Power NI is part of a steering group of Climate Champions, made up of leading business representatives, which supports Business in the Community's Business Action on Climate campaign.
Power NI is working with responsible business network Business in the Community (BITC) on a new 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, the Climate Action Pledge, 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.
The Campaign puts Northern Ireland businesses at the forefront of action on the climate crisis. Power NI 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.
Stephen McCully, Managing Director at Power NI said “As Northern Ireland’s leading energy supplier, we recognise how important it is for businesses to work together and take action on the climate crisis. As a business of the Energia Group, we are a modern customer-centric utility with a strong focus on renewable technology. As a Group, our aim is to innovate and grow sustainably, with over €1 billion invested in the energy market across NI and ROI, focusing on renewables, flexible generation and customer solutions.
“It is time for us all to play our part in the Green Recovery, and this campaign is a way for Power NI to demonstrate to our communities, stakeholders, staff and customers that we have made a serious commitment to reducing our environmental impact. We’re delighted to be working with a team of climate champions and the wider BITC network to inspire other businesses 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.”
Find out more on the Business Action on Climate campaign and the Climate Action Pledge N
