Retail giant plants 33,000 native trees locally

(Above) Brian Collentine, landowner of the woodland site at Burnellstown, and JP Scally, managing director at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland.

One of the country's largest retailers has planted over 30,000 native trees on a site just outside Mullingar.

Lidl Ireland recently completed planting almost 33,000 trees at a native woodland site in Burnellstown, as part of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Woodland Environmental Fund (WEF). Overall, the firm has committed to planing over 82,000 native trees across Ireland this year.

Lidl says that its involvement in this initiative will expand its A Better Tomorrow Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy which is already working to reduce carbon emissions through certifying the company’s new stores across the country to an ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard. This project is intended to absorb approximately 12,500 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and to compliment the landscape as a protected native woodland. Lidl has also undergone a comprehensive carbon footprint mapping to understand environmental impacts, develop solutions and work with supermarket’s value chain in supporting the overall sustainability strategy.

Commenting on the initiative,Tyrrellspass native J P Scally, managing director at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “Our CSR strategy is at the core of our business and we’re always looking for ways we can expand it. As we’re fully committed to ensuring we drive positive change not only for our customers but the environment as well, we’re pleased to be involved in the Woodland Environmental Fund initiative and to be working closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine by helping to restore a richer biodiversity in Ireland through our contribution to reforesting our countryside.”

The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle said: “I would like to congratulate Lidl for joining my Department’s ‘Woodland Environmental Fund’. Creating new forests is by far the best land use activity for taking carbon from the atmosphere and today Lidl has given their support to creating a new 10-hectare woodland. This forest will help to recreate the type of ancient woodland that once covered the Irish landscape thousands of years ago and will also make a huge contribution to improving Irish biodiversity. We need leaders in climate action like Lidl, businesses that are willing to get behind new innovative schemes like the WEF and I would encourage others to consider joining also”.

Across Lidl’s 163 store network nationwide, all new stores are built with sustainability in mind and incorporate a selection of environmentally friendly features including an ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System, a solar panel system and two electric vehicle charger spaces, enabling customers to charge their electric vehicles free of charge whilst they shop. All Lidl wood products are certified FSC or PFC or coming from recycled wood sources. Lidl Ireland is also signed up to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and reports annually on its biodiversity actions including green roofs on suitable stores, a wildflower meadow at their Newbridge Distribution Centre and an ever-expanding pollinator friendly plant range.