SSE Airtricity’s Post

🌍 SSE Airtricity is proud to have supported Business in the Community Ireland's All-Ireland Climate Action Pilot Programme. Today, BITCI shared the results of this inspiring pilot project, which connected 22 SMEs with partners - SSE Airtricity, Bank of Ireland and Musgrave Group - to help reduce carbon emissions across supply chains. 🌍 Through workshops, one-on-one mentoring and hands-on training, the participating SMEs gained the skills to build tailored climate action plans. "SSE Airtricity was delighted to be involved in this All-Ireland Climate Action pilot programme, allowing us to support our key suppliers on their net zero journey," commented Russell Keating, Director of Sales at SSE Airtricity. "The energy industry has a significant role to play in educating and informing people about decarbonisation, but we also have a wider responsibility to ensure everyone is brought on the journey to net zero.” Models for effective supplier engagement will be a key focus at COP29 discussions in Azerbaijan this week, highlighting the need to build capacity across supply chains, particularly in SMEs so Scope 3 emissions can be addressed. Previously, BITCI's Low-Carbon Pledge Report found that for at least half of its signatories, over 80% of their carbon emissions come from Scope 3 sources. Many of these businesses face challenges in accurately gathering and reporting Scope 3 emissions, especially those with complex value chains that include SMEs. It's significant, then, that one of the key outcomes of this 2024 pilot programme was that SME participants’ knowledge of climate responsibility jumped from 72% to 93%, and over half are now developing climate action plans. The programme also reinforced the finding that when companies and suppliers work together, they’re 6.6 times more likely to align with Net Zero goals—proving that collaboration is key for meaningful climate action.