IE Domain Registry Annual Report 2019

IE Domain Registry  Annual Report & Review  2019 15 Corporate Governance Corporate Social Responsibility One of the core mandates of IE Domain Registry is to support and serve the needs of the local internet community. The directors and management strive to be transparent, accountable and to balance the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders. We understand the importance of active communication and engagement with our internal and external stakeholders. The Company prioritises the values of fairness, equity and transparency in all dealings with our key stakeholders, including customers (Registrars), domain holders (registrants), employees of the Company and the local internet community. The local internet community Through its memberships and sponsorship of industry awards and industry events, the Company provides a modest level of financial support to the local internet community. In 2019, we sponsored the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, Amplify Digital, Learn Inbound, the Start Summit and a range of other events. BT Young Scientist Special Award – David Curtin, CEO, IE Domain Registry presenting the IE Domain Registry Special Award 2020 to Brian Kelleher, Belvedere College, Dublin for his project “We are not safe”.
 The Company has provided free .ie domain name registrations to 6,688 registered charities, in co-operation with a number of our accredited Registrars. Domain names are provided free of charge to those organisations which are registered as charities and have a valid CHY number issued by the Revenue Commissioners. The Company was also involved in the training of 1,800 “nonliners” in 2019 as part of the Getting Citizens Online Scheme, an initiative of the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment. In 2019, 17,800 citizens received training under this scheme, which provides digital skills training for citizens who have never used the internet, with a view to removing a key barrier to digital adoption. Employees The Company aims to be a good employer in all respects. The Staff Handbook sets out the HR policies and procedures, and is provided to all new employees as part of their induction. It also includes whistleblower provisions and procedures for staff raising matters in confidence, including providing direct lines of communication to Board members. The Company operates a pension scheme for the benefit of all participating full-time employees. It also has a Safety Statement in accordance with the relevant legislation. Sustainability In 2019, a “green committee” was established with the aim of working together to develop green initiatives to reduce and manage our carbon emissions. From this, Project Glás was created. The vision for Project Glás was to baseline our current carbon footprint and work towards reducing it, through actions and decisions, both big and small, on a day-to-day basis. The goal was, and continues to be, to educate and build awareness to promote sustainability. The Project Glás team is made up of staff and management volunteers. The “Go Carbon Neutral 2020” initiative acted as a template, and from that we have worked in partnership with other companies and Forestry Partners. The aim of this campaign is to work with other companies to “Fight Climate Change with Native Irish Woodland Creation”, offsetting our carbon emissions by planting trees and thereby becoming carbon neutral from 2020. We are committed to achieving a positive impact on society, to being pro-active in terms of our Corporate Social Responsibility and working with leading industry figures alongside climate, forestry and biodiversity experts as part of the “Go Carbon Neutral Campaign”.