Collen Construction’s Commitment to Climate Leadership in Partnership with Veon
22 March 2023: Collen is pleased to share that it will be expanding an area of woodland which is in Collen ownership in Sligo. As part of an environmental and sustainability initiative to diversify the forest and increase the biodiversity of the area, 2,000 native oak, cherry, birch, alder, whitethorn, and blackthorn trees have been planted at the forest in Kilkerry, County Sligo. Collen’s partnership with Veon underscores their commitment to sustainable development.
For 213 years, the Company has built upon strong family values and prides itself in being a socially responsible company, balancing company interests with those of its employees and the wider community. It strives to continually integrate better sustainable practices within the business and in doing so, meet the needs of the present while respecting the requirements of future generations. Collen is dedicated to protecting the environment and making a positive impact in the communities where it operates.
The forest is located in Kilkerry, County Sligo and was originally planted over a decade ago with commercial conifer species over 49 acres of woodland. Plans are now underway to manage the woodland under a Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) management model with the integration of greater numbers of native Irish broadleaf species to facilitate native species natural regeneration, under the Veon Climate Leadership Partner programme.
In addition, biodiversity enhancement measures have also been undertaken including the instalment of bat and bird boxes and a native wildflower meadow planned for the spring. In consultation with local beekeepers, Collen hopes to establish beehives within the forest as part of the native bee pollinator programme.
Having conducted an initial Baseline Survey, Veon Ecologists have completed a Carbon Measurement Report for Collen which will be incorporated into further Ecological and Carbon Measurement Surveys in the coming years. This will be used to compare results and assess the effectiveness of the CCF management regime leading to an increase in biodiversity within the woodland. The company plans to monitor and compare the carbon sequestration capacity of the newly planted forest and explore ways to enhance it even further in the future. By doing so, Collen Construction aims to contribute to the global efforts to combat climate change and protect the natural habitat, while also promoting sustainable and responsible practices in the construction industry.
Joe Codd, Business Development Director of Veon, stated that “Collen exemplifies the very best CSR characteristics with real and positive action to combat climate change and mitigate biodiversity loss and we welcome them as a Veon Climate Leadership Partner. This is only the starting point for this project, and Collen have plans for numerous exciting additions to the site for the future”. Collen is committed to conducting its activities in a more sustainable way to help reduce adverse impact on the environment and has embraced resource efficiency as one of the core strategies for smart sustainable development, with the adoption of sustainable models such as BREEAM and LEED, on the majority of current projects. Collen is an advocate of making positive change to reduce generated waste and carbon reduction which is proactively managed through its sustainability action plan ‘Collen’s Green Future’.
Collen is an international construction company with operations in Ireland, UK, Sweden, Germany and Denmark. The company is currently ranked in the top 5 main building contractors in Ireland, and has experience in private and public-sector projects, as design and build contractor, management contractor and joint venture partner.
Video release can be viewed here.