Veolia, the leading environmental solutions provider, has been awarded the Business in the Community Northern Ireland Silver CORE accreditation as a responsible company by demonstrating positive impacts across its people, the planet and the places where it operates, and advocating the benefits to encourage others to follow.
CORE – the Standard for Responsible Business – is Northern Ireland’s only corporate responsibility accreditation. CORE is based on Business in the Community’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) Model and is verified by an external assessor.
The CORE accreditation seeks to recognise and reward firms in Northern Ireland that are embracing the journey to build better workforces, create a sustainable economy and healthy communities, and Veolia has been helping businesses transform the way they manage their resources. By developing and delivering innovative water, waste and industrial energy management solutions that strengthen the sustainable development of communities and industry, it has created 138 permanent jobs.
Today the company treats and disposes responsibly of 20% of Northern Ireland’s wastewater and 100% of the sludge from these operations. The success of this approach is also highlighted by Veolia’s Optimised Operations & Maintenance (VOOM) programme that focuses on a consistent approach to enhance a site’s assets, process stability and efficiency. This now delivers a 17% reduction in operations and maintenance costs, a 31% reduction in equipment maintenance costs and 40% less hours spent on reactive maintenance. Our industrial energy management team provides guaranteed energy and utilities supply to some of Northern Ireland’s largest manufacturers who together employ almost 5,000 people.
Sinead Patton, Regional Director Northern Ireland, Veolia said "I believe that being responsible is not just the right thing to do, it is the best thing to do – people want to buy from, work with and partner with environmentally responsible businesses. Here at Veolia in Northern Ireland we look to address the challenges of the future, and contribute to the circular economy by working with our customers across their energy, water and waste management to provide new sustainable resources and deliver reductions in carbon emissions."
The companies who successfully achieved CORE accreditation were announced as part of the 2019 Responsible Business Awards at the gala awards dinner at the Belfast Waterfront Hall on Thursday 30 May. As well as receiving CORE accreditation Veolia was also shortlisted in the NI Responsible Company of the Year category and in the Wellbeing at Work category.
Business in the Community NI’s Managing Director, Kieran Harding, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate each and every one of our winners, and those who were highly commended and shortlisted, for leading the way in responsible business practice. The standard for entries was phenomenally high and I hope that the achievements of the companies recognised will inspire others on their responsible business journey.
“Business in the Community is proud to be celebrating our thirtieth anniversary in Northern Ireland, working with some of the most innovative and responsible businesses, and these annual awards are a way for us to showcase and thank those organisations across NI that are taking responsible business action.”