Business in Ireland 2024 - Corporate Sustainability Reporting

Almost three-quarters of large enterprises published or planned to publish a sustainability report

Sustainability Reporting is a form of non-financial reporting that enables enterprises to convey their progress toward goals on a variety of sustainability parameters, including environmental, social and governance metrics. For example, these reports would typically cover the carbon footprint of the enterprise, and resource use and waste management under environmental metrics. With regard to social metrics, reporting could include information on labour practices, diversity and inclusion, and community impact. Under governance metrics, reports could cover business ethics, leadership structures and risk management. What we can see from the data is that:

• Almost three-quarters (73%) of large enterprises have published or planned to publish a sustainability report, between 2022 and 2024, compared with 46% of medium sized enterprises and 28% of small enterprises.
• Over half of large enterprises (54%) have published a sustainability report compared to 28% for medium sized enterprises and 13% for smaller enterprises.
• Non-Irish enterprises, employing 10 or more persons, are more likely to publish a sustainability report (35%), compared to 12% for similar sized Irish owned enterprises.
• A fifth (20%) of enterprises employing 10 or more persons operating in the Services sector publish a sustainability report compared to 17% of enterprises in Industry. See Figure 1 and Table 1.

Waste reduction targets most adopted sustainability measure

Enterprises were asked what the main sustainability measures they had put in place, for example regarding waste management, emissions targets, etc., and whether they compiled what is known as eco-system accounts (a set of environmental accounts which looks at enterprise dependency and impact on the environment). 

• The leading sustainability measure introduced by surveyed enterprises (enterprises employing 10 or more persons) was under waste reduction targets (35%) with the least adopted sustainability measure relating to ecosystem accounts (7%).
• In relation to greenhouse gas emissions, 17% of surveyed enterprises have systems or technologies in place to measure their greenhouse gas emissions.
• A long-term 'net-zero' emissions target has been adopted by 17% of enterprises from the enterprises surveyed.
• Annual greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets have been set by 15% of enterprises surveyed. See Figure 2 and Table 2.

Larger enterprises most likely to have systems or technologies in place to measure greenhouse gas emissions

Enterprises were asked whether they had systems or technologies in place to measure greenhouse gas emissions and the data shows us that:

• Larger enterprises and non-Irish owned enterprises are more likely to have systems or technologies in place to measure greenhouse gas emissions targets.
• Three-quarters (75%) of large enterprises had or planned to have systems or technologies in place to measure greenhouse gas emissions between 2022 and 2024 compared with 42% for medium enterprises and 21% of small enterprises.
• Of non-Irish owned enterprises, 44% had or planned to have systems or technologies in place to measure greenhouse gas emissions compared to 22% of Irish owned enterprises (for enterprises employing 10 or more persons).
• Almost a fifth (19%) of enterprises employing 10 or more persons operating in the Services sector have systems or technologies in place to measure greenhouse gas emissions compared to 16% of enterprises in Industry. See Figure 3 and Table 3.

Non-Irish owned enterprises most likely to have annual greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets

At the national level, Ireland has committed to reducing emissions by 51% by 2030 (compared to 2018 levels) and to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. In this regard, the survey data shows us that:

• Over 6-in-10 of large enterprises (61%) have annual greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, compared to 26% for medium enterprises and 9% for small enterprises.
• Of non-Irish owned enterprises, 31% have annual greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets compared to 9% of Irish owned enterprises.
• Almost a fifth (17%) of enterprises employing 10 or more persons operating in the Services sector have annual greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets compared to 14% of enterprises in Industry. See Figure 4 and Table 4.

Over a half of large enterprises have a commitment to a long-term “net-zero” emissions target

A net-zero emissions target refers to organisations achieving a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and removals so that the overall emissions of the enterprise are net-zero. This will typically be a longer-term target.

• Over half (58%) of large enterprises have a commitment to a long-term “net-zero” emissions target, and 13% have plans to introduce this target.
• Non-Irish owned enterprises (35%) are more likely to have a commitment to a long-term “net-zero” emissions target compared to Irish owned enterprises at 11%.
• Almost a fifth (17%) of enterprises operating in the Services sector have a commitment to a long-term “net-zero” emissions target compared to 18% of enterprises in Industry. See Figure 5 and Table 5.

Most large enterprises have waste reduction targets

Waste management is an important consideration for sustainability. Irish businesses face new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) obligations. The PPWR sets a single framework for all packaging and packaging waste across industry, retail, services and households.

• The leading sustainability measure introduced by enterprises are waste reduction targets, with 70% of large enterprises implementing them and 12% of large enterprises having plans to introduce waste reduction targets.
• Waste reduction targets are the most widely adopted sustainability measure, implemented by 43% of medium enterprises and 31% of small enterprises.
• Enterprises reporting the highest adoption of waste reduction targets are larger, non-Irish owned enterprises operating in the Services sector. See Figure 6 and Table 6.

Ecosystem accounts the least adopted sustainability measure among enterprises

Ecosystem Accounts are a set of environmental accounts designed to provide consistent information on the extent and condition of ecosystems and on the flows of services from those ecosystems to the socio-economic system. Enterprises use ecosystem accounts to measure dependencies on, and impact on, the natural environment.

• Almost a quarter (24%) of large enterprises surveyed have some level of preparation or consideration of ecosystem accounts, with 13% having plans to introduce them. Among medium sized enterprises, this figure falls to 9% preparing them, with 15% having plans to do so. For small enterprises, 5% prepare ecosystem accounts, and 11% have plans to introduce them.
• Non-Irish owned enterprises employing 10 or more persons are more likely to prepare ecosystem accounts with 14% of them currently preparing them, compared to 4% of Irish owned enterprises.
• Enterprises operating in the Service sector are more likely to prepare ecosystem accounts (8%) compared to enterprises operating in the Industry sector (6%). See Figure 7 and Table 7.