Lisburn firm comes out top in environmental survey

The survey, which is run by Business in the Community, sponsored by Moy Park and supported by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, recognises and rewards those organisations that are going above and beyond their legal requirements to minimise their environmental impacts and better manage their resources.

Alpha Resource Management was named ‘Top Performer’ in this year’s survey, while a number of other local companies earned platinum, gold, silver and bronze awards.

There was an increase in participation this year, with 94 companies entering the survey and more than half of participants scoring over 80 per cent overall.

Announcing the results at a celebration event at Belfast Harbour Offices, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Michelle McIlveen said: “It is encouraging to see leading business and agri-food companies here, and a wide variety of environmental stakeholders.

“It is also reassuring to see the increasing awareness of the benefits of improving resource efficiency. Not only does improving resource efficiency benefit the environment but it also increases your competitiveness and improves your bottom line.

“By participating in this survey you are helping the wider business community to identify further opportunities for improved efficiencies. That is why I believe it is so important to recognise and reward our current pioneers in excellence and innovation, in our use, and indeed reuse of resources.”

Chair of Business in the Community’s Environment Leadership Team and Chief Executive of Translink, Chris Conway, said: “The survey, which is now in its 18th year, remains an important and respected instrument for both driving and celebrating the responsible environmental management activities of a wide range of private and public sector organisations in Northern Ireland.

“Taking part in the survey demonstrates real commitment to transparency and performance on environmental issues, so it is encouraging to see the volume of new participants enter the survey this year. Whilst the average score remains high at 77 per cent, many of the new participants are entering the process in lower scoring bands which reflects the fact that they may be in the early stages of their environmental journey.

“I would like to congratulate all of the companies that took part this year, and hope that the survey results will inspire others and continue to drive environmental improvement in Northern Ireland.”

For more information about this year’s survey log on to www.bitcni.org.uk/planet