Irish business invited to ‘Spring’ into CSR plans with Awards launch
Chambers Ireland today (4 March 2019) launched the Corporate Social Responsibility Awards 2019 at St. Stephen’s Green. The CSR Awards offer the business community a chance to promote and highlight the best practice CSR activities taking place in companies of all sizes across Ireland. The Awards showcase projects that help to improve the workplace for the benefit of all employees; that engage with and help to improve the communities in which business operate and that are environmentally responsible.
Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, spoke at the launch,
“We’re thrilled to launch the sixteenth edition of our annual CSR Awards. Businesses’ understanding of the importance of CSR initiatives continues to grow, yet it can’t be emphasized enough that these initiatives must be put into practice among businesses from across the board to demonstrate what can be achieved.
Making progress in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is an objective not only of government, but also of the business community, and we’ve seen in recent years how companies have used the SDGs as a guiding light in designing new CSR projects and initiatives.
To ensure that their importance is properly reflected in our awards, this year we have given greater prominence to the SDGs on the awards voting schedule by including marks for showing engagement with the objectives of the Goals in the voting criteria for each award category.
CSR’s impact will resonate more if modern, successful examples of CSR initiatives can be pointed to for businesses of different sizes to see. With today’s launch, we invite applicants to ‘spring’ into their applications and showcase what new CSR ideas they can bring to the table.”
Siobhan Kinsella, Chambers Ireland President, said,
“The importance of the support, promotion and practice of CSR is becoming much more magnified not just in a business context but also in a wider social context, particularly with the increased public urgency surrounding the topic of climate change. It’s crucial that Irish businesses of all sizes continue to play a vital and visible role in engaging with the issues of the day. At this moment businesses across Ireland have a real opportunity to support the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals and sustainable CSR initiatives are the perfect instrument to do so.”
Theo Cullinane, BAM Ireland Chief Executive said,
“This is the eighth year that we have been the main sponsor of Chambers Ireland CSR Awards and as always, we are honoured to be involved in celebrating the CSR achievements of the Irish business community. The CSR Awards continue to grow from strength-to-strength and it is great to see more businesses incorporating CSR into their everyday working practice.
At BAM, CSR and sustainability are at the heart of our operations. Our ‘Enhancing Lives’ programme is a commitment to enhancing the lives of one million people by 2020 through employment, education, training and charity engagement projects.
This year, as part of BAM’s 150th anniversary celebrations, we are planting 150,000 trees in different parts of the world; 50,000 in Africa, 50,000 in South America and 50,000 in Europe. In February over 100 BAM colleagues and their families helped NGO ‘Trees on the Land’ plant 9,00 trees in Ireland. The CSR Awards celebrate the best of business and community partnerships and I encourage businesses to enter and showcase their hard work in building a better Ireland for all.”
Michael Ring TD, the Minister for Rural and Community Development commented,
“The Department of Rural and Community Development is delighted to support the Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.
Initiatives such as the CSR Awards help to create a climate which enables business, Government, NGOs, community, charity and voluntary organisations to work together on common causes for the greater good.
The role of bodies like Chambers Ireland and Business in the Community in promoting and supporting Corporate Social Responsibility deserves to be acknowledged. In taking this approach they are supporting their local communities and delivering benefit for wider society.”
The launch of the sixteenth annual CSR Awards took place at St. Stephen’s Green.
Lidl Ireland were the winners of the 2018 Outstanding Achievement in CSR Award for the commitment to CSR practices that are embedded at the company’s core and for the organisation’s ongoing dedication to community engagement.
The awards are sponsored by BAM Ireland and run in association with the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The applications are now open online at www.csrawards.ie
The closing date for applications is Monday, 1st of April 2019.
2019 Award categories include: Excellence in Environment, Community Partnership (divided into Charity, Volunteering and Community Programme), Workplace, Marketplace, CSR Communication, CSR by an SME, Diversity & Inclusion and the overall Outstanding Achievement in CSR Award
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For further information contact Gabriel Doran, Communications & Public Affairs Executive on 01 400 4331, 086 608 1605 or email gabriel.doran@www.chambers.ie