The company, which is widely recognised for leading the way in sustainable best practise, has demonstrated a marked reduction in energy usage for 2011/12 across a range of key areas resulting in significant savings.

Environmental initiatives include a reduction in electricity consumption by eight - the equivalent of enough electricity to power 3,500 homes for an entire year - whilst carbon emissions have been reduced by 11,288 tonnes - the equivalent of nearly 3,000 return flights from London to New York.

Other successful initiatives include the installation of low energy lighting, further investment in heat recovery methods and 96% diversion of waste to landfill.

Mike Mullan, Moy Park's Human Resources and Business Improvement Director, said that the company is working proactively to adopt best practice methods to minimise its environmental footprint.

"Across the company we remain committed to reducing the environmental impact of our operations," Mr Mullan said.

"The reduction in our energy usage marks a significant improvement in our sustainable performance throughout 2012 and showcases our efforts to maintain a positive reputation as a responsible business.

"This ethos is central to our long-term business strategy and our ambitions as a company to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace."

Mr Mullan added: "By implementing significant behavioural and cultural changes across the entire business - from ensuring equipment is shut down properly after use to communicating positive feedback to our employees, customers and stakeholders - we have been able to foster a shared determination to support environmentally sustainable work practices.

"We will continue to work towards increased sustainability throughout 2013/14 with proposed schemes ranging from an increased focus on water recovery and recycling across our primary sites, to the upgrade of refrigeration systems and a thermal heat recovery initiative."