Mid-West businesses demonstrate climate action success at conference

SHANNON Chamber's 2026 Mid-West Sustainability Network conference has highlighted how businesses are reducing carbon emissions, strengthening competitiveness and investing in a more sustainable future.

Held in the Rine Hotel in Newmarket-on-Fergus, the conference ran under the theme Future Ready – Driving Competitiveness in a Changing Climate.

Companies presenting at the conference – which included Goodbody Clearstream, John Paul Construction Ltd., Edwards Lifesciences, Iarnród Éireann, Enfonic, IDA Ireland and Climeaction - collectively demonstrated how practical sustainability initiatives can deliver measurable environmental improvements while strengthening competitiveness, reducing costs and supporting future investment.

Companies at different stages of their sustainability journeys attended the conference to learn about the significant work already underway within businesses to embed sustainability into everyday operations.

Opening the conference, Barry Gavin, chair of the Mid-West Sustainability Network, emphasised that sustainability has moved beyond regulatory compliance and reporting to become a fundamental consideration in business strategy.

“With customers, investors, financial institutions and supply-chain partners increasingly assessing companies' environmental performance, businesses that act early are better positioned to manage risk, control costs, and protect their competitiveness,” he said.

That message was reinforced through a series of practical case studies demonstrating how companies, both large and small, are translating sustainability ambitions into action.

At Edwards Lifesciences – which operates manufacturing facilities in Shannon and Limerick – sustainability initiatives include the use of 100% renewable electricity at both Irish sites, zero waste to landfill and investment in projects designed to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

The company’s senior engineer for environmental health, safety, and sustainability, Aidan Kelly, outlined a significant investment in a heat-pump project at its Limerick facility.

The project is expected to reduce natural gas consumption by up to 80% and deliver annual savings of approximately €250,000.

The company’s goal, he said, is to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2030 and 1.5°C science-based targets.

This aim includes a commitment to set and achieve science-based targets initiative (SBTi)-recognised reduction targets for both its Scope 1/2 and Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Kelly also described how the company's drive to source packaging locally is reducing transport-related emissions, delivering environmental benefits alongside improved supply-chain resilience and substantial cost savings.

Shannon Chamber's 2026 Mid-West Sustainability Network conference was supported by the following: Ei Electronics, Shannon Chamber Skillnet, Clean Ireland Recycling, Smithstown Light Engineering, Shannon Airport Group, Element Six and AIB.