Sustainable Kildare, Ireland's 1st Climate Action Championship, Opens Today.

The challenge will be delivered in phases over the next 10 months, with 75 companies participating in the first phase.

Ireland’s first ever climate action championship, centered in Kildare, opens today.

Sustainable Kildare is a partnership between the County Kildare Chamber and Intel.

It invites small and medium businesses in the county to participate in an interactive environmental challenge.

Kildare is home to more than 5,500 small and medium businesses with thousands of employees.

Calling all Kildare based small and medium businesses... 🔊

Take part in #SustainableKildare, a 3-week interactive environmental challenge. Deadline date to sign-up via @ChamberKildare is Wednesday 13th October.

Click to learn more and to sign up: https://t.co/p2S3oX9nOw pic.twitter.com/Pcvf1iUOAJ

— Intel Ireland (@Intel_IRL) October 8, 2021

Organisers say "The three-week campaign will encourage staff to save as much CO2 as possible by registering daily, eco-friendly activities and making small changes in their lifestyle. Over a 3-week campaign, participants will undertake an average take of 162 eco-friendly actions each, for example switching off unnecessary lights, taking shorter showers and using public transport in place of car journeys."

A total of 300 companies will be invited to take part and the challenge will be delivered in phases over the next 10 months, with 75 companies participating in the first phase.

For every company that participates, a "number of trees" will be planted in Kildare, which will "ensure a lasting carbon legacy from the project."

Allan Shine, CEO of County Kildare Chamber says “What you eat, what you wear and how you get about are all habits that businesses and their employees can adapt in order to live and work in a more sustainable way. If we choose more sustainable suppliers and products, we can shift the market to be more sustainable. Our vision is firstly to raise awareness for both businesses and their employees in order to reduce carbon emissions in Kildare. Through this programme, which includes a suite of workshops delivered by UN specialists, we hope that our members in Kildare will lead the climate challenge for Ireland”.

Participating firms will have access to interactive digital tools and a dedicated app to track emissions throughout the challenge.

Educational workshops will be hosted to help employees and businesses better understand sustainability and climate action.

The challenge is aligned to a number of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, which provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

Intel External Relations Manager Lisa Harlow says “Kildare has been our proud home here in Ireland for over 30 years and we are delighted to have the opportunity to work together with small and medium businesses from across the county on this new project. Our world is facing challenges unlike any we have seen before and the urgent need for action on issues like climate change calls for a new era of shared responsibility”.