example of this is My Money, the new personal finance magazine intended for its members and clients.

Created in 2006, the Desjardins Eco-friendly Statement Challenge was renewed in November 2007 and is still part of the Earth Day program. Through this partnership, Desjardins committed to planting a tree for every member who switched from paper statements (or passbooks) – including VISA Desjardins credit card statements – to online monthly statements on AccèsD Internet.

The objective of the Desjardins Eco-friendly Statement Challenge was to plant 100,000 trees between 2006 and 2009. Desjardins is pleased to announce that a total of 114,519 members have already joined the project, with 92,295 joining in 2006 and 22,224 joining in 2007 (the 2007 edition of the Challenge lasted one month compared to five months for the 2006 edition). As of spring 2008, therefore, Desjardins will be planting 22,224 trees throughout Québec and Ontario in collaboration with Jour de la Terre Québec. While growing, these trees will capture about 382 tons of greenhouse gases (CO2-eq.) per year and will allow the reforestation of areas equal to over 140 football fields, according to the Chaire en Éco-conseil of the UQAC. With the success of this program, the Desjardins Eco-friendly Statement Challenge will be held again in November 2008.

In addition, during the week of April 21 to 25, referred to as “Earth Week” (Semaine de la Terre) for the occasion, various activities will be held at Carrefour Desjardins in Montréal. Information booths and lunch conferences will be presented with regard to certain sustainable development initiatives at Desjardins and its associated partners, among which the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal, Recyc-Québec and Equiterre.

Also, knowing that it is up to each individual and business to adopt responsible consumption habits, Desjardins is proud to be associated with this new publication of the Acheter vert guide from Collection Protégez-Vous, carried out in collaboration with ethiquette.ca. This reference guide will be launched on April 17 and will give clear and concise information on eco-friendly and fair-trade consumption while guiding consumers through their day-to-day choices.

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is the largest integrated cooperative financial group in Canada, with overall assets of $144 billion, as at December 31, 2007. It comprises a network of caisses, credit unions and business centres in Québec and Ontario, and some twenty subsidiary companies in life and general insurance, securities brokerage, venture capital and asset management, many of which are active across the country. Drawing on the expertise of its 40,000 employees and the commitment of more than 6,500 elected officers, Desjardins offers its 5.8 million individual and corporate members and clients a full range of financial products and services. Its physical distribution network is complemented by leading-edge virtual access methods.

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Information: (for journalists only):
André Chapleau
Director Information and Media Relations
514-281-7229
1-866-866-7000, ext. 7229