Businesses have a key role to play in achieving sustainability goals

Ian Talbot

CEO, Chambers Ireland

Businesses play a critical part in communities across Ireland as we move from a period of awareness to action on sustainability.

We are now moving into an important period where all businesses need to take action on sustainability. This is vital if Ireland is to achieve its commitments under the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Developing a sustainable business plan

We launched an SDG toolkit that can help any business start to incorporate sustainability into their day-to-day activities. The advice and tips contained in this toolkit are simple to apply to your organisation. There is information on the whole topic, delivered in a simple format along with ideas on ways to get started.

For example, to achieve greater gender equality, your business might implement a flexible working scheme to allow parents to spend more time at home with their children. This would reduce the childcaring burden that often falls on one parent. It will lead to happier, more productive employees while also reducing carbon emissions from staff commuting to work five days each week.

Our focus is to support members to achieve their sustainability objectives.

Sustainable businesses reap rewards

The SDGs have set 2030 as a deadline to achieve their targets. That means now is the ideal time to start or enhance your work to build a more sustainable business and benefit from the advantages which will arise – happier staff, more loyal customers, more business won and a better society for all.

Our focus is to support members to achieve their sustainability objectives. It shows that developing a sustainability plan in a business can be easy.

Awarding companies who are leading the way

Chambers Ireland identified the need for recognition of the impact of actions and developed the Sustainable Business Impact Awards that are awarded to a large number of organisations of all sizes in a wide range of sectors. These nationwide awards highlight the meaningful and high-quality sustainable projects and schemes actioned by companies in different categories, such as environment, volunteering, community, workplace and communication. The awards have also helped to galvanise very significant investment by the private sector into appropriate activities benefitting the environment, communities, charities and workforces.

This year we are looking at guidance we can give to our members, particularly in the transition to climate neutrality.