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Displaying items by tag: 'Green' credentials

#BelfastPort- In this year’s Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey, Belfast Harbour has achieved platinum status – the highest scoring level.

The achievement for Belfast Harbour came just before the United National Climate Change Conference COP21 in Paris began. Like the port, companies throughout Northern Ireland have put their ‘green’ credentials on the table for all to see. With 83 organisations from all sizes and sectors participating in 2015 Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey.

Results from the survey were announced at Belfast Harbour last week along with materials handing giant, NACCO Materials Handling Ltd that was revealed as the top performing company, closely followed by Belfast Harbour and Bombardier Aerospace.

The survey, generated by Business in the Community’s ARENA Network campaign, annually assesses top businesses in Northern Ireland for environmental management, performance and assurance.

The 2015 results have seen scores increase to 78% from 74% in 2014 and 58% of participants scored over 80%. This continued improvement demonstrates that Northern Ireland businesses are committed to making progress and managing their impacts effectively.

Published in Belfast Lough

About Commander Bill King, Solo Circumnavigator

William Donald Aelian King was the last surviving submarine commander in the Second World War - in charge of the British Navy's T-class Telemachus that sank a Japanese sub in the Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Sumatra, in 1944.

Decorated many times for his service by the end of the war, King became a trailblazing solo sailor.

At the age of 58, he was the oldest participant in The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race sailing Galway Blazer II, a junk-rigged schooner he designed himself.

After a number of abortive attempts, including an incident with "a large sea creature", he finally completed his solo circumnavigation of the globe in 1973.

Beyond his aquatic escapades, King settled with his wife Anita (who died in 1984, aged 70) at Oranmore Castle outside Galway after the war, where he later developed a pioneering organic farm and garden to help tackle his wife's asthma.

The round-the-world sailor and Galway native Bill King died on Friday, 21 September, 2012, aged 102.