As the landscape of society and the economy changes and adapts, so too must businesses recognise the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Grant Thornton Ireland continues to recognise the vital role that CSR and sustainability play in the way we conduct our business, with initiatives that support a truly diverse workforce, community outreach programmes, and efforts to leave a positive legacy on the environment. Our CSR activities in Ireland focus on four main pillars:

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Sustainability

With customers, policymakers, investors and jobseekers increasingly holding companies to account to ensure they deliver their goods and services in a sustainable manner, Grant Thornton has moved to embed sustainability not just throughout our business but into our overall business strategy.

In 2020, Grant Thornton teamed up with Irish Funds to create Sustainathon, an initiative to help the Irish Funds industry – as a collective – play its part in tackling climate change. This initiative involved entrants from across the Irish Funds industry, working together to identify and propose solutions to the sustainability agenda. The proposed solutions could relate to product innovations, new platforms for engagement, corporate initiatives, use of technologies, or other ideas.

 

Green Scene

We are committed to reducing the impact that our business has on the environment. This has seen two key steps taken in the year. The first saw our Managing Partner sign The Low Carbon Pledge on behalf of the firm. This means we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint by 50% by 2030. To drive this initiative, we have created a Green Scene Committee which will be responsible not only for reducing carbon usage throughout the business but also in educating our staff in how they can act more responsibly in this area.

Some of the steps we have already committed to include:

  • To minimise the use of all resources in carrying out our activities;
  • To minimise waste generated by our operations and our work;
  • To reuse and recycle, wherever possible;
  • To source our energy and renewable suppliers;
  • To maximise recovery and recycling of our waste output: purchase, wherever possible products, especially office consumables and stationary, containing recycled materials;
  • To encourage participation in environmentally beneficial programmes by employees, suppliers and clients; and
  • To encourage and promote all staff to behave in an environmentally friendly manner.

This initiative has been greatly enhanced by our recent move to our new LEED Certified building City Quay HQ in Dublin and also our new office in Cork. These buildings are at the leading edge of energy efficient and eco-friendly design and we are in the process of identifying the benefits and efficiencies these moves have created. We are also reviewing our other offices and working with our landlords to make them as energy efficient as possible.

Initiatives 2021/2022:

  • Installation of electric and standard Bleeper Bikes at our City Quay office;
  • Fleet bikes for regional offices;
  • Sustainable cooking lessons and vegan wine tasting;
  • Cycle training for staff to encourage them to actively commute;
  • Tree planting; and
  • Sustainability Lunch and Learn sessions for employees.