in Northern Ireland
At the core of Veolia's environmental mission are three key pillars: depollution, decarbonisation, and resource regeneration. We create enduring value across environmental, societal, and economic dimensions through our comprehensive services in waste, water, and energy management.
Looking back at 2023, our Sustainability Report highlights significant achievements in healthcare, water systems, and waste solutions, achieved through collaborative partnerships. As we move from our Impact 2023 Strategy to the forward-looking GreenUp Strategy for 2024, we remain committed to advancing sustainable innovation.
Opportunities to prevent injury logged
Of our employees are proud to work for Veolia
Community projects supported directly through our Veolia Connect Fund
Hours of training undertaken in 2023
Key highlights
by reducing our own carbon footprint and protecting the biodiversity of the sites we operate and manage
We are also committed to working with like-minded organisations to increase awareness of what can and must be done to act in a more sustainable way.
CORE: The Standard for Responsible Business
Veolia was accredited for the third time with CORE in Northern Ireland in recognition of our commitment to doing business in a way that is better for employees, the planet and the communities where we operate.
2023 NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey
Veolia achieved Silver Level in the 2023 Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey, organised by BITCNI. The survey offers organisations a way to be externally assessed and scored on their environmental efforts and performance.
Climate Action Pledge
The Climate Action Pledge is part of BITCNI’s Business Action on Climate campaign which challenges businesses to take action on the climate crisis. Veolia is one of almost 100 companies in Northern Ireland who have signed the pledge.
Grow your own orchard
In 2023 we launched Veolia Orchard in Northern Ireland and Ireland. Through this programme we provide trees to local schools so that they can grow their own orchards. Initially launched in England in 2020, Veolia Orchard aims to improve the well-being of young people and nurture their skills in creating positive change to their environment.
Five native apple trees were donated and planted to 5 schools across the island of Ireland, including Moorfields Primary School, Co. Antrim. The management of an orchard will offer a unique learning opportunity as it can be integrated into the curriculum to teach about biodiversity, native flora and fauna, and the importance of orchards to wildlife and air quality.
Veolia Connect Funds
The Veolia Connect Fund is our community support programme in Ireland. The purpose of the programme is to forge links between Veolia and local communities through funding a diverse range of not-for-profit groups or organisations all over the island of Ireland which Veolia staff are personally involved with.
In 2023, 15 community projects supported directly through our Veolia Connect Fund such as Bangor City Warriors Basketball Academy, Co.Down which was in the process of setting up the first basketball club in the Bangor area in Co. Down. Through our programme we helped the club to develop their mixed U14 and U16 teams in a cross community, diverse and inclusive environment.
Employee Volunteering Days
To preserve our ecosystem and help communities to connect with nature, some of our employees volunteered to help maintain community gardens and make them more accessible to the local community.
Throughout 2023 in Northern Ireland our volunteers did amazing work in the following community gardens:
• BITCNI Summer Solstice VolunteerAction Day at l’Arche Belfast
• Belfast Volunteering Day with BITCNI
• Groundworks Connswater CommunityGarden, Belfast
Addressing Ecological Transformation with our Stakeholders
On September 14 2023, by bringing representatives from our key stakeholder groups together, we started a conversation in Ireland about scoping out what becoming truly sustainable might look like.
Key decision makers for sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, technology, education and infrastructure, as well as the public and non-profit sectors, came together and discussed the challenges and opportunities including what is needed to achieve the transformation we need. We talked about access to experts, innovative solutions, funding models, procurement, and Scope 3 emissions. A key challenge for everyone is moving beyond standalone projects to deliver on very challenging commitments and targets.
Going forward, we will be working with this group to help co-develop innovative solutions to deliver Ecological Transformation and make our society more sustainable.
