ABP Northern Ireland is championing a new Business in the Community (BITC) campaign – Business Action on Climate – that challenges organisations in Northern Ireland to address the climate crisis by working to achieve ambitious reduction targets for their greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.
A cornerstone of the campaign is the Climate Action Pledge which invites signatories to commit to cut their GHG emissions by 50% or 30% by 2030, ahead of the UK government trajectory to achieving Net Zero by 2050. ABP is part of the campaign steering group of Climate Champions, made up of leading business representatives that support the campaign and have been instrumental in setting and agreeing the terms of the Pledge.
The Campaign puts Northern Ireland businesses at the forefront of action on the climate crisis.
George Mullan, Managing Director, ABP Northern Ireland said, “We are delighted to be collaborating with like- minded businesses across Northern Ireland on this project. It is a natural step for us as we have already adopted a science-based target measuring model to our environmental strategy across our business here and the wider group.
We have a number of projects underway, including a new dairy beef partnership with Dale Farm which is supporting the sustainability of dairy beef production through the reduction of emissions using the very latest in animal genetic research. Response from farmers to date has been excellent.”
“This campaign and the Pledge is a way for our organisation to demonstrate to our communities, stakeholders, customers and staff that we have made a serious commitment to reducing our impacts on the environment. We’re delighted to be working with a team of climate champions and the wider BITC network to inspire others to do the same”.
To support signatories to achieve their targets, Business in the Community will provide a range of guidance and support including: climate literacy training; workshops and advisory support on climate related risks and opportunities; and GHG footprinting and guidance on measuring emissions. Through the campaign, BITC will share best practice examples from organisations in Northern Ireland and beyond and provide opportunities to network and collaborate with organisations in similar and different sectors, as well develop links to local carbon offsetting initiatives.
Kieran Harding, Managing Director, BITC, said: “We’ve had warnings about the very real threat of the climate breakdown for decades, but the COVID-19 crisis has shown that, even in a world stopped in its tracks, our GHG emissions have not decreased enough to meet the Paris Agreement and limit global temperature rise under 1.5°C.
“As we invent a new business norm, bolder, collaborative, and practical action is not only necessary, it’s urgent.
“Addressing climate breakdown and reducing our GHG footprint is integral for business, to enable us to build back better after COVID-19 for the benefit of business, our communities and the economy. Not only that, it’s necessary to ensure a liveable future and to create new opportunities that generate greater prosperity and wellbeing for all.
“There’s no time to waste – now is the time for business to collaborate and take action on the climate crisis, and the responsible business network can help.”