Host in Ireland has launched its DCs for Bees pollinator plan to address Ireland’s biodiversity plight and save bees from extinction.
Data centre advocacy group Host in Ireland wants to save Ireland’s bees with a new plan that includes more than 40 pollinator-friendly actions.
The DCs for Bees pollinator plan is the first of its kind for the global data centre industry and highlights ways for individuals and businesses to take action in addressing Ireland’s biodiversity plight.
According to the report, bees contribute to 70pc of crops and one-third of all food that we eat depends on pollinators such as bees. However, 33pc of Irish bees are facing extinction and the climate crisis could put the global bee population in even more danger.
The plan from Host in Ireland includes a toolkit of 42 pollinator-friendly actions to ensure the survival of our pollinators for future generations.
Some of the actions include reducing the frequency of mowing to allow wildflowers to grow, planting clover fields and other bee-friendly plants and adding bee hotels to plant and machinery areas.
The aim is to give any business in the data centre ecosystem, no matter how big or small, the tools they need to take action and reduce, stall or even reverse the potential extinction of bees.
The plan is backed by the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, an island-wide initiative attempting to o reverse declines in pollinating insects.
The initiative’s co-founder and project manager, Dr Úna FitzPatrick, said Host in Ireland was the first industry-wide organisation to approach the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan about addressing the declining bee population.
“We are delighted that Host in Ireland and its data centre industry partners have stepped forward and are uniting to make a difference with the DCs for Bees Pollinator Plan,” she said.
Host in Ireland’s founder, Gary Connolly, said he hoped the initiative would encourage other industries to follow suit and make an even bigger difference to the global issue.
“When we launched DCs for Bees, we committed to raising awareness, becoming advocates and most importantly taking action to reverse the dramatic decline in Ireland’s pollinators,” he said, adding that the launch of the new plan is a continuance of this pledge.