Celebrating the award: Laura Byrne, Head of Sustainable Fuels; Orla Stevens, Managing Director; and Grace Cunningham, Interim Head of Retail Unmanned of Certa|PHOTO: Sean Brosnan
The many ways in which Certa supports the local community in Clare has been officially recognised by Guaranteed Irish as part of a process which led to the fuel supplier qualifying for the coveted Guaranteed Irish symbol.
Certa, which is part of DCC plc, operates Ireland’s largest network of pay@pump forecourts and home heating depots, including a Certa forecourt in Ennis.
The Guaranteed Irish symbol was awarded to Certa in recognition of its commitment to creating sustainable jobs, promoting Irish provenance and supporting the local community in Clare.
Certa’s community support in Clare goes well beyond job creation and extends to volunteering, sponsorship, donations and fundraising, all of which was examined as part of the qualifying criteria for the Guaranteed Irish symbol.
Brid O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish said they are "delighted to welcome Certa as a member of Guaranteed Irish."
"The Guaranteed Irish symbol is a national symbol of trust that is only awarded to companies in Ireland that support sustainable jobs, contribute to our local economies, and are committed to Irish provenance.
"This has been at the core of Certa’s development as an Irish company over the past 35 years and we look forward to working with Certa as it continues to grow and enhance the service that it provides in communities across Ireland," she added.
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The company has developed a series of community-based CSR initiatives including its Volunteering Day Programme which allows Certa workers in Clare to take a paid day out of the business each year to volunteer and give back to their local communities.
Certa has also partnered with the Open Doors Initiative to provide opportunities for some of the most marginalised members of society in Clare through the creation of pathways to work, training, education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Certa is also the title sponsor of the Ireland Women’s cricket team and is helping the sport to thrive from grassroots to elite level and to inspire young cricket players to follow their dream of playing professionally in Ireland.
Certa is continuing to invest in the service it provides to customers and is now the leading supplier of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) in Ireland. The renewable biofuel helps motorists and businesses to make greener, sustainable choices that reduce their carbon emissions and lower their energy costs.
Certa opened Ireland’s first HVO biofuel station in Liffey Valley in Dublin last year and is currently upgrading its network of 49 pay@pump forecourts to offer HVO at all sites alongside other fuels. Solar PV panels are also being installed to enable its forecourts to generate their own power.
Orla Stevens, Managing Director, Certa Ireland said: “Certa is very proud to be a homegrown Irish brand that operates at the heart of the local community in Clare.
"We are delighted to be awarded the Guaranteed Irish symbol which helps consumers and businesses to identify products and services that are an altogether better choice for the life of their community.
"Certa is committed to supporting the local community in Clare and to continually enhancing the service that we offer to domestic, commercial and industrial customers as we continue to pursue our vision of becoming Ireland’s most progressive energy company," Ms Stevens continued.
"We look forward to promoting our Guaranteed Irish credentials as we continue that journey”.
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