Archives: 2015

Is your business ready for the Energy Audit Scheme?

Does your organisation employ 250 employees or over (on payroll) or do you have an annual turnover in excess of €50m and an annual balance sheet total in excess of €43m? If your organisation meets any of the above criteria, then it is considered a ‘large organisation’ and you must complete an energy audit by

Is your business ready for the Energy Audit Scheme?

Does your organisation employ 250 employees or over (on payroll) or do you have an annual turnover in excess of €50m and an annual balance sheet total in excess of €43m? If your organisation meets any of the above criteria, then it is considered a ‘large organisation’ and you must complete an energy audit by

Is it Time to Read for your Company?

Our Time to Read programme ran by our Business Action on Education is Ireland’s first business to education reading initiative. We have commenced the 2015/2016 school year and are encouraging all businesses to sign up. The initiative provides second class (7/8/9 year old) children with the opportunity to receive reading support from a business volunteer

Enterprise 2020 Summit

Profiling BITCI members and CSR in Ireland in front of European CEOs, high-level EU officials and thought leaders in CSR   On November 16 and 17 at BOZAR, Brussels, CSR Europe will host the Enterprise 2020 Summit. The event will be a platform to discuss, debate and inspire new and innovative approaches to corporate social

Upcoming ninth CEO Breakfast Forum 2015

The ninth annual CEO Breakfast Forum takes place on Tuesday October 13th. With the themes of megatrends in sustainability and the importance of leadership, this year’s forum promises to be the largest one yet. Keynote speakers include Pat O’Doherty from ESB, a member of our network and Dorman Followwill, a guru from Frost and Sullivan

#BeStrong new emoji offers support to teens in fight against cyber bullying

Irish teenagers think cyberbullying is worse than face-to-face bullying (60 %) and over half (51%) believe it to be a bigger problem than drug abuse for young people, a global survey of almost 5,000 teenagers across 11 countries including Ireland has revealed. Conducted by YouGov on behalf of Vodafone, the research found that one in

Spark Something Good: Inspiring customers and employees to get involved in their local community

Marks & Spencer employees have a long track record of supporting their local community through fundraising and volunteering. This year, the company launched Spark Something Good™, a new way for M&S and their customers to get out there and make a difference. The aim is to inspire millions of customers to get more involved in

Our range of services

We are delighted to launch our new brochure outlining our various offerings. If you are a company who wants to engage employees or you want to benchmark your CSR activities,

Ulster Bank Wins Outstanding Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility Awards

3rd September: Ulster Bank has won the Outstanding Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award at the 2015 Chambers Ireland CSR Awards.

KPMG Staff Engagement Recognised at Business to Arts Awards

Staff engagement at KPMG was recently recognised at the Allianz Business to Arts Awards when the firm received the award for Best Creative Staff Engagement for its work with St. Michael’s House in Dublin. KPMG worked with St. Michael’s House to create a series of multi-sensory stories for children with intellectual disabilities. Each story is

Making the link between sustainable procurement and better business

Business in the Community Ireland has teamed up with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (DLR) County Council and Econcertive to implement a new sustainability project that will support the greening of the supply chains of two DLR-based companies: Bank of Ireland and Amgen Technology Ireland. Co-funded by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Enterprise scheme, this innovative alliance takes

Biodiversity projects can enhance employee and community engagement

These beautiful Barn Owls are part of a major success story in Co. Kilkenny that was sponsored by Veolia. Three years ago, Veolia funded a biodiversity project following a recommendation from an employee. It involved the erection of a nest box for Barn Owls, which are endangered in Ireland. There are thought to be fewer

Minister Bruton – CSR can help to improve competitiveness and support the wider community

31st August 2015: The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D., today launched a new website, www.csrhub.ie ,

Zurich Insurance set to develop new apprenticeship scheme

Zurich Insurance plc (“Zurich”) has welcomed the recent approval by the Apprenticeship Council of its application to develop a new apprenticeship scheme for the insurance industry. The General Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship will offer young people a credible alternative to third level education supported by approved qualifications and valuable on-the-job experience. Zurich will lead the development

Marks and Spencer blaze a trail in CSR

If sustainability were an ingredient, you’d find it in Marks & Spencer’s meals. If it were a thread, it would be woven into its garments. In fact, it’s the building block on which the business is built. At Marks & Spencer Ireland, it isn’t enough to be profitable. It has to be sustainable. It achieves

Business and the marriage referendum…a look back

Companies across Ireland had diverse responses to the recent Marriage Equality referendum. A common theme was provision of flexible working arrangements to facilitate employees to vote. Beyond that there were differing levels of engagement with the issue itself. Some companies felt that their existing diversity policies were clearly supportive of their LGBT staff and that

In Conversation with Angela Smith Head of CSR, Diageo Ireland

In this month of our In Conversation with series we are delighted to talk to Angela Smith, Head of CSR at Diageo Ireland. Please describe your role and responsibilities and how many years you have been in the company I joined Diageo in March 2004 and worked in a variety of roles within the Corporate

Almost 70% of Irish adults would pay more to buy from responsible companies

Dublin 10 August 2015: 69% of adults in Ireland have stated that they are more likely to buy from companies that act in a responsible way,

PwC Summer Interns volunteer with St Vincent de Paul

Over 80 students from across Ireland have participated in this year’s PwC Summer Internship Programme. This is an eight week programme that gives students the opportunity to gain a unique and in-depth insight into PwC. The internship not only allows students to gain a real life view of what a graduate career with PwC would

The path to best in class CSR: Northern Trust

Being a responsible business helps Northern Trust Limerick engage staff, help its local community and win business in a competitive environment.

CSR in the news monthly roundup

We regularly share on our social media channels the latest news, insights, and articles on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability both from Ireland and the rest of the world. Here’s a roundup of some of the main stories shared this month: CSR COMMUNICATION Beyond the PDF: 5 Tips to Leverage CSR Reports for Greatest ROI via Triple Pundit 5 Ways Social Media is driving CSR via Edie.net Reporting Matters 2014 (Reporting Matters 2014, launched at the WBCSD’s

Intel Shannon Women in Technology Scholarship closing August 28th

Intel’s success in Ireland has been built on the quality of highly skilled and educated people available in the country. Through the “Women in Technology” scholarship program, Intel hopes to increase awareness and encourage a new generation of high-achieving women to take up the challenge of a career in technology. Intel Shannon works closely with

Talkin’ bout Generations – why generational diversity is a business issue

Sodexo is one of the world’s largest services companies. With 420,000 employees in 80 countries it is the 18th largest employer in the world. As a services company, people are Sodexo’s key asset and the company firmly believes that an inclusive culture is imperative to its continued success. A diverse and inclusive culture not only

In Conversation with Kenneth Daly, Head of Selling and Marketing, M&S

This month we are hearing from Kenneth Daly, Head of Selling and Marketing at M&S Ireland. Please describe your role and responsibilities and how many years you have been in the company I started in M&S in September 1997 and have worked in Ireland and the UK in my career to date in a variety

CSR and Anti-Corruption policies

As part of companies’ CSR policies, there are a growing number of businesses who are prioritising the integration of rigorous corruption prevention into their overall business plan. Common features of such programmes include: Detailed policies on company-specific bribery issues Policies on conflicts of interest Guides on political and charitable contributions Management procedures outlining frameworks for

BITCI and CFI launch 2014 sustainability report

As an organisation that promotes sustainable and responsible business practices, it is especially important for us to lead by example and report on our own sustainability.

What is Sustainable Procurement?

Sustainable Procurement is an approach to purchasing products and services that takes into account the economic, environmental and social impacts of an organisation’s buying choices, at all times. Committing to a policy of sustainable procurement is about ensuring that the values that are core to the business are transferred through the organisation’s supply chain into

Chambers Ireland Launches Shortlist for CSR Awards 2015

Over €13 million raised and 125,000 Volunteer Hours Donated by Shortlisted Companies

Enhancing Nanotechnology’s Potential to Improve Clean Water Access

Clean water is fundamental to life and yet nearly a billion people worldwide lack access to it. Researchers used IBM’s World Community Grid to simulate water flow through carbon nanotubes, revealing a phenomenon that can significantly increase the water flow rate. These breakthrough findings have the potential to improve water filtration and desalinization technologies, and

Transdev Ireland action on diversity and anti-racism receives interest at European level

There are 23 nationalities represented in Transdev Dublin and providing a safe and secure work environment to all of their employees is a top priority.