Bord na Móna conference showcases progress of Ireland's green startups
Kayley Hardiman
Bord na Móna showcased the progress of eight of Ireland’s most promising startups who participated in the Accelerate Green programme - the first climate-focused scaling accelerator – which is based in Offaly.
Accelerate Green is located at Bord na Móna’s existing office complex in Boora.
Set up in late 2021, it is the first accelerator dedicated to scaling companies leading the response to climate action and sustainability by developing products and services based on ‘green’ innovation.
Designed and delivered by Resolve Partners on behalf of Bord na Móna, the first Accelerate Green programme culminated in the national conference in Tullamore last week to assess how our economic, technological, and financial systems are working to deliver a sustainable future.
The conference Ireland's Sustainable Future, took place in the Tullamore Court Hotel last week and centred on progress of the Accelerate Green initiative.
It featured discussions from key environmental officers from diverse public and corporate bodies.
CEO of Bord na Móna, Tom Donnellan, celebrated the progress this year’s cohort of companies have made while focusing on the shift towards sustainable solutions: “Bord na Móna’s sustainability journey shows that being commercially successful and having a sustainable, climate focused business model are mutually supportive, complementary objectives. It is really important for Bord na Móna to tell the story of our own journey and to enable other sustainable businesses to also scale and grow.
“We are delighted to showcase the first cohort of companies to complete our Accelerate Green accelerator programme at this conference. These companies are leading the way in climate change innovation and I hope you will be as inspired by their ambition and drive for change as I am.”
The Accelerate Green programme is designed to support early-stage scaling companies developing products and services based on green innovation.
The accelerator programme includes a series of deep learning and mentoring sessions, access to speakers from enterprise and energy agencies, Irish corporates, research networks, investors and successful business leaders.
Already employing 120 people and amassing funding of over €20m in funding, the eight startups that seek to adopt sustainable business practices upon completion of the 2022 Accelerate Green Programme are Positive Carbon, Real Leaf Farm, EpiSensor, CameraMatics, Jones Celtic BioEnergy, Go Eve, AutomSoft and Borrisoleigh Bottling.
Bord na Móna’s own green revolution was discussed at the event, the four key elements being: provide Ireland with sustainable energy from renewable sources at scale, effectively rehabilitate our peatlands, deliver world-class waste and resource recovery solutions and help Ireland reimagine how it engages with climate action.
Bord na Móna is spearheading its role in aiding Ireland to become carbon neutral by 2050. The body has taken its own drastic actions to aid in the fight against climate change, including; shutting down all peat bogs, going zero plastic, minimising carbon and food waste and hiring a sustainability consultant.
It has restored a total of 19,700 hectares of bog to peat-forming conditions, with a goal to restore over 73,000 hectares in total. The rehabilitation of bogs seeks to create new possibilities for biodiversity, renewable energy and public enjoyment.
The Bord na Móna Conference commits to taking urgent climate action using the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDG's) as guiding principles to ensure that this year’s Accelerate Green Conference is eco-friendly.
Speaking at the conference, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity Senator Pippa Hackett said: “I believe that opportunities for funding in the Midlands region abound –we need projects of quality, scale, and impact to invest in.”
Addressing the companies in the Accelerate Green programme, she said: “Governments across the EU have a responsibility to ensure that the Just Transition delivers not just for the early adopters, but also for those who, for a variety of reasons, will be slower to embrace the change. You are those early adopters, and through collaboration and IMPACT, you will play a huge part in generating the solutions that will deliver for all of society. You, together with the great economic, social, and cultural institute at the heart of the Midlands for so many generations, Bord na Móna, are leading the way in climate change innovation in Ireland.”