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The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer recently revealed that 75% of Irish people expect CEOs to take the lead on social change issues. Business in the Community Ireland has developed the Business Working Responsibly mark, the only independently audited standard for CSR and Sustainability in Ireland.

Our first article on the circular economy defined the term and discussed the context in Ireland. It’s a timely topic. A recently published Ibec study shows that while overall only 51% of their member businesses surveyed understand the term “Circular Economy”, a much higher percentage (71%) of companies employing more than 100 employees and 78% of companies

  ‘Caring In Business – Where Technology Meets Humanity’ is a niche platform highlighting the positive impact tech leadership can have on the world around us – in the workplace, in the community and on the environment. This one day conference on Thursday 26th September at Conrad Hotel, Dublin brings together leaders in the tech sector

Our Head of Advisory services Bernadette Phelan was recently featured in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Panorama, a platform providing insights and looking at sustainability from a different perspective.

Every month we get to know more about the leaders driving the sustainability agenda in Ireland. This month we are delighted to introduce you to Paula Kirk Director, Energy Cities and Climate Change at ARUP. Read about her career journey into sustainability.

The low carbon agenda has been a key focus area for business in recent times, regardless of the operating sector. In Ireland, this agenda has never been more relevant than in the agri-sector where it accounts for around a third of the country’s carbon emissions. Given the proportion of Irish agricultural production which is exported

In recent years sustainability has become a huge influence on businesses worldwide and Gas Networks Ireland is no exception. Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as their blueprint, this year Gas Networks Ireland published their first sustainability report – Sustainability in Action 2018 – which highlights their progress in implementing sustainable development across all areas. As a company in

When employees at the Janssen Supply Chain (JSC) site at Cork take a walk at the Ringaskiddy facility, they see more than trees and flowers. They also see bee hives buzzing with the winged pollinators. The apiary at Ringaskiddy is the latest initiative in Janssen Sciences Ireland’s Biodiversity Management Program. For the past two years,

A major focus for Ireland over the course of the next 10 years, leading to 2030, is to transform its energy sector by increasing reliance on renewables from 30% to 70%. This ambitious target has been recently stated in the All Government Action Plan, Ireland’s roadmap to achieving its 2030 carbon reduction target. To achieve

September is going to be a hot month for #ClimateAction with the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 on 23rd September and the Global Climate strikes taking place on 20th  and 27th September. 

This month we are thrilled to introduce you to Barbara-Anne Richardson, the Sustainability and Communications Manager at HEINEKEN Ireland. Read about Barbara-Anne’s career, how she stays inspired whilst also learning the fascinating sustainability journey of HEINEKEN Ireland.

Bank of Ireland has unveiled a suite of green loans and interest rates to encourage and reward home owners and businesses to be more energy efficient. The new initiatives include a green interest rate discount for borrowers buying or building energy-efficient homes, and a green home improvement loan for energy-efficiency retrofits for older properties. Businesses,

This year, Abbott published its sixth report on sustainability in Ireland. Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. With almost 4,000 employees, Ireland has one of the largest populations of Abbott employees. The company serves the Irish market with a diverse range of health care

An alarming new report released by the United Nations says roughly one million species of animals and plants are on the verge of extinction, with experts predicting grave consequences for humans.  Nature is declining globally, at rates unprecedented in human history and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, but it is not too late

Gas Networks Ireland has entered into a three-year partnership with Inner City Enterprise (ICE), a non-profit organisation offering advice and support to unemployed people from Dublin’s inner city to set up their own businesses. Currently in the first year of sponsorship, Gas Networks Ireland has formed a mentor panel of five employees to support the

At KBC, Sustainability is at the core of everything they do. It is not part of a separate strategy, rather it is embedded across the organisation and into  their products and services. KBC’s vision on sustainability is based on a long term view of  remaining sustainable and competitive as a business while increasing their positive

A&L Goodbody (ALG) introduced a new ‘signature project’ into their pro bono practice 18 months ago. Through their partnership with Spirasi, the centre of care for survivors of torture, their solicitors review medical legal reports as part of the international protection process. The project is unique in bringing together legal and medical expertise aimed at

The 2019 CSR Awards ceremony will take place on the evening of Thursday 19 September 2019.

Since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, four in ten of the world’s largest companies currently discuss the SDGs in their corporate reporting; the pressure is not only from Governments, employees and consumers but also from many investors who are starting to integrate the SDGs into their portfolio analysis. It is being

In the first article of the series we defined Circular Economy as an economic model that attempts to decouple “economic activity from the consumption of finite resources.” We also discussed the history and background of the movements that led to its rise in popularity. This second article now looks at how that popularity has fostered C-suite and board level conversations in many of today’s top corporates,

The Inclusive Employer blueprint is a practical guide (launched in February 2019) to creating an inclusive workplace and addressing social inequality in Ireland. While many businesses have support for initiatives to promote the employment of people with disability, there is a general feeling that a lot more could be done.

Intel first launched the  Solar for Schools  initiative in 2017 providing Solar PV-and-Battery powered technology to 5 primary schools based in the Leixlip area. The solar technology enables the schools to generate and store their own energy rather than draw down energy from the grid. The aim of the project is to increase community focus on sustainability and

Irish Distillers recently hosted BITCI’s Sustainable Development Goals Workshop: ‘Integrating the SDGs into your business strategy’. It was a great opportunity to hear about how Irish Distillers have incorporated the SDGs into their CSR activities and how they have used the goals as a tool to communicate internally about sustainability and responsibility. Pernod Ricard, the parent

HEINEKEN Ireland recently published its 2018 Sustainability Report which saw the brewer achieve a 58% reduction in CO2 production since 2008, far exceeding its own 20% target. This achievement underscores its 10 year commitment to be a sustainable and green brewer under its global sustainability strategy, Brewing a Better World. In 2018, as part of its sustainability plans,

KPMG won the ‘CSR Initiative of the Year’ at the recent Accountancy Awards held in the Mansion House. They won the award for their BOLD GIRLS programme. To address the lack of female role models in literature and to celebrate the centenary of women’s suffragette in Ireland, KPMG worked with Children’s Books Ireland (CBI) to

You might have heard the term “Circular Economy” and wondered what it means. It’s a fairly recent term meant to encompass a number of initiatives, philosophies, and movements (Cradle to Cradle, biomimicry, blue economy, regenerative design and others) that have been ongoing from the 1970s [1] . It’s based on the idea that the Earth has

In our In Conversation Series we get to know the sustainability and corporate responsibility leaders from some of Ireland’s top businesses. This month please meet Penny Bryant, Director of Communications and CSR at Fidelity Investments. Please describe your role and responsibilities and how many years you have been in the company I oversee Communications and

Business in the Community Ireland welcomes the adoption of the All of Government Action Plan on Climate Disruption as a decisive and coherent set of policies that will prepare Ireland to become a significant player at European and international level on adapting to climate change. In particular we welcome the approach to systemic change proposed by the Action Plan, placing a focus on