Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) has announce that nine companies – Bidvest Noonan, Bus Éireann, Deloitte, Equinix, Gather & Gather, John Paul Construction, Mitie, SSE, and Vhi – are the first signatories to its recently-launched initiative, Accelerate: The Business Pact for Climate and Nature.
The Accelerate pact calls for urgent action from Irish businesses on setting Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)-approved net-zero targets by 2050, with an intermediate goal of setting these targets by 2030, if not sooner.
In addition, firms are also encouraged to develop a robust and credible Climate Transition Plan to guide and track implementation. Through this initiative, BITCI is aiming to assist businesses in transitioning to a net-zero economy, aligning sustainable business operations with internationally-agreed climate standards.
More action needed
Noting that the winter of 2024 has thus far been milder than usual – with temperatures of up to 16 degrees recorded in Dublin, Tomás Sercovich, BITCI CEO said that action to respond and adapt to the climate and nature crisis is “still too slow, and disappointingly, limited progress on loss and damage and climate adaptation finance was secured by global leaders in COP29 in Baku.
“But it’s heartening to see communities calling for more action, with the exit poll from our General Election finding 51% of voters believing the government hasn’t done enough on climate change.
“Businesses recognise the opportunities inherent in the rapid and deep transformation of our economies and societies that we so urgently need. They can and must lead the way. We look forward to working with these companies and others on this campaign at such a crucial time in the history of our species.”
Business sectors
The initial signatories to the Accelerate pact represent a broad range of sectors, with the leaders of each expressing their commitment to driving positive change – Stephen Kent, CEO of Bus Éireann, said that the pact “underscores Bus Eireann’s commitment to leading the way in climate action”; while Pauline Cox, managing director, Gather & Gather, cited the importance of taking “meaningful action to create a fairer, more sustainable future for everyone”.
BITCI also aims to establish a Centre of Excellence for Climate Transition Plans, facilitating collaboration and sharing best practices among participating companies. Through the Accelerate pact, businesses commit to addressing nine key leverage areas, including nature, decarbonisation, finance, and governance. The success of the initiative will depend on the successful implementation of these plans.
The Accelerate pact builds on the success of BITCI’s Low Carbon Pledge, which concluded in 2024 after calling on businesses to set emissions reduction targets in line with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Read more here.
