Corporate Social Responsibility

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Conducting business in a socially responsible way is central to NTR’s organisation culture. Through the NTR Foundation, the NTR Charity Committee and individual businesses, NTR is involved in a wide variety of causes.

The NTR Foundation
The establishment of the NTR Foundation was announced in 2008, with a mission to address the challenges posed by the issues of Climate Change, Resource Sustainability and Security of Energy Supply though the provision of targeted financial and expert support to projects, research and non-governmental organisations. In keeping with NTR’s entrepreneurial heritage, the Foundation will support projects that address these issues in an entrepreneurial way. The Foundation benefits from a commitment of €5 million in cash and a further 2.4 million NTR plc ordinary shares.

The Foundation has since been established, and a dedicated Foundation Director has been recruited to independently manage the allocation of awards, under the stewardship of the Foundation’s Trustees and Advisory Board. The programme areas are being finalised and the grant award policy will be to focus on a number of strategic projects, with multi-annual commitments, to achieve significant social impact in those areas selected for support. Non-governmental bodies and projects with a recognised track record in their field will be identified for support.

Each year, businesses in the NTR plc portfolio will also have the opportunity to seek matched funding from the NTR Foundation for projects that have a direct impact on their communities. These projects will also be related to entrepreneurial solutions for the three environmental challenges.

In 2008, the NTR Foundation awarded its first multi-annual grant to Social Entrepreneurs Ireland.

Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
NTR is now a flagship sponsor of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland’s Annual Awards and Level 2 awardees, as part of a three year partnerships to help inject practical support for those people who are prepared to take risks for social change. Social Entrepreneurs Ireland’s mission compliments NTR’s entrepreneurial culture, which has been the bedrock of its significant growth and success across our renewable energy and recycling markets.

Social Entrepreneurs Ireland’s annual Awards Programme provides direct support to high-potential emerging social entrepreneurs. Its Level 1 Awards help social entrepreneurs at proof of concept stage and the Level 2 Awards, which are backed by NTR, help social entrepreneurs grow and develop an idea which is poised for rapid growth and has demonstrated high potential for real social impact.
Social entrepreneurs are active in sectors such as the environment, education and learning, children and young people, older people, mental health, people with disabilities, community development and new communities.

The NTR sponsored Annual Awards Ceremony showcases the work of Ireland’s leading social entrepreneurs and encourages others to become part of the growing social entrepreneurship movement. Since its launch in 2005, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland has made awards to 113 social entrepreneurs, directly investing over €2.8m into supporting these exceptional individuals. They in turn have directly helped over 150,000 people and indirectly helped another 250,000 people.

www.socialentrepreneursireland.ie


		ROBERT MULHALL, LUCCA LEADERSHIP IRELAND SEI Award recipient and NTR Mentor Program Robert Mulhall set up Lucca Leadership Ireland in 2004 to help young people to develop their confidence, leadership skills and understanding, a social entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of responsibility to make a positive difference in the world. Lucca Leadership received a Level 2 award from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland in 2008 and has benefitted from a donation of €70,000, a life coach, a dedicated Advisory Group for two years, formal and informal training and access to a network of other social entrepreneurs. Since receiving the Level 2 award, Robert has increased student numbers from 100 to 517 and rapidly improved awareness of the organisation and its programmes. Anthony Doherty, Head of Energy from Waste at NTR, is a member of the Lucca Leadership Advisory Group. “In addition to the financial support that NTR is providing Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, we wanted to support the entrepreneurs more directly by getting involved with the Advisory Groups. I sit on the Lucca Leadership Advisory Group and as well as being able to provide support and direction, I have personally gained a lot from the experience. Lucca Leadership Ireland is a fantastic initiative and is empowering and inspiring a growing number of young people.”

		WIND CAPITAL GROUP Hammer with a Heart - Madison, Wisconsin Each year, hundreds of volunteers and businesses team up to make repairs to homes of low-income residents who cannot afford to make the improvements themselves. Over the last seven years, forty-two homeowners and their families have received $500,000 worth of critical home improvements including wheel chair ramps, stairs, kitchen cupboards, roofs, hot water heaters, plumbing and electrical work. Wind Capital Group has supported Hammer with a Heart for the past two years, with over 20 staff members giving their time to the cause.

		LIFETIME LAB NTR is the main corporate sponsor of the “Lifetime Lab” project in Cork city. The centre, based in an old Victorian waterworks, is a working model of energy conservation and renewable energy in action. Through the use of geothermal heating, hydro powered electricity and solar panels, the centre is over 80% energy self-sufficient. The centre is used primarily as an education facility designed to communicate key environmental messages, particularly around the generation and use of energy, the use of water and the recycling of waste.

		GREENSTAR NORTH AMERICA Education Manual - Greenstar has developed “Why Recycle?”, a complimentary teachers’ guide to recycling for use in the classroom. In addition to background information on the waste and recycling industry, “Why Recycle?” provides information on the material composition and recycling processes associated with aluminium, steel, plastic, glass and paper.

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