Business

Companies making progress in cutting direct greenhouse gases – report

More than 50 Irish firms have backed pledge to halve carbon footprint by 2030

Average emissions intensity reductions across signatory companies increased from 36 per cent to 41 per cent last year. Photograph: iStock

Fri Jun 5 2020 - 10:23

Irish companies who have pledged to halve their carbon footprint are following through on their promise, new figures suggest.

More than 50 Irish companies, including ABP Foods, AIB, Cairn Homes, DePuy Synthes, Diageo, Dublin Bus, ESB, Gas Networks Ireland, Irish Water, SSE, Sodexo and Tesco signed the Business in the Community Ireland/PwC pledge in 2015 to cut direct greenhouse gases by 2030.

A new report published to coincide with World Environment Day shows average emissions intensity reductions across signatory companies increased from 36 per cent to 41 per cent last year.

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The low carbon pledge initially required signatory companies to reduce the intensity of their Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions by half. This year the scale of the ambition of the pledge was increased to incorporate some indirect, or Scope 3, carbon-emission sources, such as business travel, water consumption and waste generation.

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“Ireland has a huge challenge ahead to transition to a low carbon economy but also embrace the opportunities a net zero world will offer. Our aim for the pledge is to provide leadership, set a collective ambition and drive practical action,” said Tomás Sercovich, chief executive, Business in the Community Ireland.

In related news, the release of Dublin-listed food group Total Produce’s sustainability report has been praised by Davy Stockbrokers. It said the setting out of its sustainability targets and the elevation of its environmental, social and governance credentials was a positive development.

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