01 July 2019

Hibernia creates a buzz with Irish honey bees as its newest tenants

Board/Management Changes

Hibernia REIT plc (“Hibernia”) has partnered with Bee Green Ireland to install beehives at four of its Dublin city centre office properties. The beehives have recently been placed on the roofs of 1 Cumberland Place, 1 Windmill Lane (“1WML”), Two Dockland Central and the Observatory.

Tenants of these properties, including Autodesk, Core Media, HubSpot, Travelport Digital and Twitter, will be able to enjoy the benefits of the bees. Twice a year the hives will be harvested for honey and each hive is expected to produce up to 90 jars per harvest for distribution to tenants. Along with natural honey, the hives produce wax which can be turned into body balm, lip balm and candles.

The threat to Ireland’s bee population was outlined recently on World Bee Day, with leading academics and President Michael D Higgins highlighting the role pollinators play in our ecosystem. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, animal pollinators, like bees, affect 35% of the world’s crop production and increase the output of 87 of the leading food crops globally*.

With Ireland’s National Parks and Wildlife Service recently noting a 14% decline in bee species** providing a good environment for bees to thrive has never been more important. Bees cope well in urban settings, where they are healthier thanks to a stronger immune system developed by a more varied diet and can be more productive. Their winter survival rates in urban settings are also considerably higher.

The beehives installed in 1 Cumberland Place, 1WML, Two Dockland Central and the Observatory are expected to supply their first jars of honey in September and other products will be made to order. 

Patrick Casey of Bee Green Ireland said:

"Dublin is a fantastic urban setting for our native Irish honey bees. At Cumberland Place the bees are within a couple of hundred metres of Merrion Square, Pearse Square Park and the Trinity College campus which will be prime foraging ground. They’re also known to travel around 3km from their hives when they get hungry, putting St Stephen’s Green, Fairview Park and parts of both canals within their reach. It’s great that a company like Hibernia, which own properties in ideal locations, has taken an initiative to give back to both the environment and their tenants."

John Cairns from Hibernia commented on plans to install more hives at properties around the city:

"This is something we have been looking at doing for a while and now that we’ve seen the appetite from our tenants and the knowledge of Bee Green Ireland we’re planning to add hives to as many of our properties as we can. Sustainability is central to how we develop and manage our buildings and to how our tenants experience our properties. Improving the country’s bee population is important for the environment and our tenants will be able to enjoy natural products from the roofs of the buildings they work in."

Sinead Kenny from Twitter (tenant in 1 Cumberland Place) said:

"Twitter is really committed to sustainability in our business and the locations in which we work. This type of initiative allows us to contribute to the environment in a meaningful way and has a tangible outcome. In a few months’ time our staff will literally get to taste the benefits of a thriving bee population."

Lindsey O’Connell from HubSpot (tenant at Two Dockland Central) added:

"HubSpot was really pleased when we heard Hibernia was adding beehives to Two Dockland Central. We're passionate about becoming a greener workplace and this is a great way to help the environment. Not surprisingly, our EcoSpot employee-led resource group is particularly excited! We now eagerly await the chance to taste the first crop of honey from our new office friends."

ENDS

* Measuring Pollination Deficits, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation
http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/news-events-bulletins/detail/en/item/211886/icode/?no_cache=1

** 6th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, NPWS
https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/files/NPWS%20Biological%20Diversity%20web.pdf

Contacts:
Murray Consultants
Doug Keatinge: +353 86 037 4163, [email protected]
Jill Farrelly: +353 87 738 6608, [email protected]

About Hibernia REIT plc
Hibernia REIT plc is an Irish Real Estate Investment Trust ("REIT"), listed on Euronext Dublin and the London Stock Exchange. Hibernia owns and develops property and specialises in Dublin city centre offices.