14 Companies in Ireland achieve the Business Working Responsibly Mark
Over 200 senior business leaders gather for Business in the Community Ireland’s Annual Sustainability Forum
The Mark is operated by Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI), the non-profit organisation dedicated to corporate responsibility and third-party audited by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).
An Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald T.D. announced the 14 companies as Accenture in Ireland, A&L Goodbody, Arup, Bank of Ireland Group Ireland, eir, Janssen Supply Chain Ireland, Marks and Spencer Ireland, Musgrave Group, Northern Trust (Ireland) Limited, Ricoh Ireland Limited, Transdev Dublin Light Rail Limited, Ulster Bank, Veolia Ireland and Vodafone Ireland
The Forum was addressed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs world-famous economist and advisor to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Dublin: Tuesday, 25th October: Over 200 business leaders attended the annual Business in the Community CEO Breakfast Forum at Dublin Castle, where the companies certified to the Business Working Responsibly Mark so far in 2016 were announced.
The Mark which is run by Business in the Community Ireland and based on ISO 26000 is valid for three years and is independently audited by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).
Seven companies are being accredited to the Mark for the first time this year and they are A&L Goodbody, Arup, Bank of Ireland Group Ireland, eir, Janssen Supply Chain Ireland, Veolia Ireland and Vodafone Ireland. Another seven are recertified to the Mark and they are Accenture in Ireland, Marks and Spencer Ireland, Musgrave Group, Northern Trust (Ireland) Limited, Ricoh Ireland Limited, Transdev Dublin Light Rail Limited and Ulster Bank.
Back row L-R: Clive Bellows, Country Head, Northern Trust, Eoghan Lynch, Managing Director, Arup, Niall Gleeson, Managing Director, Veolia, Kenneth Daly, Head of Selling and Marketing, Ireland, Marks and Spencer Ireland, Carolan Lennon, Managing Director, Wholesale, Eir, Alastair Blair, Managing Director, Accenture, Julian Yarr, Managing Partner, A&L Goodbody and John Fenton, Senior Finance Manager, Janssen Front row L-R Chris Martin,CEO Musgrave, Maeve McMahon, Director of Customer Experience and Products, Ulster Bank, Ireland Liam McLoughlin, CEO, Retail, Bank of Ireland, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Tina Roche CEO Business in the Community, Gary Hopwood, General Manager, Ricoh Ireland Limited, Ray Collins, Strategy Director, Vodafone and Gerry Madden, Managing Director, Transdev
This year’s forum was addressed by world renowned economist Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs. Professor Sachs spoke about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and how business leaders in Ireland must take action to help implement the goals. Sachs was a key architect of the Goals that were agreed by 193 countries over one year ago. The Goals are a complex matrix of 17 goals and 169 indicators, and they represent the new KPIs for the Planet.
Speaking at the event that acts as Ireland’s premier corporate arena for discussion of corporate responsibility and sustainability, Tina Roche, CEO, Business in the Community Ireland said: “As the economy grows, businesses in Ireland need to look at the essential components for responsible and sustainable growth. Work life balance, ethical consumerism and supply chain risks are key areas that companies need to focus on. The Mark is challenging to achieve so I congratulate the companies today on getting it. These forward-thinking companies strive to understand stakeholder expectations of them and manage their businesses accordingly.”
Congratulating the companies that have achieved the Business Working Responsibly Mark at this year’s CEO Forum, An Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald commented, “Sustainable growth, job creation, environmental sustainability and social resilience are cornerstones of this government’s economic and social policies. They are crucial to attract investment, foster the growth of the economy and to build social cohesion, equality and inclusion. They are all interconnected. Frameworks such as the Business Working Responsibly Mark support these goals and it is important to acknowledge the leadership of these Irish businesses in pursuing certification of their responsible and sustainable practices”.
The companies presented with their Mark certificates today are leading in the area of sustainability in Ireland. Many other companies use the Mark as a measurement and gap analysis tool. The Mark is achieved following a third party verification audit by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) and is based on ISO 26000. It is open to any organisation and is valid for three years. In total, 23 companies have now achieved the Mark and the other organisations that currently hold it are Boots Retail Ireland Limited, CRH Ireland, Deloitte Ireland, EirGrid, ESB, Fujitsu Ireland, Gas Networks Ireland, Intel Ireland and KBC Bank Ireland Head Office
Ends
For Further Information and interviews please contact:
Moira Horgan
Business in the Community Ireland
086 172 2105
Editors Notes
Background to Business in the Community Ireland
Business in the Community Ireland is the country’s only network for responsible business. We help companies measure, manage and report on their corporate responsibility. In addition, we run the Business Working Responsibly Mark, certification for responsible and sustainable business practices which is audited by the NSAI.
