Bord Bia and Skillnet Ireland have launched the Origin Green Academy, a sustainability-focused training program for the Irish food and drink industry. Developed in partnership with Lean & Green Skillnet and 20FIFTY Partners, the Origin Green Academy aims to equip Irish businesses with the skills required to meet ambitious emissions reductions targets across the industry.
The new initiative, launched in support of the EU Year of Skills, will provide targeted and effective resources to industry players, allowing them to accelerate their sustainability progress while meeting global consumer and legislative expectations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
The first sustainability-themed training programme offered by the Origin Green Academy is the Pathways to Net Zero initiative, which includes training, mentoring, and support designed to prepare participating companies to meet commercial emission reduction requirements and the new Climate Change disclosures under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, commencing in 2024.
Bord Bia CEO, Jim O’Toole, expressed his excitement about the collaboration with Skillnet Ireland. He stated, “the Origin Green Academy builds on the supports and initiatives we provide to the industry, such as introducing mandatory emissions targets for large companies, the recent Pathway to Net Zero emissions guidance, and our bespoke Science Based Targets guidance series.”
The programme will provide a suite of supports over a three-year period to Origin Green members, including sector-specific, one-to-one, and programme-specific guidance. Existing sustainability supports, such as 20 sustainability guidance webinars, 7 in-depth sustainability topic guidance documents, and a range of marketing communications and supports will all be integrated into the programme.
The Academy will also provide a platform for industry leaders to exchange new ideas and foster new thinking around pressing sustainability challenges. Origin Green is the world’s only national food and drink sustainability programme, setting measurable targets that respect the environment and serve local communities. Origin Green currently collaborates with over 55,000 farms and over 300 businesses across Ireland.
Skillnet Ireland Chief Executive, Paul Healy, commended the collaboration between Lean & Green Skillnet and industry partners. He emphasized that the new initiative will help Irish businesses in the food, drink and horticulture sectors deliver on their sustainability objectives while supporting Ireland’s climate ambitions.
Origin Green Academy and the Pathway Programmes meetings and events are open to Origin Green members, serving as a forum for sustainability management challenges to be shared and discussed in an open and collaborative manner across organizational boundaries.
