Sustainability is good for business

Becoming more sustainable looks different in every business.

For your business it might be reducing your water, electricity and gas bills or simply your waste. While doing so, you could get access to cheaper finance and make your business more competitive, particularly if you sell to other businesses or to the government.

It is also good for your brand, as there’s a growing consumer demand for sustainable products and services. Importantly too, becoming more sustainable can help you to attract and retain staff.

There is a range of sustainability-focused consultancy, training and grants available from your Local Enterprise Office and Enterprise Ireland.

We know that you might not have much time to think about where to start, but your trusted financial or business advisers, or Local Enterprise Office do. They can help you to understand what you need to do and how to do it.

The National Enterprise Hub gathers all government supports in one place for businesses to access and provides a team of advisors who are available by phone or via live chat, to support you.

Case study: Coffee House Lane

Coffee House Lane ground down their emissions and reduced energy costs from a peak of €2,900 in one month, to €160 after installing energy efficient equipment.

Case study: Mac's Deli

Mac’s Deli is a family-run café, bakery and catering business in the heart of Letterkenny. The LEO Green for Business scheme provided Mac’s Deli with a consultant who examined the business in detail, from lighting to solar panels and even fridges, and made recommendations on how Mac’s Deli could improve on their energy usage. Following this, Mac’s Deli was eligible for the Energy Efficiency Grant, which provided a grant for the business to implement these recommendations. This allowed them to change fridges and freezers which were high users of energy, as well as changing their ovens. Their energy usage was reduced by 30%, saving the company €1,500 to €2000 each month on electricity.

If you are just getting started, you might need sustainability training.

There are free, online platforms to help you to understand energy efficiency and how you can make small changes to cut your costs and conserve water. There are also programmes if you want to know more about enhancing your broader sustainability knowledge and skills.

Energy providers, be that gas, electricity or solid fuels, meanwhile have an obligation to help you to decarbonise. If you want a more tailored approach for your business specifically, you should contact your Local Enterprise Office or visit the National Enterprise Hub.

Once you understand what’s involved, you can assess what your options are.

The Climate Toolkit 4 Business gives you a simple estimate of your carbon footprint and generates a personalised action plan to help you to reduce your emissions and energy costs. Alternatively you can get a grant for an energy audit of your business.

When you’re ready to invest, there are several government grants and loans to help you do so in as cost-effective way as possible.

There are grants available to:

• pay towards the cost of energy efficient technology
• incorporate solar power into your energy mix
• make your premises more energy efficient
• shift towards renewable heating

There are also long-term low-cost loans to bridge the gap between the grant and full cost of the investment as well as tax incentives for investing in energy saving technology.