Sustainability presents significant opportunities for businesses, and AIB will be showcasing this perspective at its upcoming Sustainability Conference.
Now in its ninth year, the event will be held online on November 27th from 9am to 1pm, under the theme “Where our shared ambition meets action”.
“It is AIB’s flagship event, aimed at corporate customers, thought leaders and the doers striving to make Ireland a more sustainable economy and society,” says Mary Whitelaw, AIB’s chief strategy and sustainability officer.
It’s also an opportunity to find out how Irish businesses are leveraging sustainability to drive business success.
RM Block
SMEs are telling us that, while they know sustainability is good for business, it can be hard to know where to start
“This year’s theme, ‘Where our shared ambition meets action’, certainly articulates where we are as a financial services group,” says Whitelaw.
“We have moved beyond setting sustainability targets and are now focused on mobilisation on the ground, taking actions that are aligned with our corporate purpose, which is to empower people to build a more sustainable future.”
This year’s event brings together a stellar line-up of international and Irish speakers, all experts and advocates who will share their unique perspectives and genuine passion for sustainability, offering valuable insights into how collective action can drive meaningful change.
“We ensure that any speakers we bring in come with real credibility behind them, and are not just paying lip service. People who are passionate about sustainability ignite that passion in our audience,” says Whitelaw.
That includes fellow speaker Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, a former City of London finance professional and committed environmentalist. As mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, she has tackled environmental degradation through support for waste management and renewable energy. “She has driven hugely transformative initiatives, such as the city’s first wastewater treatment plant,” says Whitelaw.
The conference will also shine a light on case studies in Ireland and abroad. “It’s about inspiring and sharing learnings,” Whitelaw says.
AIB supports clients on their sustainability journey in a number of ways, from loans underpinning large infrastructural projects to green finance for home retrofits.
AIB’s Climate Capital segment reached a big milestone in 2025, surpassing €5 billion in lending for large-scale energy and infrastructure projects that are central to the transition to a lower-carbon economy and society.
Its suite of products also includes low-interest green mortgages and a new business sustainability loan, launched this year. It also hosts a green living hub online, which includes Steps to Sustainability, a dedicated resource to help businesses take practical actions to grow a greener business.
We have moved beyond setting sustainability targets and are now focused on mobilisation on the ground
It partners with Nifti to help drive adoption of electric fleets and, through its sustainability adviser Goodbody Clearstream, offers in-depth consultancy.
“We also have sustainability advisers right across the country and we know from them that SMEs are telling us that, while they know sustainability is good for business, it can be hard to know where to start,” says Whitelaw.
“At AIB, we see education and innovation as a really important part of our broader approach to sustainability, and this conference plays into that element of our strategy.”
Sustainability is at the heart of everything AIB does.
“It’s one of our three strategic pillars, the other two being ‘customer first’ and ‘operational efficiency and resilience’. As such, sustainability is not something that is held out to one side. It’s very much integrated into our core business strategy,” says Whitelaw.
At AIB, we see education and innovation as a really important part of our broader approach to sustainability
“When our chief executive, Colin Hunt, stands up to present our results to the market, as he does on a regular basis, sustainability is right there in the mix as part of our core business strategy. Even now, when there is so much geopolitical uncertainty, we’re doubling down on the greening of our business and our transition efforts around decarbonisation, because we know that sustainability is good for business.”
“Sustainability is certainly a key ingredient of success for global taste and nutrition group Kerry, another big name taking part in the event and one of Ireland’s biggest international success stories.”
Having started off as a small Irish dairy company, today it is a global business with 21,000 employees worldwide. Innovative solutions that are better for people, planet and society have been central to that.
“Kerry stands at the intersection of taste, nutrition and sustainability,” says Sibéal Bird, Kerry’s sustainability director, Europe. During her six years at Kerry, her role has moved from helping to formulate global strategy to, today, embedding those strategic targets into everyday business actions.
“My role is to join the dots between different teams, taking sustainability as a concept and embedding it into everything from sourcing, operations and innovation through to customer partnerships,” Bird says.
“It’s about taking global priorities, looking at them through the lens of local realities, and translating complex challenges around carbon, nature and nutrition into everyday business language so that it can be understood by the different functions, and then turned into an opportunity. Ultimately, it drives resilience for our business, and longer-term value creation for our customers.”
Kerry is a pioneer of sustainability. It kick-started its global growth by taking what had previously been a waste product of the dairy industry, whey, and turning it into valuable protein products.
“It’s about using your resources in the most efficient way, to drive value for the end customer by repurposing and valorising them,” Bird says.
For procurement teams, sustainability means derisking supply chains. “If you look at the challenges facing food businesses, whether climate shock or political volatility, by derisking the supply chain you are building a more sustainable business,” says Bird.
Consumers, too, are demanding sustainable products.
“Taste is fundamental, but the product ultimately has to have a lower environmental impact and be made in a way that is affordable too, which is what the customer is demanding,” she explains.
AIB’s Climate Capital segment reached a big milestone in 2025, surpassing €5 billion in lending for large-scale energy and infrastructure projects
Kerry recently launched a pilot programme in regenerative agriculture, in collaboration with a third-party supplier, helping wheat-growing farmers to improve soil health and biodiversity while reducing carbon emissions.
It has developed a carbon guide which profiles the thousands of products across its portfolio, giving a carbon figure for each one. That means Kerry’s commercial customers now have climate impact integrated into their decision-making when formulating recipes.
With global cocoa prices surging on foot of climate-related supply issues, Kerry has developed a cocoa booster technology that helps a little go a longer way, without compromising on taste.
Bird says: “It’s why sustainability isn’t a cost, it’s an investment in resilience, relevance and reputation.”
Register now to join the AIB Sustainability Conference virtually on November 27th, 2025. See aibsustainabilityconference.ie for more details and access to exclusive content
