International Co-operatives Day

That this House notes that 2 July 2022 marks the 100th International Day of Co-operatives; further notes that this year’s theme is ‘Co-operatives Build a Better World’ – echoing the theme of the UN International Year of Co-operatives a decade ago, which showcased the unique contribution of co-operatives to making the world a better place; acknowledges that co-operatives and mutuals are a form of business owned and run by members and that they can help develop communities and the economy; further acknowledges that the earliest record of a co-operative comes from Fenwick, Scotland in 1761 when local weavers formed the Fenwick Weavers' Society, and in modern form they have existed since 1844, when cotton mill workers in Rochdale formed the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers; and recognises the importance of the co-operative sector in Scotland, particularly in community energy, and the key role co-operatives will have in ensuring that net zero targets are met.