In 2021, we announced a new environmental partnership with leading local conservation charity, The Conservation Volunteers, to help deliver environmental responsibility, and biodiversity impact in our community across three core themes: Environmental Action, Environmental Volunteering & Environmental Education.

About Phoenix Energy

Phoenix Energy (formerly Phoenix Natural Gas) is the largest natural gas distribution network business in Northern Ireland. Established in 1996, it builds, operates, and maintains the gas pipeline infrastructure across Greater Belfast, Larne, and East Down, serving more than 266,000 customers. The distribution business is responsible for the development of the pipeline network and for providing a 24/7 operational and transportation service platform to suppliers under the rules of the company’s network code.

The issue

The principles of responsible business have been at the core of our business since it began, and our commitment to our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities is demonstrated through the Phoenix LIFE Programme, which encapsulates our responsible business approach and activity in the areas of Leadership in the Marketplace, Investing in our People, Fostering our Community, and Environmental Responsibility.

These pillars of responsible business activity are embedded across all areas of our organisation and culture, and they are integrated across our strategy, risk, and governance processes.

We recognise that our environmental and biodiversity responsibilities go far beyond our core business operations, and we take action to help protect the environment and to enhance biodiversity for communities right across our licensed area and beyond.

What Phoenix Energy did

In 2025, our partnership with leading local conservation charity, The Conservation Volunteers, continued to thrive. It enabled us to deliver environmental and biodiversity impact in our community across three core themes:

Environmental Action:

Trees play a vital role in removing CO2 from the atmosphere, yet Northern Ireland remains the least. With The Conservation Volunteers, we supported the planting of a further 8,000 new native trees in community spaces and wooded areas throughout 2025. Phoenix is now halfway on our journey to plant 80,000 trees over 10 years

As well as enhancing community spaces, the planting of native trees also supports the development of habitats, promotes native biodiversity, and provides sustainability for many species such as wildlife, birds, and insects, which are essential for a healthy wooded ecosystem.

Environmental Volunteering:

Spending time in green spaces has proven mental and physical health benefits, and as part of our strategic partnership with The Conservation Volunteers, our employees provided hands-on support for tree planting and biodiversity projects alongside their existing community volunteers. Over the course of the year, our employees gave more than 276 digging hours with the team from TCV and learned about the vital role of green spaces in supporting healthy communities.

 

Environmental Education:

Engaging young people in the environment around them and giving them a sense of responsibility for biodiverse green spaces is an important element of our community environmental responsibility. Over the course of our 2025 partnership with TCV, we delivered 8 new Planet Protectors workshops for Primary School pupils. Planet Protectors provided opportunities for children to learn about carbon literacy and activities.

Students gained a better understanding of the environment and discovered simple actions they can take to reduce their carbon footprint. The partnership also delivered 4 workshops to local community groups. The Planet Protectors workshops engaged 171 pupils across 6 schools, with a new Eco Heroes programme commencing in 2026. Eco Heroes is a fully funded environmental education programme for primary schools in Northern Ireland, designed to inspire 8–11-year-olds to protect the planet through everyday actions.

Pupils will explore local biodiversity and climate change in a fun and engaging way, while also learning about the future of local energy. Children will discover firsthand how Phoenix Energy is working to advance biomethane as a sustainable, renewable replacement for natural gas.

 

Impacts and Outcomes

• Goal: Support the planting of 8,000 new native trees in community and accessible spaces across NI with our TCV partnership.
• Outcome: 8,000 new native trees planted by the end of Mar 2026, with the partnership combined total of 40,000 trees to date.
• Goal:  TCV partnership to continue to deliver educational sessions for volunteers and young people on the importance and benefits of green spaces
• Outcome 2026 (so far): 199 pupils from 6 schools have been involved in learning about (and enhancing) green spaces and carbon-friendly actions through our Phoenix Planet Protector Workshops. Schools also took part in tree planting to enhance their school grounds for nature.
• Goal: Provide opportunities for PE employees to get involved and support the work of the TCV for nature and people.
• Outcome 2026 (so far): 33 PE employees plus 16 stakeholders provided more than 245 hours of volunteering energy to support the work of TCV. They were working alongside TCV’s regular volunteers to plant new trees and to complete essential tasks at our tree operations base, including growing bed preparations, sowing seeds, and adding drainage to the site.
• Goal: Deliver Planet Protector workshops at Cultra and local community settings to engage people in easy ‘at home’ climate-friendly actions.
• Outcome:  4 Community Planet Protector workshops delivered: two at Cultra, including the Girl Guides, and an interactive workshop to engage new volunteers (as well as joining the Forest School in Crawfordsburn and one in community settings at Dunville Heritage Community Garden).
• Goal: Launch Eco Heroes, a fully funded environmental education programme for Primary schools, delivered by a Phoenix Energy Facilitator, which is designed to inspire 8–11-year-olds to protect the planet through everyday actions. Pupils will explore key environmental themes including:
  • Local biodiversity
  • Climate change & greenhouse gases
  • Energy use and saving energy
  • Recycling and reducing waste
  • Introduction to renewable gas and biomethane
• Outcome: Launched in June 2026, there are 14 sessions planned for the remainder of 2026, with 2 completed already. Further sessions are being booked in for 2027.