SONI, the Electricity Tranmission Operator for Northern Ireland, is working with Business in the Community on a new collaborative campaign – Business Action on Climate - that challenges businesses to take action on the climate crisis
SONI 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 SONI 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.
“Last year SONI launched an ambitious corporate strategy as a direct response to the climate crisis"
Jo Aston, Managing Director, SONI, the Electricity System Operator for Northern Ireland said:
“SONI is proud to be a founding member of the Business Action on Climate Campaign with the ultimate aim of helping Northern Ireland to reach its climate commitments. The real and present threat of COVID-19 brought us together as a society to protect each other and to realise the value of our health service. In our economic recovery, we must also address the existential danger of climate break down, again by coming together; because together we can make a real difference. SONI is delighted to work with BITCNI as a Campaign Climate Champion alongside other leading NI businesses and the wider BITCNI network.
“Last year SONI launched an ambitious corporate strategy as a direct response to the climate crisis. We are now working to transform the Northern Ireland power system for future generations with a focus on decarbonisation and sustainability. This is an immense challenge and we will have to innovate to enable the electricity system to carry world-leading levels of renewable energy. We will also need to double the amount of renewable electricity connected to the grid. The Business Action on Climate Campaign and associated pledge to reduce our GHG emissions aligns perfectly with our vision by committing us to examine our own environmental impacts and take positive actions to reduce them.”
“As we invent a new business norm, bolder, collaborative, and practical action is not only necessary, it’s urgent"
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.”
For more information on the Business Action on Climate campaign and the Climate Action Pledge NI, please visit www.bitcni.org.uk/climate or environment@bitcni.org.uk.