April 2023

Did you know that April 22 is Earth Day?

The global organizer for the commemorative day, EARTHDAY.ORG, has announced that, for the second year in a row, the campaign theme will be "Invest in Our Planet".

As part of the campaign, businesses, governments, and individuals are being encouraged to do their part to be more climate-conscious. Thankfully, harnessing your consumer influence to help ensure a sustainable and equitable future for our planet is made easy to understand with the OCA's resources on how to be a green consumer.

You will also find information on climate change, the various ways you can invest in our planet, and how to register for Earth Day events in your region on the official Earth Day 2023 web page.

Follow the Earth Day 2023 conversation and spread the word about the importance of being climate- conscious by using the #EarthDay and #InvestInOurPlanet hashtags on social media.

Have you ever made a purchase that did not live up to your expectations? Maybe you lost money on an online purchase, or you waited months for something you bought to be delivered, but it never arrived. The harm or loss you experienced when your expectations weren't met is called consumer detriment and you probably won't be surprised to learn that many consumers have experienced the same thing.

Consumer detriment affects consumers around the world and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Committee on Consumer Policy (CCP) members have been studying the financial impact of consumer detriment on consumers who use e-commerce.

As a Canadian representative on the CCP, the OCA has created a new web page to present the Canadian findings of the OECD's study. Visit the OCA website to view the Canadian results of the report, learn about consumer detriment and how to avoid and address it.

In a report published last Fall, titled "High Hopes, High Costs: Protecting Students at Private Career Colleges", the non-profit organization, Momentum, explored how the institutional practices of private career colleges may put students at risk of serious financial strain.

View Momentum's report to read their policy recommendations to mitigate these risks and protect the interests of students.

Momentum received funding from the OCA's Contributions Program for Non-Profit Consumer and Voluntary Organizations to complete the research and produce the associated report.

Discover other projects funded by the OCA's Program in the 2021-2023 cycle on the OCA website.