The Survey, which is run by Business in the Community, sponsored by Moy Park and supported by Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, recognises and rewards those organisations that are going above and beyond their legal requirements to improve their environmental impacts and better manage their resources.

Bombardier took the top spot for the third year in a row, and 45% of participants achieved were placed in the two top scoring bands, Platinum and Gold. 107 organisations from a range of sectors including Construction, ICT, and Food and Drink, took part in the Survey, achieving an impressive average score of 76%, Gold status.

The 2019 Survey also welcomed 26 new participants, many of which were introduced by previous participants keen to encourage others to assess their sustainability. 16 organisations with less than 25 employees took part in the new Small Business Survey, with McCormack Demolition achieving the top score in this category.

David Small, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, said: “The Survey has been taking place for over 20 years and is the leading tool in Northern Ireland to provide organisations with proof of their green status. The assessment process is a thorough and detailed analysis of an organisation’s environmental management, improvement and impact, and we need to see that those who take part year-on-year are demonstrating continuous improvement. It’s a powerful driver of environmental performance and we’re delighted to support it once again this year.”

New Chair of Business in the Community NI and Group Chief Executive of Translink, Chris Conway, said: “The Survey is an important comparison tool and a way for organisations to be recognised for their environmentally sustainable efforts, as well as identify areas for improvement.

“It has never been more important that organisations take action that’s better for the environment, and business in particular recognises that the general public and their stakeholders consider sustainability to be of utmost importance. The Survey is the perfect way to demonstrate commitment to sustainability and I want to congratulate all of those companies that have stepped forward to report on their environmental practices.”

Declan Cunningham, Head of Sustainability and Risk, Moy Park, said: “Moy Park is delighted to once again support Northern Ireland’s leading environmental benchmarking survey. As a participant for 21 years, it is incredibly important that Moy Park ‘walks the talk’ and we are proud to have again achieved the top level, Platinum, once again this year.

“Moy Park is committed to sustainable practices that make a positive contribution to our planet, our people and to the places we operate. I would encourage all organisations focused on enhancing their environmental performance to participate in the Survey and, by doing so, we can drive responsible behaviour throughout the supply chain.”

Helen Crilly from Henderson Group Ltd was honoured with the George Dawson Award for her passion and commitment to improving environmental performance, both within her company and in the wider community.

The trophies were made from broken fence posts, in keeping with the sustainable theme of the event, by David Keys Sustainable Woodworking.

To find out which organisations participated in the 2019 Survey, and to see how they scored, visit www.bitcni.org.uk/niebs.

If your organisation is interested in taking part in the Survey in 2020, please contact Keelin McCone or call (028) 90460606.