Coillte, the State forestry company, today published its second stand-alone Social and Environmental Report. The inaugural report published in 2001, which received commendation from the ACCA for excellence in environmental reporting, focused on how the company achieved Forest Stewardship Council certification that its forests are well managed in accordance with strict social, environmental and economic criteria. The latest publication reports on progress towards its social and environmental goals, and it reaffirms the company's commitment to continuously improving how it manages its forests for the benefit of shareholders, customers, and stakeholders.

Coillte Chairman Brendan McKenna states that the purpose of the report is "to provide information in a structured and meaningful way that enables our shareholders and stakeholders to assess and evaluate how we are balancing the achievement of commercial success with responsible environmental management and delivering social benefits." The social and environmental information presented in the report complements the company's annual report and accounts published in May.

Progress in key social and environmental areas during 2001 is outlined in the report, which shows how forests are being redesigned to improve their visual and environmental quality, how the diversity of tree species in forests is being increased, how the quality of water is being monitored in watercourses across the country and how chemical usage is being reduced in Coillte's forests. Coillte's Nature Conservation programme, which was initiated in 1998, is also detailed; this section of the report shows how the company is setting aside 15% of its estate with nature conservation as the primary management objective, how Old Woodland Sites were identified using the original 1830's Ordnance Survey maps, and how action plans are being developed for specific habitats in Coillte's forests. The report also shows that Coillte has embarked on a process that engages stakeholders in a systematic way, including consultation on Coillte's five-year plans, the establishment of six Social and Environmental Panels to discuss issues at policy level, and the establishment of a complaints system in 15 offices across the country.

Finally, an 8-page fold-out Case Study Report brings together the social, economic and environmental aspects of Coillte's operations in a distinct geographic unit, the Galtee Forest Management Unit, which covers almost 14,000 hectares of forest in parts of Tipperary and Limerick. This case study demonstrates the holistic approach that Coillte is taking to managing its forests.