Bord na Móna delivering over 1400 Climate Solutions jobs in Midlands

Its plans will involve the creation of an additional 885 jobs in the coming 4-5 years through further expansion of its climate solutions businesses, partnerships with third parties and the construction of a significant portion of Ireland’s renewable energy infrastructure. Direct employment within the company will return to pre-transition (2018) levels within the next five years.

Bord na Móna recently unveiled its modern brand identity, and new purpose as a climate solutions company. Eighty percent of all Bord na Móna’s operations is now focused on renewable energy production, recycling, peatland rehabilitation, and sustainable product development.  By 2030, Bord na Móna will be able to supply a third of Irish homes with renewable energy.

Speaking at the announcement today Taoiseach Micheál Martin, T.D. said: “Our world has changed dramatically since Bord na Móna was established and Climate Change is now the key long-term challenge we face. Building on its rich legacy, Bord na Móna has reinvented itself to meet that challenge with the continued development of over 1400 climate solutions jobs. I wish Bord na Móna, its employees and the communities it serves, every success in the years ahead.”

Speaking at the event, Minister Eamon Ryan, T.D., Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications said: “Bord na Móna has shown that Ireland can successfully tackle climate change by focusing on solutions that work for people and the environment. Working with my Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Bord na Móna is pioneering the rewetting of our bogs to help us store carbon. Workers who once harvested peat are now using their skills to protect nature. At the same time, the company is being hugely ambitious in the areas of renewable energy and recycling. This is creating green, innovative jobs in the Midlands and beyond, and demonstrating that as we move from brown to green we can deliver a just transition.”

Commenting on the announcement Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, T.D., said: “Just transition to me means good, sustainable, long-term jobs for the workers affected and I’m really glad to see the creation of these 1,400 jobs for the Midlands.”

Tom Donnellan, Chief Executive of Bord na Móna said: “Bord na Móna’s transformation shows that people and planet can both win in the coming decades. We are in the climate solutions business now and today’s announcement is tangible evidence that we are, and will continue to be, a leading employer in the midlands into the future. We are going beyond merely replacing old jobs, we are creating over 1,400 twenty-first century jobs ranging from operatives to high tech and professional roles.  We are generating renewable energy to power the new economy, recycling precious resources, rehabilitating peatland to store over 100m tonnes of Carbon and sustaining this generation of people in employment that will ensure communities continue to thrive across the region.”

Announcement details

1,435 climate solutions jobs are currently being created and enabled by the company across the Midlands. 1100 of the roles are being generated directly by Bord na Móna operations while 335 are being generated through partnerships with third party companies

550 jobs have been created over the past 18 months as it develops renewable energy, recycling infrastructure and Carbon Storage through peatland rehabilitation. Land and Habitats development and recycling roles have also been created through partnerships with other companies.  In addition, Bord na Móna will create a further 250 jobs in renewable energy, recycling, consumer products and land and habitats development in the next five years.

Along with direct employment creation, the company also confirmed a yearly average of 300 construction jobs will be created on climate action projects, mostly renewable energy projects, across the Midlands. Over the next 6 years, our pipeline of projects will create 1,600+ jobs in construction – giving an average employment level of circa 300 per annum. 335 jobs will also be enabled through partnerships and its invest and enable plan (with third party companies) to be created in the next five years. These roles are being created by companies either partnering with Bord na Móna or being enabled by the company in a variety of ways to locate at Bord na Móna properties and premises.

*Taoiseach Micheál Martin, T.D. and Minister Eamon Ryan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, joined Tom Donnellan, Chief Executive, Bord na Móna at the company’s Cloncreen Wind Farm announce details of over 1400 jobs being created by the company, mainly in the midlands region.