A new sustainability plan launched by FRS Co-op targets a 20% reduction in the organisation’s greenhouse gas emissions and a halving of landfill waste by 2030.

The report also aims to develop a biodiversity strategy focused on agriculture and increased community engagement.

The co-op has said that cutting emissions from company vehicles by a quarter and installing rooftop solar on its HQ are among the measures planned to hit the 2030 emissions target and reach net zero by 2050.

Eliminating the use of plastic water bottles, merging office premises, soil sampling for farmers and using creosote alternatives for fencing are also mentioned by the co-op as moves it took to boost environmental sustainability.

The plan is to be rolled out across the co-op's business units of FRS Recruitment, FRS Farm Services, FRS Fencing, FRS Training, FRS Contract Services, Turas Nua and WrkWrk.

Group CEO of FRS Co-Op Colin Donnery stated that there is scope for organisations to play a bigger role in moves to green the economy.

Sustainable employment

“That is why we have adopted this new sustainability strategy and why we want our commitments to act as more than just targets,” he said.

“We are grateful to be in a position whereby our social impact makes a difference, be it through years of assisting farming communities or helping the long term unemployed find jobs.

“We want to keep providing that support, to ensure there is sustainable employment for our staff, our neighbours and our communities.

“That means making the environment better, the cities and communities in which we live more sustainable, reducing our carbon footprint and encouraging greater biodiversity.

“We want to ensure we play our part in enabling the communities in which we live to prosper and the land upon which we live to thrive for decades and decades to come.”