PM Group joins BITCI Leaders’ Group on Sustainability

PM Group is pleased to join the CEOs of Ireland’s top companies in the BITCI Leaders’ Group on Sustainability. The 26 member companies that make up the business coalition, represent a workforce of over 90,000 people in Ireland and will work collaboratively to address social, environmental and economic priorities.

One of the first actions announced by the Group is the Low Carbon Pledge – the first dedicated public commitment generated by Irish business to lead on the transition to a low carbon economy and reduce carbon intensity emissions by 50% by 2030.

Helping our clients to reduce carbon impact is second nature

“As engineers, architects, project and construction managers, we have an important role to play in reducing carbon emissions. Together with our clients, we share green goals for two reasons - environmental and cost efficiency. We’re focussed on designing sustainability from the outset into facilities we are developing. Its second nature to us to help our clients read the carbon impact and positively influence its reduction. We are looking forward to working with the other members of the Group to make a positive change,” said Dave Murphy, CEO, PM Group.

Making sustainability a central priority

The CEOs are calling on business leaders to make sustainability a central priority of their leadership and promote a low carbon vision across their operations, products and services to help Ireland achieve its international commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.

The companies involved with the Leaders’ Group on Sustainability have all achieved BITCI’s Business Working Responsibly Mark, the NSAI audited standard for CSR and sustainability. The companies signed up to the Pledge so far are: A&L Goodbody, Arup, Bank of Ireland, Dawn Meats, Deloitte, EirGrid, ESB, Fujitsu, Gas Networks Ireland, Janssen, KBC Bank, M&S, Musgrave Group, PM Group, PwC, Ricoh, Sodexo, Ulster Bank, Veolia and Vodafone.

Tomas Sercovich, CEO of Business in the Community Ireland, said, “The imperative set by the Sustainable Development Goals demonstrates the scale of the challenges we face. Business will play a critical role in the achievement of these goals and this can only be done through collective action. The US$ 12 trillion economic opportunity of the low carbon and inclusive economy needs to be embraced by Irish businesses. We must adopt a long term and beyond 2030 view of our business models. We are delighted to convene this unique platform for change in corporate Ireland and we will seek to influence the business community as well as policy in key areas”.

Supporting social inclusion

In addition to addressing the transformation to a low carbon economy, The Leaders’ Group on Sustainability is also working together to remove barriers to social inclusion in Ireland by examining how Irish businesses can improve their processes and cultures to train, attract and retain marginalised and vulnerable people. The Group has also identified the need for businesses to adapt to emerging work practices that will transform Irish industry like the gig economy, contract work and automation to ensure those changes benefit employee, employer and society as a whole.

The Leaders’ Group on Sustainability meets regularly to discuss best practice and to review progress on its stated aims. UCD is the knowledge partner for the Group and will provide ongoing research support to help develop and refine the sustainability goals.

More about this on the BITCI website https://www.bitc.ie/