Stryker promotes a move to carbon neutral commutes by partnering with Cork County Council for Bike Week 2022
Stryker, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, together with Cork County Council, is promoting the use of the newly opened cycleway in Carrigtwohill during Bike Week 2022. Throughout this week, the 3,500 commuters to the Stryker sites in Carrigtwohill, Macroom and Model Farm Road are being encouraged to cycle part or all of their journey to work, in a move to make their commutes to work carbon neutral.
The cycleway, developed and constructed by IDA Ireland, forms part of the Cork County Council-led initiative to develop an interurban strategic cycleway linking Dunkettle and Midleton. During the development of the cycleway, Stryker provided land and support for the newly completed section, which offers an alternative transportation route that aims to reduce car usage in the county.
Bike Week runs from 14-21 May 2022, when Cork County Council will encourage people across the county to take to two wheels. Stryker is hoping to kick start a move to more carbon neutral commutes, reflecting its commitment to seek every opportunity to live its sustainable strategy.
Stryker’s global sustainability strategy supports its goal to become carbon neutral by 2030. Ireland is on target to achieve this goal, with Stryker’s Irish manufacturing sites now using 100% renewable energy generated by wind farms. The use of renewable energy reduces the Irish operations footprint by approximately 20,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, the equivalent of removing 4,000 cars from the road.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Councillor Gillian Coughlan welcomed the collaboration between Cork County Council and Stryker as part of Bike Week Cork 2022 saying, “It is wonderful to see this Bike Week 2022 initiative between Cork County Council and Stryker, which encourages Stryker employees to commute to and from work by bike for the duration of Bike Week. Bike Week encourages everyone to introduce a little more activity into our everyday, benefiting our physical and mental wellbeing. This initiative builds on the ongoing investment in active travel infrastructure by both Cork County Council and Stryker. Strengthening our connections with employers and communities along strategic cycleways and improving connectivity between people and their place of work is critical to the future success of active travel and sustainable development for Cork County.”
Speaking at the launch of the initiative on behalf of Stryker, Roisin Hickey, Senior Director Quality Assurance said, “Our sustainability strategy informs how we work and how we seek out more environmentally conscious behaviours as individuals. Stryker recognises the collective buy-in required by all team members in creating a more sustainable business. As one of the largest employers in the East Cork area we have a responsibility to work to change behaviours and move towards a more sustainable future. Partnering with Cork County Council during Bike Week provided an ideal opportunity. We are proud of the hundreds of cycled kilometers being clocked up by our team during Bike Week, in what we hope will be a permanent move towards a more carbon neutral approach to commuting.”
