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Intel Ireland has announced the latest instalment in the ‘Solar for Schools’ program – a unique and innovative solar technology project that enables schools and community organisations in North Kildare to generate their own energy supply directly from the Sun. The expansion of the Solar for Schools program this year has seen three schools in the

Aldi is the first retailer in Ireland to test blockchain technology successfully to validate its corporate buying policy for organic and sustainably produced Irish seafood. Aldi and Verifish are participating in a pilot project with Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s seafood development agency. This project is funded under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. Developed

  Data access, complex value chains, guidance and leadership buy-in cited as challenges Customer relationships, reputation and stakeholder engagement still seen as primary benefits   Tuesday 13th October: New research on the readiness of businesses in Ireland to fully reduce their carbon emissions shows that including Scope 3 emissions in a company’s footprint assessment is proving a

Our In Conversation Series is back this October with Riona Gilroy, Business Development Manager at College Proteins. College Group is Ireland’s largest rendering company, they lead the way in innovative rendering practices with a team of over a hundred dynamic and highly skilled professionals. Please describe your role and responsibilities and how many years you have

We are excited to announce that we will soon be launching a new version of the Business Working Responsibly mark standard. This new version of the Mark will see significant process improvements for companies certifying and recertifying during the coming year. What is the Business Working Responsibly mark? The Business Working Responsibly mark is the top standard for CSR and

HEINEKEN Ireland has released its sustainability progress report. The report details significant reductions in the brewer’s carbon emissions, water usage and waste production in the decade since it began reporting under HEINEKEN’s Global Sustainability Strategy, Brewing a Better World. During that time, the Cork city-based brewer has cut its carbon emissions by more than half

Eir and Special Olympics Ireland (SOI) have worked together since 1985, making this the longest sustained corporate charity partnership in Ireland. Employee engagement is the major reason that the relationship is as strong now as it was 35 years ago. Seven years ago eir employees created a fundraising event for their charity partner, the purpose

The Leaders’ Group on Sustainability’s Worker of the Future subgroup recently hosted a webinar addressing people perspectives on the transition to the “Next Normal”. The group shared perspective on the areas of Culture, Skills, Inclusion and Wellbeing and provided examples of emerging best practice from a variety of sectors. You can watch it in full

New publication by the Leaders Group on Sustainability Worker of the Future sub-group As we emerge from the Covid-19 lockdown, business decisions are being made about new ways of working that could have lasting impact and, perhaps, unintended consequences. While many conversations are taking place, along with advice on the re-opening of the Irish economy,

Seven-time All-Ireland winner and social activist Philly McMahon joined Vhi recently for the launch of a new Fund established in partnership with the Irish Youth Foundation (IYF) dedicated to supporting young people’s health and wellbeing. The Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund is looking to fund projects that are seeking to strengthen resilience in young people

Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport, Eamon Ryan TD has welcomed a new partnership between SSE Airtricity and An Post which will see 30,000 homes avail of energy efficient retrofits in the coming years. The Generation Green Home Energy Upgrade forms a key part of An Post’s Green Hub which provides a simple

Calor Ireland is proud to announce that Samaritans Ireland will be the company’s first charity partner.  The Samaritans was chosen by Calor staff, following an extensive process which considered a number of leading charities. Through the new partnership with Calor, Samaritans can answer over 4,000 additional calls for help. The support could save people’s lives

Four of Ireland’s leading retailers – Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and EUROSPAR – have come together to support a new food initiative by FoodCloud called ‘Food For Ireland’, to help meet the unprecedented demand on FoodCloud’s services from charities and communities across Ireland affected by Covid-19. FoodCloud has experienced a doubling in demand for its food

The journey to the ‘future of work’ has no end point as we are in a constant state of change.  However, there are points of inflection where the change either alters course or is greatly accelerated.  The BITCI Worker of the Future Sub-Group was established in response to the need to develop a view on the responsible business approach to

When it comes to environmental sustainability, we are all familiar with these terms: ‘Energy Efficiency’, ‘Renewable Resources’, ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, ‘CO2 Reduction’, ‘Circularity’. As a planet we have been talking about all these topics for a long time. It’s difficult to get an all-embracing definition of sustainability – but keeping it simple – it is

In this webinar, we provided information on how our programmes will operate in a virtual or blended world for the upcoming 2020/21 academic year. We also outlined the current and very real need in Ireland to support our young and vulnerable students, so that they can be positive about their futures and engage fully in

Gas Networks Ireland has reduced its carbon footprint by 27% over the last decade, according to the company’s 2019 Sustainability Report. The network operators also exceeded the public sector energy reduction target by 11%, delivering a 44% reduction, with plans to reduce its carbon emissions even further in the future, both within their own operations and from

In July, Mercury’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee celebrated its multi-generational workforce as theme of the month. Mercury has a multi-generational workforce with employees spread across 4 generational groups: 1. Baby Boomers: 1946-64. 2. Generation X: 1965-76. 3. Millennials (Gen Y): 1977-95. 4. Gen Z: 1996-12. Mercury asked four participants, each representing a generation in Mercury

Alkermes has released its third annual Corporate Responsibility Report. The report highlights the company’s corporate and social responsibility and environmental sustainability efforts, including recognition of the importance of continuing to increase the sophistication of monitoring and reporting on such efforts in the future. An essential component to Alkermes’ long-standing commitment to responsibility is its dedication

In July, Permanent TSB bank announced a 3-year partnership with Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance to support the agency’s work developing fully integrated, co-operative and affordable housing schemes in communities across the country. Permanent TSB will provide €350,000 to Ó Cualann, which will be used to fund the resources required to accelerate its development plans. The

BITCI is delighted to support a  Race Equality Hub –  an initiative of DCU Centre of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the African Scholars Association of Ireland (AfSI). It provides employers in Ireland with a range of practical tools and best practice guidelines to tackle racism and foster more inclusive practices in the workplace. The Hub includes a Race Equality Whitepaper

This week we held our latest webinar, Future Trends in Sustainability: The Transformational Capability of Sustainable Procurement.  On the webinar, you will have a chance to hear practical examples of how a focus on human rights, green procurement and circular economy has been integrated into the business strategy of PwC; you will hear about some of

Our member SSE Ireland have launched their Sustainability Report 2020. The report, in addition to communicating SSE’s ambitions and sustainability strategy, details the shared objective between Business in the Community Ireland and SSE to bring about a sustainable, low-carbon economy and a more inclusive society where everyone thrives. It also details how, in 2017, SSE

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, our member Gas Networks Ireland was quick to demonstrate the kind of societal support and leadership that led to its recent Chambers Ireland InBusiness award for corporate responsibility, providing much-needed assistance to vulnerable communities through its partnerships with DEIS schools and Age Action. SUPPORTING EDUCATION Education is a core part

Over the past two months our member Heineken Ireland has been collecting and decanting returned beer, treating it in a way that supports a Circular Economy and Minimises Waste. Last week the company reached the milestone of 100,000 kegs, ensuring each and every one was safely decanted at the Cork Brewery and the kegs are

On Thursday, July 16th we held our webinar ‘Integrating Sustainability into the Heart of Business: Exploring the External Context’. The webinar examined the  Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Economic, and Legal changes which have impacted business and society in 2020. Participants discussed global themes, the pace of change, and different responses from organisations in adapting to a

Donation enables FoodCloud to support 17 new food hubs in 15 counties across Ireland Aldi Ireland has become the first retailer to donate non-surplus food to FoodCloud during the Covid-19 pandemic to help with the unprecedented demand on FoodCloud’s services from charities. FoodCloud has experienced a huge surge in demand for its food redistribution services

The Covid-19 emergency and subsequent lockdown has meant that many Irish businesses have had to completely transform their CSR & Community plans for 2020. Despite this disruption, there is a compelling solution to this challenge that can ensure company volunteers can continue having a positive social impact while also helping struggling charities and vulnerable people:

What are the types of activities that a company might be able to support through Virtual Volunteering? The possibilities are almost endless. Here are just a few short case studies of how BITCI member companies have used Virtual Volunteering to maintain their previous CSR activities and Community commitments – and to develop new initiatives. Virtual