A new report by Ardlinn has found that 60% of C level executives see climate change as a bigger risk to the Irish economy than Brexit over the next 5-10 years.

The survey also found that 80% of top Irish executives think that the government is not doing enough to tackle climate change.

These results come in the wake of newly launched governmental measures which aim to curb the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and set a path for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Ardlinn Climate Change and Environment Survey

Other findings from Ardlinn’s ‘Climate Change and Environment Survey’ show that 60% of respondents see climate change as posing the biggest risk to our economy, ahead of Brexit with 35% of the vote.

The research which was conducted by Irish Global Executive search firm Ardlinn (part of Cpl Resources Group), sought the views of 100 of Ireland’s top executives from across sectors such as tech, pharma and agri-food.

68% of respondents agreed that climate change is now a major risk to Ireland’s economic prosperity, with 88% stating that their business is now actively implementing policies to help address environmental and climate change issues.

However, whilst a large majority of top executives state their business is acting to address climate change, only 50% say that they have reviewed the environmental impact of their supply chain.

Founder and Director of Ardlinn, Áine Brolly commented on the survey:

“The findings from our survey clearly express the view that the government must do more to address the issue of climate change. In terms of population, we are a small nation, but from a business perspective we are influential, with many top companies based here, and setting a strong example is something we should strive for.

Recent findings from the Climate Change Advisory Council show that rather than reducing, our emissions actually increased in 2018, and business is clearly cognisant of the need to progress measures at a much faster rate than is currently being applied.

When you’ve got climate change coming in as a significantly higher economic concern than that of Brexit, there’s clearly a serious issue from the side of the business.”

In terms of the key policy that C level executives would like to see introduced to address issues relating to the environment and climate change, 48% cited an ‘increase in renewables’, with ‘improved and enhanced waste control regulations’ coming in second at 20%.

Áine added:

“It’s positive to see that such a high percentage of businesses are now actively working to reduce their carbon footprint, however, a more joined up approach between government and business must be implemented to help to build confidence and ensure the long-term sustainability of society and business at this critical time.” 

Ardlinn is a Global Irish based Executive Search firm and part of the Cpl resources group. Our name, Ardlinn, is a combination of two Irish words, ‘ard’ meaning ‘high’ or ‘peak’ and ‘linn’ meaning ‘with us’.

The name reflects what we represent as an executive search firm – for our clients, we offer the opportunity to reach leaders at the very highest levels in business.

With us, you will get access to leaders in every industry – highly specialised or senior people who are driving major businesses forward. We work closely with our clients to build a compelling proposition and engage executives who best fit your unique organizational needs.

For candidates, our goal is to help you to reach the peak of your potential. If you are at executive or C-Level and looking for a move – we can help you to find a company that will take you to the next level. With us, you can reach your peak. Get in touch to learn more.