CSR & Making a Difference IE - Q1 2022 by Mediaplanet UK&IE

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Sustainable public transport is the backbone of urban mobility Few places in Europe are as committed to sustainability as Dublin and one transport company is leading the way in helping the city to reduce its carbon footprint.

A Colin Ward Head of Environmental, Health & Safety, Dublin Bus WRITTEN BY Steve Hemsley

Paid for by Dublin Bus

sustainable and integrated urban transport system that delivers a low-cost, frequent and zero emission service is an ambition for most cities, and Dublin is ahead of the curve. This is thanks in no small part to the proactive approach of public transport provider Dublin Bus which is playing a major role in making the Irish capital one of Europe’s most sustainable cities. The company’s Head of Environmental, Health and Safety, Colin Ward, says its success in Dublin demonstrates the vital role public transport can play in helping all cities reduce their carbon footprint. Its ‘Driving Change: Our Journey to Zero’ strategy sets out a commitment to become a zero emissions operator by 2050. Its future plans are aligned with the nine UN Sustainable Development Goals, while it has also signed up to Business in the Community’s Low Carbon Pledge. Cutting congestion The company carries around 142 million people annually (pre COVID) and a full bus means a 92% drop in carbon emissions for every kilometre travelled compared to the passengers using their own cars. Before the pandemic the operator was taking 160,000 cars of the road every day. “We plan to continue to deliver solutions that meet the city’s and our customer’s needs. We also must fulfil

our dual mandate of both embedding sustainability into everything we do and seeking new and better ways to enable and encourage sustainable behaviour for our customers. “If the service is good then people will not use their own cars and the number of cars on our roads will continue to fall. We are moving to a net zero transport fleet and working with Government and our transport partners to create a reliable, integrated transport system,” says Ward. Since 2017, Dublin Bus has reduced emissions by 13,500 tonnes and reduced its consumption of diesel by more than 2.5 million litres a year thanks to improved fuel efficiency and energy management measures. Wider sustainability considerations “However, we are aware that sustainability goes much further than this,” says Ward. “Being a sustainable business also extends to our supply chain as well as the wellbeing of our employees.” Ultimately the aim is to improve Dubliners’ lives by making it easier and more environmentally friendly for them to move around the city. “As a bus company we are in a prime position to offer a cleaner environment by reducing local emissions, improving air quality and cutting congestion.”

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Identifying the link between digitisation and sustainable manufacturing With the climate crisis agenda now rightly moving towards the forefront of business decision making, is sustainability the next industrial revolution?

David McCormack Director of Sustainable Manufacturing, Irish Manufacturing Research

raditionally, advancements in technology and sustainability would be viewed mutually exclusive. Since the first industrial revolution, advances in technology have allowed us to access more raw materials and produce multiple new consumer products for an ever-growing world population. All of which lead to significant resource depletion and a rise in CO2 emissions. Connecting innovation and sustainability Until now, the business drivers that propel digital innovation and sustainability have been disconnected. Digitalisation of organisations began in earnest in the early 2000’s under the banner of what we now call the fourth industrial revolution. This was a phrase first introduced by Klaus Schwab (Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum) in 2015. The term represents the fourth major industrial era since the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. It is characterised by a fusion of technologies that are increasingly blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres. The European Commission have recently moved to the concept of Industry 5.0 when it comes to their research program. Industry 5.0 complements the existing Industry 4.0 paradigm by highlighting research and innovation as drivers for a transition to a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry. It moves focus from shareholder to stakeholder value, with benefits for all concerned thus mutually reinforcing the link between digitisation and sustainability.

The advent of digital technologies such as industrial internet of things (IIoT) allows integrated connectivity into data sources from equipment and devices. Unlocking the data Digitisation and sustainability are set to be two of the mega trends at both a national level Ireland’s Digital Strategy and Climate Action plan and a European level to build resiliency to protect against further pandemics similar to COVID-19. It will also put the planet in a better place for those coming after us. So how do both digitisation and sustainability complement each other? Peter Drucker, arguably the world’s greatest management consultant, said it best “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” The advent of digital technologies such as industrial internet of things (IIoT) allows integrated connectivity into data sources from equipment and devices, transferring this data through intelligent network and using data analytics to extract meaningful and actionable insights from the data. The insights gleamed by accessing data sources that were previously deemed challenging can be used to drive sustainable focused technology development. This encompasses the total system leading to significantly improved environmental performance, less pollution and products designed for end-of-life recovery.

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Deirdre Ryan Director of Sustainability and Quality Assurance, Origin Green at Bord Bia

Supporting businesses to develop science based targets

A new webinar series has been designed to help prepare companies to set mandatory carbon emission targets. Ireland’s €13 billion food and drink export industry has established a hard earned, global reputation as a leading producer of highquality sustainable food and drink. Maintaining Ireland’s international reputation for sustainable production and improving the environmental impact of our food production methods must continue to be evidence-based. Meeting growing environmental challenges Bord Bia have developed a bespoke webinar series aimed at supporting Origin Green companies to adopt higher levels of ambition and more impactful methods in relation to their emissions targets. They are needed to meet the growing environmental challenges and evolving market needs that Ireland faces. The series of five webinars is designed to enable large scale member companies to accelerate the development and implementation of ambitious and data-driven science based targets. Bord Bia has worked with Accenture to deliver the series which is designed to prepare companies for the upcoming requirement that all members with a turnover of over €50 million must establish carbon emissions targets before the end of 2022. Demonstrating credibility to consumers Science based targets are critical for Irish food, drink and horticulture companies to demonstrate credibility to their customers, investors, employees and regulators. Emissions reduction targets are considered “science based” if they are in line

with what the latest climate science says is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. They must limit global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.

Science based targets are critical for Irish food, drink and horticulture companies to demonstrate credibility to their customers, investors, employees and regulators. However, the process for setting science based targets can be complex and delivery on them can be challenging for teams with limited capacity. The methodologies, standards and solutions for setting and delivering on these targets are evolving, requiring frequent review by food, drink and horticulture companies. The inaugural session of the science based targets in February 2022 offered an introduction for company CEOs and leadership teams. Setting sustainability targets Almost 300 food and drink companies across Ireland are verified members of Origin Green, representing over 90% of Ireland’s food and drink exports. Since 2012, Origin Green company members have set a total of 2,779 sustainability targets and established 13,600 sustainability initiatives.

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Closing the gender gap supports the sustainability gap Diversity, sustainability and climate action have the potential to be more strongly aligned within ESG strategy, driving better outcomes.

s companies focus on what ESG means for their business, corporate leaders have climate and diversity on their radar. Many companies set gender targets for their leadership, and some for their wider workforce and customer bases, which is important for our action across the 30% Club.

Gillian Harford Country Executive, 30% Club Ireland

Linking climate and diversity targets Separately, businesses set targets for achieving net zero emissions. However few link the strategies together. Recent research commissioned by our 30% Club partners Oliver Wyman Forum suggests that we can achieve greater results if the two areas of focus are integrated given the similarities in their strategic requirements for tangible impact: committed leadership, a rigorous focus on data results and continuous learning across the organisation. The research also calls out significant possibilities in the value that diversity brings to the strategic decisions made by Boards and C-Suite regarding ESG priorities. For example: Diverse views across climate action leaders: The research shows that women are twice as likely to consider ESG implications and are more open to changes that will drive climate action; but they are underrepresented in decision making positions, especially in carbon intensive industries

Women are growing in importance as investors and now hold 40% of total global wealth. Climate lens investors: Women are growing in importance as investors and now hold 40% of total global wealth. They have a proven stronger preference for investing that prioritises environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors. Low carbon product influencers: Women make a large proportion of household purchase decisions in areas that generate high emissions, such as food, travel and energy. They are also more likely on average than men to change their habits in ways that contribute to emissions reduction. Considering a more diverse customer base in developing customer solutions has the potential to drive better outcomes and progress for organisation strategy. Ultimately, ESG is focused on purpose, talent, and sustainable decisions for our organisations, our teams, our customers and our stakeholders. Diversity of thought as we make corporate decisions is integral to those successful outcomes.

Domestic abuse and how employers can support their staff at work The pandemic has seen a blurring of the traditional boundaries between home and work. This has brought increased risks for victims of domestic abuse.

F Joe O’Donnell CSR Executive, Business in the Community

or those living with an abuser, having to work at home brings a greater threat of abuse. Many victims of domestic abuse have often seen the physical workplace as a safe haven and a place of respite from the ill-treatment they might be experiencing at home. The impact of domestic abuse in the workplace It is clear that domestic abuse can no longer be dismissed as ‘a private matter behind closed doors.’ The duty of care of employers to their staff means that companies have a pivotal position in demonstrating that such abuse will not be tolerated in society. Yet, despite this, research

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from our sister organisation Business in the Community UK has shown that as few as 5% of companies surveyed have developed specific guidelines or policies on domestic abuse. The duty of employers What is the role of the employer on this critical issue? Irish health and safety legislation places an onus on businesses to provide workers with a safe working environment where employee wellbeing is recognised as an important consideration. Vodafone Ireland are one organisation who have taken a proactive stand on this issue. In 2019, they launched their Domestic Violence policy. As Aoife Mulqueen,

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Talent and Development Partner at Vodafone Ireland, says: “Since then, we have gained momentum in using our platform to talk about this grave social issue.” Key to Vodafone Ireland’s response has been “continuing to educate our people and working with Women’s Aid to raise awareness both inside our organisation and externally.” As part of the implementation of the Domestic Violence policy, Vodafone Ireland partnered with Women’s Aid. Mulqueen notes: “They were instrumental to the success of our roll out of our policy.” Women’s Aid were able to design and deliver training to Vodafone’s People Manager Community and so empowering them to support victims of abuse. Further resources available Business in the Community Ireland have developed a resources pack that lists organisations who are leading experts on the issue of domestic abuse and who your company might potentially partner with. This resource pack also lists toolkits and guides which your company will find useful when drafting your own workplace policies. It will empower you to open up conversations within your own companies about acting on domestic abuse. Visit www.bitc.ie to access the resource pack.

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Supporting communities through corporate volunteering

Carbon finance – a means to safeguard the planet and people

Volunteering is increasingly seen as a ‘must have’ of any company’s CSR programme.

orporate or employee volunteering is where a company supports and encourages its employees to volunteer to serve community needs during the working day or on the employee’s own time. Business case for corporate volunteering As well as supporting the communities they serve, employee volunteering offers companies the opportunity to augment employee retention, improve job satisfaction and increase employee motivation. Corporate volunteering can raise the community profile of companies, enhance brand awareness and connect businesses with communities. Supporting education through corporate volunteering While companies get involved in all sorts of volunteering from beach cleans to assembling food packs, gardening to sharing their professional skills, supporting youth education is an increasingly popular choice. The non-profit Kinia, trains employee volunteers to support national school children via their online Reading Buddy Programme while Junior Achievement partners with businesses in areas such as entrepreneurship, employability, financial literacy and STEM. Company volunteers assist the Early Learning Initiative in a range of virtual opportunities including mentoring, STEM, language cafés, storytelling, careers events, coding and educational gaming. Developing an in-house programme Meanwhile, DPS Global developed an in-house programme, Aspire2, supporting students in DEIS schools to progress to third level, further education and apprenticeships. The programme offers direct financial support for students, mentoring via an employee volunteer programme, youth advisory panels, work experience and a parents training programme. The programme’s 100+ volunteer mentors are essential to supporting the 1,800 students and 10 schools engaging in the programme. The company partners with a range of organisations to ensure best practice and the programme has recorded an 8% increase in students going on to third level.

Terri O’Brien Corporate & Programmes Manager, Volunteer Ireland

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Restoring and preserving nature can help us fight the twin crises of nature loss and climate change.

ith altering climate conditions, as observed in the rest of the world, Ireland is getting warmer and wetter with rising sea levels around the coast (as per the Status of Ireland 2020 report). While nature is now at the core of the climate crisis, it also has immense potential in being at the core of solving it too. A sound investment strategy Nature-based solutions are gaining popularity among governments and businesses alike to address environmental threats and solve societal problems by protecting, restoring and sustainably managing ecosystems. We are headed towards irreversible tipping points for climate and nature. As per the New Nature Economy Report, over a half of the world’s GDP – USD 44 trillion is potentially at risk due to nature and biodiversity loss. Designing nature-positive economic systems have the potential to create USD 10 trillion in business opportunity and 395 million jobs by 2030. Accelerated action on the ground Last year, the international climate conference in Glasgow (COP 26) was very successful for forests and nature – 141 countries including Ireland, joined the Leaders Declaration on Forests, the LEAF Coalition announced their first USD 1 billion investment commitments for forest countries and the 12 largest traders and processors committed to a sectoral roadmap to achieve 1.5 degrees. Additionally, initiatives like the NCS Alliance Investment Accelerator coordinated by WBCSD and the World Economic Forum, bring together leading private sector companies to pledge investments to purchase NCS (Natural Climate Solutions) credits worth 1 million tonnes of emissions this year, roughly equivalent to conserving/ restoring 30 million trees.

While nature is now at the core of the climate crisis, it also has immense potential in being at the core of solving it too. By 2025, the Investment Accelerator aims to raise investment commitments for NCS credits worth reducing 1 gigaton of emissions. Participation of these companies from the private sector builds trust in the system and sends a clear demand signal, which is key to create confidence in the market. Role of carbon finance in natural climate solutions (NCS) The carbon credits system has remained under scrutiny for many years due to possibilities of leakages, additionalities and double counting. However, owing to the establishment of distinct monitoring, validation and verification processes, one can identify high integrity projects for offset investments. This has led to a rise in demand for NCS credits over the last decade. While the primary incentive of engaging in NCS is carbon sequestration, these initiatives also yield the dual benefit of providing multiple socio-economic benefits such as creation of jobs, promoting education, health and hygiene in indigenous communities.

Teresa Hartmann Lead, Nature & Climate, World Economic Forum

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Employee volunteering offers companies the opportunity to augment employee retention, improve job satisfaction and increase employee motivation. ~Terri O’Brien Corporate & Programmes Manager, Volunteer Ireland

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Business must lead the way in balancing growth and sustainability beverage portfolio by 2030 as well as using more recycled content in our plastic packaging and scaling the SodaStream business globally.

Paid for by Pepsico

A new comprehensive framework pep+ drives action and progress across three key pillars, bringing together several industry-leading 2030 goals under a comprehensive framework: • Positive agriculture: Spreading regenerative practices to restore the Earth across our entire agricultural footprint, approximately 7 million acres. • Positive choices: Leveraging the scale and reach of our global brands to drive positive impact at scale. Evolving our portfolio to build a USD 1 billion healthier snacking business in the EU and reduce added sugars across our beverage portfolio by 50% by 2030. • Positive value chain: We will help build a circular and inclusive value chain through actions in the hopes of achieving net zero emissions by 2040. Setting new goals to improve packaging sustainability, including reducing virgin plastic per serving by 50% and bold new goals from Pepsi brands.

A new transformation strategy is helping business and consumers make more sustainable choices that benefit not only themselves and their communities but also the planet.

Adrian Williams Environment & Sustainability Manger, PepsiCo Ireland

ow more than ever, people are acutely aware of the interconnected nature of the global food system and its impact on our planet. Unfortunately, the bonds holding this delicate ecosystem together are beginning to fray right in front of our eyes. First of all, the climate crisis is endangering our natural resources. By one estimate, every degree of warming could reduce staple crop yields by 10%. What used to be hundred-year weather events are now happening every other year. According to the UN, more than half the planet’s fertile topsoil is now degraded. This is reducing the soil’s potential to grow food and sequester carbon, increasing our vulnerability to extreme weather events, and impacting water quality and biodiversity. Large industries currently account for about 20% of Ireland GHG CO2e emissions (Source: Environmental Protection Agency) and so have a

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major role to play in assisting the Government to meet is climate action plan commitments. The Government’s Climate Action Plan commits Ireland to a legally binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050 and a reduction of 51% by 2030. Positive changes for people and the planet To help address these challenges, in 2021, we announced pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). A strategic end-to-end transformation with sustainability at the centre of how we will create growth and value by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people. The framework guides how we will transform our business operations: from sourcing ingredients and making and selling our products in a more sustainable way, to leveraging our one billion connections with consumers each day to make better choices. We have also announced new goals to cut virgin plastic per serving by 50% across our global food and

Working to achieve 2030 goals Adrian Williams, Environment & Sustainability Manager, PepsiCo Ireland says great progress is being made through our Ireland operations: “We have significantly reduced our GHG emissions associated with our Ireland operations in the past number of years. We have already met the 2030 reduction target at the Little Island, Cork facility. All our Irish sites are on 100% renewable electricity supply and our facilities have 100% waste recycling processes in place with zero waste directed to landfill.” “We have made substantial investments to enable us to treat our effluent streams to an even higher quality than is required by Irish Water before we discharge to their treatment facilities at both Carrigrennan and Shanbally in Cork harbour.” Inspiring change throughout communities pep+ is also inspiring and encouraging colleagues to create new habits, whether at home or within their communities. In 2021, the Little Island, Cork, Green Team hosted a ‘flowers and seeds’ pledge event on site. Colleagues received a potted plant or packet of seeds to take home and grow. All seeds and plants were purchased from the Cope Foundation in Montenotte, supporting those with intellectual disabilities.

To learn more about the pep+ agenda, please visit pepsico.com/ pepsicopositive

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