Fondaction and Carrefour Earn Points for Sustainable Transportation

Many prizes have been won by employees at Fondaction and the other institutions at Carrefour financier solidaire, for adopting sustainable transportation habits. Carrefour, based in Montreal, has approximately 130 employees. Carbopoint is one of the hallmarks of its sustainable transportation plan, launched in October 2007. Employees who use alternatives to driving alone when commuting accumulate points. These points, based on greenhouse gas reductions, are redeemed each year for gift certificates for outdoor gear, fair trade products or charitable donations. To make it easier to make these choices, employees are also offered a 50% discount on public transit passes, reserved garage parking for carpoolers and free bike tune-ups. This is a great model for businesses of all sizes.

Delivering the Program

By choosing more environmentally-friendly ways of getting to work, CFS employees earned special points in a "CarboPOINT" program, calculated according to the likely reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. CarboPOINTs could be redeemed each year in exchange for up to $250 worth of outdoor gear, gift certificates for fair trade and organic products, health care services or charity donation.

To make it easier to make these choices, the CFS also provided 50% of the cost of monthly transit passes, a “public transit try” program for drivers, assistance in finding matches and reserved indoor parking for carpool drivers, and free bicycle tune-ups each spring. Those who left their cars behind qualified for up to four reimbursed emergency trips home each year and use of a local car share service for work-related trips during the day.

For details, please refer to the linked webinar materials. 

Results

In the first two years of the program, Fondaction employees avoided 79 tons of GHG emissions and their use of public transit increased from 18% to 37% of all trips.

Contacts

Karin Savoye, Marketing Analyst
Fondaction CSN
Bureau 103 2175 boul. De Maisonneuve Est
Montréal Québec, Canada H2K 4S3
514 525-2654    karin.savoye@fondaction.com

Notes

This case study was selected as a Tools of Change Landmark case study in 2010 by a peer selection panel consisting of

•  Chuck Wilsker, U.S. Telework Coalition
•  Daniel Coldrey, Transport Canada
•  Elizabeth Allingham, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
•  Geoff Noxon, Noxon and Associates
•  Jacky Kennedy, Green Communities Canada
•  JoAnn Woodhall, Translink
•  Lorenzo Mele, Town of Markham
•  Ryan Lanyon, Smart Commute

This case study was written in 2011 by Jay Kassirer and Sharon Boddy.