As part of a focus on biodiversity and sustainability, Bank of Ireland (BOI) is set to give away over 1,000 hedgerow plants at the National Ploughing Championships.
The bank has returned as an official partner of the event which is taking place this year in Ratheniska, Co. Laois between September 20-22.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)-approved native Irish plants will be given to people visiting the bank’s stand on the site.
A central ambition for Bank of Ireland at the event is to promote enhanced biodiversity and support customers in making “their own green transition”.
The bank has boosted its sustainable finance fund to €5 billion which is focussed on providing finance for the renewable energy sector and increasing the number of electric vehicles on our roads.
Speaking ahead of the National Ploughing Championships, Eoin Lowry, head of agri sector with Bank of Ireland, said:
“Our goal is to underline the importance of the role everyone can play in promoting biodiversity and taking steps to improve sustainability, so to be able to hand out over 1,000 hedgerow plants over the three days is major move in the right direction.”
National Ploughing Association (NPA) managing director Anna May McHugh added:
“NPA is delighted to be partnering with Bank of Ireland again this year, and are fully supportive of this key environmental hedgerow plant give away as sustainability is a key objective at this year’s National Ploughing Championships.”
Other sustainability initiatives will include the promotion of recyclable products and the conversion of food waste into energy through an anaerobic digester (AD).
There will be lighting towers with solar panels, cardboard compactors and waste separation operations on-site.
Exhibitors will also have to pay a deposit to the NPA which is refunded when it is determined that they have removed all rubbish from their stand.