At the core of every successful co-operative is a strong governance system that supports democratic member control, accountability, and effective decision-making. Yet governance practices vary widely across the co-operative sector depending on size, mandate, and context.
To better understand these differences, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC) launched the Canadian Co-operative Governance Survey, now in its third wave (2025). Since its inception in 2019, the survey has grown significantly – from 26 participating co-operatives in its first wave to 136 co-operatives and credit unions in 2025—providing an increasingly robust picture of governance practices across Canada.
This session will present tailored findings for renewable energy co-operatives, highlighting how governance practices in the sector compare to broader co-operative trends. It will also introduce a new online governance benchmarking tool, enabling RECs to assess their own governance structures, board composition, training practices, and evaluation approaches against peers.
In this session, you will learn:
- Key governance trends from the 2025 national survey
- How RECs compare within the broader co-operative sector
- What drives effective governance across different co-op models
- How to use a new benchmarking tool to strengthen your organization
About the Presenter
Stan Yu is the Research and Communications Coordinator at the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC), based at the University of Saskatchewan. Since joining CCSC in 2020, Stan has supported research and strategic initiatives across the co-operative sector, with expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research, program evaluation, and research communications. His work focuses on translating data into practical insights that support evidence-based decision-making in co-operative governance and development.
This session is designed for renewable energy co-operative leaders, board members, staff, and sector partners interested in strengthening governance practice through data, benchmarking, and peer learning.
May 27 – 11am PDT / 12pm MDT CST / 1pm CDT / 2pm EDT / 3pm ADT
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund Implementation Readiness stream
Ce projet est financé en partie par le volet Préparation à la mise en œuvre du Fonds pour une économie à faibles émissions de carbone du gouvernement du Canada.
