Is your business ready for a green future? This is an important agenda that employees care about!
Lowering your carbon footprint: How becoming an EU/ECF accredited Cycle Friendly Employer will help
With businesses accounting for 13% of overall emissions, the recent publication of the Climate Bill highlights the huge role Irish enterprises have in lowering emissions to reach a target of zero emissions in 2050. A pilot fund of £10 million administered by Enterprise Ireland through the Climate Enterprise Action Fund will assist companies to incorporate sustainable practices in their day-to-day operation. It is available to businesses of all sizes and aims to assist businesses to identify opportunities and to begin to develop a sustainable plan. This makes good sense both for climate change but also for business growth. As larger companies commit to achieving zero emissions, it is vital that their supply chains do so too. Sustainable credentials are becoming a must-have and feedback shows that employees value goals of active and sustainable travel within their workplace.
This view is echoed in a recent review of Ireland’s environmental performance by the OECD which identifies transport as one of the causes of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions, the highest in Europe. A high reliance on private cars and relatively low use of bicycles and public transport are contributing factors, leading the OECD recommending disincentives such as higher fuel costs, congestion charges and increased parking charges for employees in an effort to encourage ‘green’ transport such as cycling. If employees are to be penalised for car usage, it is imperative for companies to provide sustainable alternatives.
The Cycle Friendly Employer initiative is designed to tailor a range of provisions that will optimise the experience of employees who cycle to work. The business that can boast internationally recognised CFE certification is one which has identified the need to reduce its carbon footprint and which embraces the provision of excellent facilities for cyclists who choose to leave the car at home.