Gas Networks Ireland – Biodiversity in action
Volunteers from Gas Networks Ireland, Murphy Ireland and GMC at GNI's Baldrumman Above Ground Installation, Lusk, Co Dublin.
Gas Networks Ireland operates and maintains Ireland’s €2.8bn, 14,725km national gas network, which is considered one of the safest and most modern renewables-ready gas networks in the world.
By working to replace natural gas with renewable gases, such as biomethane and green hydrogen, and complementing intermittent renewable electricity, Gas Networks Ireland is supporting Ireland’s journey to a cleaner energy future.
Gas Networks Ireland is committed to promoting sustainability across its business and in the communities where it operates. One of only 41 companies in Ireland to hold the Business Working Responsibly Mark, Gas Networks Ireland maintained an A minus (A-) grade in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) climate change rating score in 2023, exceeding the global, European and sector averages to finish in the top quartile of all businesses assessed globally.
For a third year in a row, Gas Networks Ireland is collaborating with Leave No Trace to support the Hot Spot programme. The Hot Spot programme is a conservation project aimed at addressing the impact of heavy use and activities on areas of natural beauty and ecological importance.
As part of 2023 National Tree Week, in collaboration with volunteers from Leave No Trace, Fingal County Council, Gas Networks Ireland and the local community, 600 native Irish Trees were planted at Turvey Nature Reserve in Co Dublin.
In October 2023, together with Leave No Trace and our main contractors at our Baldrumman Above Ground Installation in Co Dublin where we planted nearly 14,000 native Irish trees in 2023, to stamp down the vegetation growing around the young saplings to help them thrive and allow more light to the saplings. The exercise was to help raise the awareness of biodiversity and the United Nations Sustainable Development Groups among our own employees and our contractors.
Swift Project Gas Networks Ireland supported Swift Conservation Ireland by commissioning the installation of swift nesting boxes and a call system at our Cork premises and at other nesting sites throughout the country, to support this vulnerable bird species. These nesting sites were established ahead of the 2023 swift birds breeding season.
Swift Conservation Ireland volunteers also delivered an information session to Gas Networks Ireland employees so they could identify and learn more about this beautiful bird.
Gas Networks Ireland recognises the importance of trees for the environment, biodiversity and carbon sequestration. While the company tries to avoid the felling of trees where possible, in some cases the removal of trees is necessary for safety or operational reasons.
In order to fell trees in the most sustainable way possible, Gas Networks Ireland developed a bespoke Tree Felling and Hedge Cutting permit to manage the removal of trees and hedgerows in a controlled manner.
Gas Networks Ireland also developed the bespoke Carbon TreeSearch tool for use when tree felling is unavoidable. The purpose of this tool is to calculate the expected carbon sequestration of a tree over a period of 20 – 60 years and calculate how many native Irish trees should be planted to replace the felled trees.
Recently, Gas Networks Ireland reduced grass-cutting at all its infrastructure and office locations in Ireland, providing an enhanced habitat for pollinators. Thanks to these efforts, the bee orchids grew in the short meadows at the company’s National Services Centre in Dublin.
Heritage Week To celebrate Heritage Week 2023, Gas Networks Ireland hosted two “Bat Walk” events at infrastructure locations in Co Dublin and Co Cork for our employees, families and friends to learn about the fascinating bats who these sites at nighttime and the importance of preserving these habitats to protect Irish bat populations.
