Accelerating Sustainability in Irish Business
-Cork Chamber Spotlights Energy Efficiency as Key to Sustainable Business Growth-
Cork Chamber hosted the first national REEValue event today, focusing on sustainability and energy efficiency in business. The event forms part of the REEValue project, an EU-funded initiative that aims to accelerate sustainability across sectors through collaboration, innovation and practical solutions.
Among the attendees were international project partners from Malta, as well as local business leaders, government representatives, and sustainability experts. The discussions centred on how sustainable practices can drive business growth, with a specific emphasis on the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency. The event also showcased the several funding sources that an Irish SME can avail of for energy audits, retrofits or installing solar panels, as part of their sustainability action plans.
Speaking at the event, Cathal McSweeney, Director of Public and International Affairs at Cork Chamber said “As SDG Champions, Cork Chamber is keen to highlight the importance of aligning business practices with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and today we are particularly focussed on SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. Each step we take as a business can have significant rewards. Recently we undertook a retrofit of our own Chamber office, a Victorian building, and we are already seeing great results from our new solar panels, new windows and insulation. The Chamber office building is now generating more energy than it consumes.”
The morning’s agenda featured discussions around the latest energy efficiency solutions and showcased the potential for businesses to unlock cost savings through different national green grants. The REEValue project, which runs until 2026, offers Irish and international companies free consultancy support to help reduce energy consumption and increase competitiveness. The event underscored the project's commitment to building sustainable, future-proof businesses across Europe.
Dr. Alicia Mateos-Cárdenas, the REEValue Project Coordinator at Cork Chamber said, “Through projects like REEValue, we see how businesses can adopt cost-effective measures that reduce their carbon footprint while simultaneously driving positive change across their industries. REEValue demonstrates the power of stakeholder engagement, peer networking and knowledge sharing in creating future proof, sustainable business models. We are helping companies, not just in Ireland, but across Europe to take action in becoming leaders in their supply chains.”
“Sustainability is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ but an essential driver of business competitiveness. The cost of energy continues to rank as a top threat to business growth. If businesses are to grow and thrive, greater supports, particularly with regards to retrofits will help to deliver on the sustainability agenda while also alleviating costs. Through initiatives like REEValue, we aim to support businesses in adopting energy-efficient technologies and practices that not only reduce costs but also contribute to the wider goals of a sustainable future. At Cork Chamber, we believe that businesses, big and small, have a key role to play in achieving Ireland’s climate goals, and we are proud to lead by example.” Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber, added.
Notes
About REEValue
REEValue aims to enhance Energy Efficiency & promote Renewable Energy investments for businesses in the food, drink & transport value chains.
The REEValue team is dedicated to fostering collaborations among businesses in specific NACE codes within the food, beverage, and transport sectors, aiming to identify and implement energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy sources (RES) opportunities. This project involves gathering cutting-edge technical information on EE, RES, and collaboration models, connecting it with financial support, and simplifying it for businesses while studying its impact. Through our future online portal, businesses will be able to easily identify EE and RES opportunities, access collaboration models, and seek support for funding. The REEValue project is funded by the European Union’s Environment and Climate Action (LIFE 2014–2020) programme.
For further information, contact Cork Chamber at alicia@corkchamber.ie
REEValue Consortium
The REEValue European Consortium gathers expertise from the following nine organisations based across Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Malta, Italy and Portugal: National Agencies (EWA and CRES), Technical Entities (AEMS and UNIBS), Business Representatives (AIP, Cork Chamber, ECSLA and MBB) and a Best-Practice Case Study (Sammontana).
