The protection of the environment is not a new concern within the co-operative movement. It has been the basis for statements and practical environmental actions for a long time. In a report to the ICA Moscow Congress in 1980 entitled "Co-operatives in the year 2000," Alex Laidlaw depicted the crude reality: "No matter what it is said about the century that is about to end, it will probably be remembered as the period in which the human race did more than ever before to poison and destroy its environment." In the 1980s consumer co-operatives in europe, North America and Japan took initiatives to tackle environmental degradation through developing eco-friendly products and promoting green consumerism. Agricultural co-operatives also started developing organic produce to meet growing demand and protect the health of farmers from hazards of pesticides, while fishery co-operatives were alert to water pollution made by industrial waste and household sewage and promoted effective environmental regulations and encouraged consumers to change their life-styles.

Concern for the environment became a paramount concern in the co-operative movement when it attracted global attention. Since 1995 concern for the environment has dramatically increased because of the increase in global awareness of the threat human development poses to the environment and because of the gravity of the problem, which has grown instead of decreasing.

The Alliance published a message to all members on International Co-operative Day in 2008, "Confronting Climate Change through Co-operative enterprise", illustrating the magnitude of the problem and highlighting the contribution of co-operatives in counteracting the threat of global warming and climate change.

Also, during the ICA-Americas Co-operative Summit in 2009 (Guadalajara, Mexico) "Growth and Sustainability" was chosen as a central theme stressing the urgency of tackling the problem. As a result, the "Co-operative Green Pact" was launched, as well as an action plan aimed at complying with the objectives of the Declaration. Subsequently, the regional conference held in 2010 in buenos Aires was entitled "Co-operative Commitment to the Preservation of the Planet".

These exemplar initiatives should be replicated and repeated because of the growing nature of the threat to our natural environment. All co-operatives have a responsibility and duty to consider and reduce their co-operative's environmental impact and promote environmental sustainability within their business operations and in the communities in which they operate. Many co-operatives have sought to respond to this threat by embracing green consumerism, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and other environmental policies and initiatives.

The magnitude of the environmental challenge demands that it be tackled jointly and in a coordinated way by the different sectors of society, including the state. Therefore, while implementing their own environmental conservation strategies, co-operatives should also actively contribute to raising awareness among other sectors of society, including public authorities, to the importance of implementing policies which protect the environment. Co-operatives are known for pursuing the common good, so they are in an excellent place to stimulate and lead advocacy of this kind. the key to success in this endeavour is an understanding that the gravity of the problem requires the co-operation of all. Isolated efforts, though meritorious, will prove to be insufficient and even frustrating.