Worker cooperatives in Chile in touch with renewable energies, education and sustainability

18 December 2015

The worker cooperative federation in Chile, TRASOL, represents 14 cooperatives in a rural zone of the country. The latter all share a common vision when it comes to jobs with obligations towards society and the environment in which we live; they understand that the survival of humanity also depends on the change of the paradigm about the use of natural resources and their limited nature. Some cooperatives are working on themes tied to energies that are sustainable and renewable, as well as energetic sufficiency and much more.

This is the case of the worker cooperative Jatun Newen. Its multicultural members are dedicated to the sector of public restrooms and decoration, through a form of recycling that attempts to give a second life to objects considered as being obsolete or plain trash.

The cooperative Centro Alerta, working in investigation, participative action, education and consulting, participated, in October, to the global conference of the peoples on climate change and life protection in Cochabamba in Bolivia. It participated because its members believe that the cooperative movement should be closely connected to the different social and popular movements and especially the one that fights for self-determination of people and protection of common rights against the menacing neoliberalism.

Additionally, some cooperatives are active in the energy engineering sector, such as the worker cooperatives Coenergía, Kunlabora, Hunab Ku and Kutral that are dedicated to the consultation, elaboration and creation of projects in the sectors of renewable energy engineering and energetic efficiency.

These cooperatives have, among others, jointly created a design of a solar power photovoltaic plant, installed thermic solar panels in living spaces and buildings, written reports on energetic efficiency in industry, and developed projects of biogas production from organic matter. TRASOL endeavours to contribute to the sustainability and energy autonomy of the communities, and to work in harmony with the environment, while being aware of the social impact of its activity.