Other News In Brief

AG Reduces Carbon Footprint By 53.7%

Paving and Building Products firm, AG, has reduced its carbon footprint by 53.7%.

The firm, which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown, Toome and Carryduff, already has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry and is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations to an absolute minimum.

Last year the firm signed the Business in the Community’s Climate Action Pledge whereby companies commit to reducing their scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by at least 30% and to also begin reducing Scope 3. As part of the pledge, Business in the Community sets science-based targets and will chart AG’s decarbonisation journey.

An initial analysis of AG's manufacturing activities showed a reduction in emissions from its baseline of 2019 to 2022 by 53.7% – despite an increase in production volumes as the company faced unprecedented demand for its products reinforcing its commitment to a greener future in construction.

AG has invested £5 million into its operations enabling the firm to modernise its plant, equipment, and technology. By shutting down old, inefficient factories and cutting down the amount of mobile plant machinery, AG has reduced its fuel consumption even further.

The creation of a pioneering carbon calculator has also allowed AG to calculate its overall carbon impact, as well as the carbon impact per product, driving the firm's sustainability agenda through the introduction of more environmentally friendly products into the business.

As well as this, the specialist building products business previously switched to 100% renewable energy supply and has also introduced electric and hybrid cars into their fleet. This was led by CEO Stephen Acheson with support from the firm’s CSR team which was set up with the aim of reducing the company’s carbon footprint, as part of an energy strategy developed with a commitment to producing low carbon products.

In addition, AG has thoroughly analysed the composition and core ingredients within its products, enabling Scope 3 carbon reductions due to the introduction of supplementary cementitious materials to reduce cement content, while maintaining and improving on the exceptional quality AG is renowned for.

UUP Welcomes Progress Made On Agency Costs In Local Health Service

Ulster Unionist MLA for North Antrim Robin Swann has welcomed the progress that has been made on clamping down on some of the most expensive agency costs in the local health service.

The Department of Health has confirmed that Trusts reported a reduction in the use of the costly “off-Framework” nursing agencies from 72% prior to May 2023 to only 1.5% in July 2023. Off-contract agencies are typically much more expensive than their on-contract counterparts as the rates they charge are not limited by the health service; therefore, the amounts charged per shift are often significantly higher.

Mr Swann said: "Whilst I accept there will likely always be a need for some agency workers across the health service, not least to cover for periods of sickness absence, for instance, very shortly after I was appointed Minister of Health, I realised that the level and trajectory of agency expenditure locally was totally unsustainable.

"Instead of recruiting sufficient numbers of staff into permanent posts, or going to enough efforts to retain the staff they already had, all five Health Trusts across Northern Ireland were increasingly relying on simply filling staffing shortfalls with agency workers. What concerned me most was the apparent willingness of the Trusts to spend often enormous sums of public money on the most expensive form of staffing whilst failing to recognise the huge damage that was being caused to overall staff morale in the process.

"I am really pleased with the progress that has now been made. I am concerned, however, that the ongoing absence of an Executive and clear political leadership will soon see the pace of that progress slow down. At the time I announced the plans to tackle agency spend, I also made it clear that it was going to run in parallel with ongoing initiatives to build and support the health service workforce."

Alliance To Bring Forward Bill To Improve Schools' Careers Advice

Alliance MLA Sorcha Eastwood has said she will bring forward a Private Member’s Bill to reform and improve schools’ careers advice when the Assembly returns, with the aim of providing specialised advice for all.

As students receive A-Level results tomorrow (Thursday) and GCSE results next week, Lagan Valley MLA Ms Eastwood said the quality of careers advice primary and secondary students receive can be a lottery, with too much expected of teachers.

"Again and again I am hearing from students and teachers careers advice in Northern Ireland is not fulfilling its purpose and students are left without a clear awareness of what is available to them,” she said.

"Organisations in all sectors have also been telling me they believe many students do not emerge from school or further and higher education with basic career readiness skills.

"That's why when the Assembly returns I will bring forward a Private Member’s Bill to ensure consistent, independent and specialised advice is available to all primary and secondary students in Northern Ireland.

"I appreciate the Department for Economy commissioned a review of careers support for young people and adults last year and they are progressing with things such as an online careers hub and making more training available to teachers. However, a more fundamental overhaul is required."