BAM plants 9,000 trees around Ireland as part of 150-year celebration
Kill, Co. Kildare, 15 February 2019 - Royal BAM Group commits to planting 150,000 trees worldwide this year to highlight sustainability agenda. BAM Ireland marked its international 150-year anniversary this weekend. Staff and their families were joined by ‘Trees on the Land’ as they volunteered to help plant, 9,000 trees at four locations across the island of Ireland.
By the end of 2019 Royal BAM Group will have planted 150,000 trees in locations around the world to highlight its sustainability agenda and commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, including 50,000 across Europe in countries where BAM has operations. BAM has operated in Ireland for more than 60 years.
The tree planting, that included a mix of native Irish species, took place in Ballineen, County Cork, Newcastle in County Wicklow, Brookeborough in County Fermanagh and Ballymoney, County Antrim.
CEO of BAM Ireland, Theo Cullinane, described the project as part of BAM’s ‘dedication to preserve the planet for future generations’.
Around 100 BAM volunteers were involved in the all-island project helping to plant 2,500 trees in Wicklow, 3,000 in Antrim and 3,000 in Fermanagh. Mr Cullinane attended the Cork event where 500 trees were planted. All events were carried out with Irish charity the Green Economy Foundation and their ‘Trees on the Land’ project – a cross-border initiative to establish young native trees in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. BAM is also working with Netherlands-based charity ‘Trees for All’ on the planting of 100,000 trees in afforestation projects in South America and Africa.
Speaking about the project Mr Cullinane said: ‘At BAM Ireland sustainability is part of the fabric of our business. Our key promise is ‘Building the present, creating the future’ and by planting trees across the island of Ireland it emphasises our commitment to the generations ahead of us. We have an ‘A’ rating with the global Carbon Disclosure Project and since 2009 have reduced our carbon emissions by 70%.’
BAM is a global leader in the use of digital technologies to minimise the use of resources in construction and in the development of sustainable buildings such as One Albert Quay in Cork City that uses the latest innovations to deliver heating and water services.
‘It is BAM’s mission to create sustainable environments that enhance people’s lives and for more than 60 years we have built impressive buildings and infrastructure that has met this challenge and it is something we are very proud of’, said Mr Cullinane.