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SSE recertified with Business Working Responsibly Mark in Ireland

09 Dec 2020

The Mark, which is run by Business in the Community Ireland, is valid for three years and is independently audited by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).

In 2017, SSE became one of the first companies in Ireland to be awarded the Mark, and today it received its 2020 accreditation at a virtual celebration event attended by over 200 business leaders.

The Business Working Responsibly Mark is awarded to companies with a best-in-class approach to sustainability. To achieve recertification, a robust audit was carried out to assess SSE’s performance in areas including employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, environmental practices, supply chain management, and engagement with the local community.

On being recertified with the Business Working Responsibly Mark, Stephen Wheeler, Ireland Country Lead for SSE, said: “I’m very proud that SSE has been recertified with the Business Working Responsibly Mark today, reflecting our commitment to doing the right thing for our customers, colleagues and communities. In SSE, we aim to have a sustainable business strategy, rather than a strategy for sustainability, and it’s great to have our approach validated against an objective set of standards.

“As we strive to become a leading energy company in a net-zero world, it’s crucial that we’re holding ourselves to account when it comes to our impacts on society, and we’re working hard to find new ways to continually improve our performance. For instance, this year we set new Science Based Targets to significantly reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, as well as becoming the first company to develop a Just Transition strategy to protect our employees and communities as our industry transforms in the years ahead.”

Speaking at today’s virtual event, Tomas Sercovich, CEO of Business in the Community Ireland said: “As sustainability becomes mainstream, it is critical for business to have objective proof points that their management systems are robust, and that sustainability is more than an aspiration. We continue to see growing expectations from investors, regulators, employees and society at large for greater accountability of business in areas such as carbon emissions, employee diversity and inclusion or supplier engagement. The Mark, as a third-party verification, is a clear differentiator and driver of competitive advantage in today’s marketplace.”

You can find out more about the Business Working Responsibly Mark at https://www.bitc.ie/csr-certification/