SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave MarketPlace stores have teamed up with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for the ninth consecutive year to ‘spearhead environmental change in the Irish retail sector’, through their ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ initiative.
Once again, in partnership with the SEAI, a number of community upgrade projects were completed, with ten stores across Ireland participating in the initiative, the group noted.
The community grant scheme administered by SEAI supported the project, with a total investment value of €265,000.
The initiative calls on stores to identify and upgrade areas of their own operations that can be made more energy efficient, in keeping with high standards of energy efficiency and renewable-energy usage, but it also enables them to identify community buildings in their area, to donate funds and enable them to upgrade their facilities, it added.
The objective of the initiative is to reduce energy costs, fossil fuel usage, and greenhouse gas emissions year on year.
SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave MarketPlace noted that the ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ initiative is one about which they are ‘extremely passionate’, adding that the long-term difference that it makes in their local communities makes their investment and efforts worthwhile.
This year, the community buildings associated with stores that participated in the scheme received up to €129,000 between them, as a result of energy-saving measures implemented by their respective SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave MarketPlace stores.
On the Centra side, its store on Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, also made huge energy savings as a result of new PV solar panels installed this year, reducing its carbon footprint by 40%.
Making An Effort
SEAI is, again, encouraging all of us to make an effort to be more energy conscious in our own homes. Climate action is everyone’s responsibility. We must all play our part, and whether we’re at home, at work, at school or in our community, there are things that we can do to address climate change.
Speaking in relation to its role within the ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ initiative, Declan Meally, head of transport and communities with SEAI, said, “This year, it was great to see another ten stores across Ireland, with each stepping up to the plate to make sustainability improvements in store and provide some additional benefits for their wider communities.
“The Musgrave Group have been leading by example in their own stores, with their energy-saving initiatives, in addition to informing their communities and customers in the process, to illustrate how everyday changes can make a big difference,” Meally added.
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