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Protecting The Environment

Taking action on climate change is a key pillar of Three Ireland’s sustainability programme. Since 2018, Three’s business has run on renewable energy, with the company’s mobile network, head office, call centre, direct retail stores and data centres all operated by electricity from renewable sources.

This gives Three’s customers peace of mind, knowing that the services they use are powered by green energy. This gives customers peace of mind, as they can be assured that the connectivity that they use is completely green.

In March, Three signed up to Business in the Community’s Low Carbon Pledge. This initiative demonstrates the company’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions and will see the organisation setting science-based reduction targets by 2024 across its full business operations.

Charity Partnership With Aware

Because Three Ireland’s business helps life mean more through connecting, the company concentrates its charity strategy on the area of mental health.

Last year, Three Ireland launched a new charity partnership with Aware, wherein it will assist the charity in its mission to create a society in which people affected by stress, depression, bipolar disorder, and mood-related conditions are understood, supported – free from stigma – and encouraged to access appropriate therapies.

In Association with

Three Ireland provides a package of support that includes corporate donations, employee fundraising, skills volunteering, and more to Aware. During the pandemic, the company’s 3Connect service enabled Aware’s helpline volunteers to work from home and deal with callers remotely. This meant that Aware could keep its vital mental-health support helpline running throughout the crisis.

Pandemic Support

Three Ireland took a number of measures to keep people connected during Covid-19. The company gave free access to health and educational websites, and it was the first mobile operator in Ireland to permanently remove all usage limits from its data plans.

It also donated devices and provided free calls, texts and data to many charities, nursing homes, and hospitals. Its Data for Schools initiative provided 15,000 free SIM cards with unlimited data to schools across the country, in order to help families with home-schooling and connectivity.

Supporting Employee Well-being

Three Ireland supports its employees with a well-being programme that focuses on financial, social, physical and mental health. There is an annual calendar of well-being activities that includes yoga, Pilates, talks, and Couch to 5k training. This year, the company also introduced a free subscription to mindfulness and meditation app Headspace for all employees.

Diversity, Inclusion And Belonging

Three Ireland is committed to a workplace environment that promotes diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB) and creates an open and inclusive culture. Three’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging programme has recently received a silver rating in its first assessment from Investors in Diversity. The company has a range of DIB activities in place, and it is currently rolling out training for all employees in this field.

Digital Inclusion

Not only is the company investing in its own sustainability, one of the major benefits of Three Ireland’s mobile technology is that it can help to ensure the sustainability of entities outside of its own business. One example is the remote island of Arranmore, off the coast of Donegal, where Three has installed superfast broadband, to create a more connected island and enable societal and economic development.

New STEM Scholarship Partnership

Three Ireland has recently partnered with Trinity College Dublin on a new STEM scholarship programme to fund the creation of 25 Three Ireland Scholarship for Women in STEM and two Three Ireland Trinity Access Teacher Fellowships. The Trinity Access Teacher Fellows will play a crucial role in efforts to encourage the study of higher level mathematics in schools.

Photo (l-r): Dean of STEM at Trinity College Dublin Sylvia Draper, recent graduate Nwannebuife Ukponu and chief commercial officer of Three Ireland and Three UK Elaine Carey (Pic: Naoise Culhane)