Bus Éireann has committed to being one of the first signatories to Business in the Community Ireland’s (BITCI) new corporate climate action programme, aimed at accelerating Irish companies’ emission reduction moves.
BITCI has unveiled the first cohort of signatories to its recently launched collective campaign, Accelerate: The Business Pact for Climate and Nature.
The initiative urges prompt business action to address the interconnected climate and nature crises by calling on members of the BITCI network to set a Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) approved net-zero by 2050 target by 2030, if not earlier, and to develop a robust and credible Climate Transition Plan to guide and track implementation.
A Climate Transition Plan is a whole of business strategy for crossing the bridge between ambition and action. It articulates how a given business will transition their activities to align with a 1.5°C and nature-positive pathway and pivot its business model to operate in net-zero carbon economy.
Tomas Sercovich, BITCI CEO said:“We’ve had an unseasonably warm Winter so far with November 30th this year topping 16°C in Dublin. 2024 will be the hottest year ever recorded and the first year that global temperatures surpass 1.5°C temperatures above pre-industrial levels. Nearly three quarters of global wildlife has been eradicated in the past 50 years and in Ireland 85% of our protected habitats and nearly a third of our species are in an unfavourable state. 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.
Mr. Sercovich continued: “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.”
Stephen Kent, CEO of Bus Éireann said: “Signing the Accelerate Pact underscores Bus Eireann’s commitment to leading the way in climate action, ensuring a sustainable future for our operations, customers, and communities.”
