Fórsa aims for carbon neutrality
by Mehak Dugal
 

Fórsa has set a target of achieving a resource efficiency rating above 50% within a year, and above 90% within five years as part of a new sustainability action plan. The union also plans to become carbon neutral by 2025.

 

The measures are contained in the union’s recently-adopted five-year strategic plan, and on foot of a 2019 environmental review of the union’s activities.

 

This report was prepared by the Clean Technology Centre, based at CIT, and outlines the current status of Fórsa’s environmental performance, as well as actions which Fórsa should consider to improve its sustainability.

 

A separate carbon footprint report, which accompanies this report, has also been prepared in full accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG), and covered the emitting activities for Fórsa.

 

The strategic organisational review team was tasked with developing a clear internal climate action and sustainability strategy to act as a roadmap for delivering on the Fórsa Sustainability Policy which was adopted by the National Executive Committee on 25th September 2019.

 

Billy Hannigan of the Fórsa Strategic Organisational Review Team said: “This environmental review has helped identify areas where Fórsa has been proactive in the development of a sustainable action plan. While we have already implemented some steps and made improvements, there is still a long way to go and scope for a lot more improvement.

 

By improving the union’s own practice, Fórsa will be in a position to strengthen our case for the kind of radical action on climate change and sustainability that we advocate for in workplaces, wider society and internationally.”

 

Some short-term goals set out in the recommendations of the report have already been identified and achieved during the course of the review, which including the rollout of LED lighting and centralised printing.

 

Meanwhile, the union’s strategic plan for 2021-2025 also includes the following key sustainability objectives, under the initiative of ‘Creating a greener, more sustainable union’:

  • Improve the sustainability of Fórsa’s offices by bringing energy consumption in line with best practice benchmarks and achieving a resource efficiency rating greater than 50% in year 1, and greater than 90% within 5 years.
  • Strive to become carbon neutral by 2025 by reducing the carbon footprint of Fórsa’s direct activities, reviewing indirect activities such as procurement processes and offsetting of the remainder of Fórsa’s carbon emissions.
  • Consider the recommendations of Fórsa’s environmental audit with a view to achieving the objectives set out in the report within the target timeframes.

The union is also looking to establish an in-house ‘green team’ to oversee the rollout and delivery of this action plan in the near future.

 

Read the carbon footprint report HERE. 

 

Read Fórsa’s sustainability policy HERE. 

 

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