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7
NEWS
Dec 2010 / Jan 2011 www.esb.ie/em
Paper cups! past tense!
IN 2009 we used 108,775 takeaway cups in Head Office, all of which were non-recyclable and went to landfill. Under a Head Office Green Committee initiative, with the active support of staff from the Head Office Restaurant, takeaway cups were removed on the 1st October 2010. Head Office staff can use their own sustainable travel mug for takeaway tea and coffee. These mugs are now available for sale in Natures Way
In addition to environmental benefits, there are significant cost savings. The Head Office Restaurant was spending in excess of €12,000 per annum purchasing disposable takeaway cups. The savings made by their removal have been passed on to staff through reduced prices for tea and coffee purchased in the crockery mugs or in travel mugs.
There are also savings in waste disposal charges and there will be reduced contamination of recyclable waste (i.e. no more unrecyclable cups mixed with recyclable waste). This initiative also addresses one of the key targets under ESB’s Sustainability Charter – to reduce our impact on the environment to a practicable minimum by the prevention of pollution.
We would like to thank everyone for supporting this change. This was crucial to the success of the initiative.
The Head Office Green Committee is a voluntary group of staff which works with our waste management partner, Thorntons, to meet our waste management targets through raising awareness of sustainability and promoting waste management initiatives in Head Office and other ESB building ion the vicinity. The committee includes representatives from Head Office, Osprey / Clanwilliam, Merrion Square, Stephen Court and Fleet Street. Please contact any of the committee members if you have any suggestions for new initiatives or if you would like to join the committee.
Green Committee Members:
| Mary Nolan | ESB Energy International |
| Adrienne Behan | ESB Networks |
| Alan Corbally | ESBI |
| Linda Daniel Christie | ESB Energy International |
| Philip Darcy | Shared Services |
| Steve Johnson | Group Internal Audit |
| Fergus Keane | ESB Energy International |
| Eadaoin Smith. | IT Services |
| Margaret Lahiff | ESB Networks |
| Mary Penco | Shared Services |
| Mark Somers | ESBI); |
| Joe Mescall | Shared Services |
| Con Martin | Shared Services |
ESB Outstanding Contribution to Engineering
AT THE ENGINERS Ireland Excellence Awards, on Friday November 5th, Michael Hayden, retired Director of ESB International, was presented with the ESB Award for Outstanding Contribution to Engineering. The award was for an individual or a group of individuals who have made a significant difference to the engineering profession over the careers.
The Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin, was announced as the winner of the Engineering Project of the Year.
Toyota, Irish Government and ESB sign Memorandum of Understanding
ANOTHER CAR manufacturer, Toyota, has teamed up with the Irish Government and ESB to conduct ecar field trials in Ireland and to implement a demonstration programme with the Prius Plug-in Hybrid (PHV).
The demonstration programme is being carried out across Europe for the coming 18 months in advance of the model’s full launch to the market in 2012. Initially, there will be three vehicles based in Ireland, which will be placed with a number of leading Irish and multinational companies in order to test the vehicles under variable, everyday, driving conditions. This information will support the planning and implementation of ESB’s nationwide charging infrastructure, as well as provide valuable information on customer usage patterns and general attitudes to electric motoring.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan TD said, “I am pleased that the Irish Government can add Toyota, the largest car maker in the world who is developing a wide range of sustainable technologies for the future, including PHV, to our growing list of car manufacturers who see Ireland as a world leader in electric vehicles. Today, we sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Toyota which will see them deploy Prius Plug-In Hybrids to Ireland in advance of their global launch.”
Padraig McManus, Chief Executive, ESB also commented, “Ireland is an important market for ecars, as we are one of the first countries in the world to develop a nationwide charging infrastructure and Toyota’s decision to test the Prius Plug-in here is an endorsement of this. We are delighted to partner with Toyota which is developing a wide range of sustainable technologies for the future, including plug-in hybrid vehicles. The ecars trial will build on ESB’s existing knowledge of ecar charging technology and of user behaviour, in addition to further promoting the ecar industry across Ireland.”
Toyota Ireland Managing Director David Shannonspoke about the ecar programme, “The real-world experiences which will be derived from the companies and drivers involved in this programme will provide Toyota with valuable insights into driver attitudes and usage patterns to help shape strategies for the wider introduction of plug-in hybrids and recharging technologies.”
Board Appointment
MS. ELLVENA GRAHAM has been appointed by the Government to the Board of ESB.
Ms. Graham is Executive Director of Business Services in Ulster Bank. She has held other senior positions at the Bank including Chief Operating Officer – Corporate Bank, Head of Operations and also Executive Director Group Operations EMEA. She is a member of the Advisory Board of Women’s Executive Network in Ireland and serves on the Barretstown Board which supports children with serious illnesses.
ESB’s Chairman, Lochlann Quinn, welcomed the appointment and said: “Ellvena has extensive international and business experience which will be very valuable to ESB”.
A successful Coaching Conference
Held for internal coaches on 16th November 2010
AT THE RECENT internal Coaching conference The Chief Executive outlined the organisations strategic challenges and the relevant initiatives that are in place to address these. He also outlined his belief in the capability of ESB staff to further improve their performance, individually and as part of teams, and the key role quality coaching has to play.
The main emphasis of the day was to help internal coaches further improve their coaching practice and also to be more sensitised to the many symptoms of stress and how it should be managed by the appropriate professionals.
In coaching there are moments when we feel ‘stuck’ where something happens in the coaching relationship which we cannot fully make sense of. Supervision is the term used in coaching to describe the help provided by a professionally trained coach who can help the coach see more of what is going on in a coaching relationship. It provides a fresh perspective and a safe place in which active learning and continuous development occurs and it is recommended for all practising coaches. Based on the response at the conference an appropriate Supervision Model well be put in place for internal coaches in early 2011.
