5 minutes with Ecologi: Why should businesses become a B Corp?

With Business West recently celebrating one year of becoming a B Corp, we spoke to Ecologi, a platform for climate action based in Bristol.

Business West first teamed up with Ecologi in 2021, and since then Business West has funded over 40,000 trees and avoided over 2000 tonnes of CO2e. Through these efforts, we've contributed to projects across the world including forest protection in Zimbabwe and have helped capture methane in India to reduce emissions and produce electricity. 

We spoke to Sam Jackon, Senior Climate and Environmental Impact Manager at Ecologi about why they became a B Corp and how businesses can get started on their sustainability journey.

Certified B Corporations are businesses verified by B Lab, a non-profit organisation which certifies companies based on how they create value for non-shareholding stakeholders, such as their employees, the local community, and the environment.

With the stark impacts of climate change being recognised across the world, customers are becoming more conscious about their behaviour and therefore gravitating towards businesses which value sustainability and account for their impact on the environment. A recent Deloitte study found that between 2020 and 2021 there was a sharp increase in the number of people who have adopted a more sustainable lifestyle in the last 12 months, meaning businesses are increasingly taking this shift in consumer behaviour into account. 

Sam said:

“One of the key things about becoming a B Corp was our values of trust and accountability. When we carried out research last year, we found that out of all the businesses we spoke to, 80% of them wanted to be more sustainable, but they didn't know where to start. 

“Because it's such a in depth process to become a B Corp, we wanted to use it as an opportunity to improve as a business and make sure that we were having the maximum impact, but that we also had that stamp of trustworthiness for the businesses that we're interacting with day to day.”

A Business West survey conducted in August 2022 found that 71% consider climate change to be a core ‘business issue’ but lack the resources to make changes due lack of information. The B Corp accreditation not only helps sustainable businesses prove their commitment and authenticity, allowing both B2C and B2B firms to help customers on their sustainability journeys, but it also brings together the B Corp community to share learnings while inspiring others to consider the accreditation.

Sam said:

“I’d definitely recommend other businesses to become a B Corp.  I think one one of the massive benefits of becoming a B Corp is it helps you to understand where your impact is coming from and you get a really good snapshot of where your business is at and then make improvements from there.”

With research highlighting the huge contribution businesses have on total Greenhouse Gas emissions emitted, Sam is passionate about the role businesses have to play in mitigating climate change and working towards a net zero future. He said:

“It behoves us as a business community to really take accountability for ourselves and for our operations to make sure that the impact we are having is as positive as it can be. B Corp allows you that mirror to take a look at what you’re doing today and improve it.”

Sam says that knowledge sharing is a key benefit of joining the B Corp community and also when supporting businesses to get started on their sustainability journeys. 

“The role that these kinds of business communities have to play, whether it’s Business West, or B Corp is enormous, because it brings movers and shakers and actors within the space together to not only get to know each other, but to exchange knowledge. It helps to drive the whole thing forward.”

Get started on your sustainability journey

Since starting the Net Zero workshops in 2020, we’ve supported over 200 businesses to get started on their net zero journey. The next Lunch and Learn workshop is taking place on 9th February, focusing on Green energy, where you’ll hear an interesting round-up of the current energy situation, and learn more about the more sustainable options of heat networks and heat pumps. You can book on here.

In February, we’ll also be holding an Aiming for Net Zero workshop which will cover topics such as how much carbon your business emits, how to reduce it and how to incorporate Net Zero into business operations and planning. You can book onto the event here.

Stay abreast of our upcoming events here. 

These sessions are free for Business West Chamber members. If you’re interested in becoming a member, click here.