Northern Ireland’s most sustainable companies unveiled

The Survey, which is run by Business in the Community, sponsored by Moy Park and supported by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, recognises and rewards those organisations that are going above and beyond their legal requirements to minimise their environmental impacts and better manage their resources.

Alpha Resource Management took the top spot this year, with more than half of participants scoring over 80% overall. There was an increase in participation with an impressive 21 organisations either new or returning to the Survey.

Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Michelle McIlveen said: “It is encouraging to see leading business and agri-food companies here, and a wide variety of environmental stakeholders.

“It is also reassuring to see the increasing awareness of the benefits of improving resource efficiency.  Not only does improving resource efficiency benefit the environment but it also increases your competitiveness and improves your bottom line.

“By participating in this survey you are helping the wider business community to identify further opportunities for improved efficiencies. That is why I believe it is so important to recognise and reward our current pioneers in excellence and innovation, in our use, and indeed reuse of resources.”

Chair of Business in the Community’s Environment Leadership Team and Chief Executive of Translink, Chris Conway, said: “The Survey, which is now in its 18th year, remains an important and respected instrument for both driving and celebrating the responsible environmental management activities of a wide range of private and public sector organisations in Northern Ireland.

“Taking part in the Survey demonstrates real commitment to transparency and performance on environmental issues, so it is encouraging to see the volume of new participants enter the Survey this year. Whilst the average score remains high at 77%, many of the new participants are entering the process in lower scoring bands which reflects the fact that they may be in the early stages of their environmental journey.

“I would like to congratulate all of the companies that took part this year, and hope that the Survey results will inspire others and continue to drive environmental improvement in Northern Ireland.”

Mike Mullan, Moy Park Executive Director said: “Moy Park is delighted to support Northern Ireland’s leading environmental benchmarking survey which recognises the progress in industry environmental performance. Moy Park is a values led, responsible business and we are committed to delivering sustainable practices which make a positive contribution to the way people live. We are extremely pleased to be awarded ‘Platinum’ status in the BITC Survey for the fourth year running. I would encourage all organisations focused on enhancing their environmental performance to participate in the Survey and by doing so, we can drive responsible behaviour throughout the supply chain, together.”

To find out who else participated and how they scored, visit www.bitcni.org.uk/planet

Paddy Duggan from Huhtamaki Foodservice Delta was honoured with the George Dawson Award for his passion and commitment in improving environmental performance both within his company and in the wider community.

Please e-mail [email protected] at Business in the Community if you are interested in taking part next year.