Eileen Hyland
People-Centred Sustainability Lead, ESB
With a commitment to people-centred sustainability in the transition to net zero, ESB is driving initiatives that support employees, supply chains, customers and the local community.
People-centred sustainability puts people at the heart of achieving environmental and economic goals. Eileen Hyland, People Centred Sustainability Lead at ESB, is responsible for guiding this pillar of the organisation’s sustainability strategy during its clean energy transition.
“We have a responsibility to ensure our strategy benefits all social groups impacted by our business activities, so no one is left behind,” explains Hyland. “One of the early ads for the Shannon electrification scheme refers to ESB’s aim to ‘lighten human burdens and brighten human lives.’ We continue that today through our People Centred Sustainability programme.”
This translates into meaningful action across four key social groups: employees, supply chain workers, communities and customers. “We take social responsibility very seriously,” explains Hyland. “It reflects our core values of being Caring, Trusted, Driven and Courageous, aligning with our nearly 100-year-old mission to have a positive social impact.”
Partnering with stakeholders to deliver
Committed to supporting customers on the journey to net zero carbon emissions by 2040, the company is investing to deliver safe, reliable electricity to 2.5 million homes and businesses. During the first six months of 2025 alone, they invested over €1.3 billion in critical energy infrastructure and network resilience projects, an increase of €400 million on the same period in 2024.
Close engagement with local stakeholders is vital to this, in line with the company’s approach to People Centred Sustainability. “We invest over €1 million every year through Community Benefit Funds in support of local communities in the vicinity of our wind or solar farms, who play an active role in how this money gets spent,” explains Hyland. “This could be local projects and initiatives, including sports facilities and community centre upgrades.”
People-centred sustainability puts people at the heart of achieving environmental and economic goals.
ESB is also investing in people. As employee numbers increase yearly, averaging over 9,500 in the first six months of 2025, Hyland explains they’re “focused on creating a safe work environment where employees can thrive.” Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is embedded in their culture, supported by voluntary, employee-led resource groups that support gender equality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, accessibility and cultural and ethnic diversity.
Reinforcing its commitment to human rights, the company continues to support supply chain workers with organisation-wide due diligence. As Hyland underlines: “We participate in collaborative initiatives across the industry to keep standards high, ensuring responsible sourcing and ethical practices throughout our supply chain, to enable a brighter future for all.”
