Ethics & Ecology

From value to values – welcoming the new era of integrity

A Difficult Path

“It’s a long hard graft, and one requiring meticulous attention to every aspect of the business. This and the minimum score requirement, means that only 3% of companies applying to become B Corps actually succeed”

In the time it took our business to attain a B Corp certification I had 6 rounds of IVF and a baby. Both were a long journey, both were painful experiences, but both were so worth the pain. 

And like good procurement, a B Corp certification is an investment in the future, not a cost. But not just an investment in the business – it’s an investment in culture. In people. In the right business practices and in our joint future. 

Hopefully, my son will be an investment in the future also – but at the moment, he seems much closer to a cost. 

Procuring products and services from businesses with integrity has allowed the marketplace, and businesses in general, to reach new heights. And the sudden rush for B Corp is the next stage in that evolution. 

The process has allowed us to demonstrate our credentials and stand shoulder to shoulder with a cohort of like-minded businesses to fix the sustainability and DE&I issues we are all facing.  

As you’ll know, B Corps are audited and certified ‘better’ businesses, at the cutting edge of what good looks like in the current world. B Corp certification is the highest award in the world for how businesses treat both people and the planet, down to transparency, performance and accountability. The commitment even goes all the way down to Articles at Companies House. 

We, The Liberty Guild, decided to become a B Corp for three keys reasons;

• Firstly, B Corp is the ultimate endorsement of our founding principles, ethics and values of freedom and kindness 
• Secondly – and linked to the first – it sets us apart from the rest of our industry – (Only 1 of the 75 certified B Corp businesses in the UK that class themselves in the “Advertising & Market Research” category are big major agencies)
• Finally, we see it as a way to partner with the best Clients in the world.  We want to work with extraordinary people who share our belief that business should benefit all stakeholders, not just the shareholders; that all business should aspire to do no harm and be conducted as if people and place matter. 

And that is where you come in. We know procurement people care about this, even if the big networks and traditional agencies don’t.  

The audit process is constructed around five pillars (Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, Customers) and there are 200 ‘points’ on offer between them. Most companies would score 50 points – but to be a B Corp you need a minimum of 80.

It’s a long hard graft, and one requiring meticulous attention to every aspect of the business. This and the minimum score requirement, means that only 3% of companies applying to become B Corps actually succeed.  

But in spite of the Herculean efforts required, there are now 5,100 B Corps globally – a 66% rise since 2020 – and 750 here in the UK.  And it is a process of continual monitoring and accountability, with recertification required every three years.  

To give a flavour of the breadth of questions requiring responses; the percentage above the legal minimum wage that the lowest paid employee earns, listed practices around diversity, equity and inclusion; the percentage of our purchases that are from companies that are majority owned by women or individuals from underrepresented populations. Civic engagement amongst employees; energy usage reduction targets; recovery and recycling programs in place (even when working from home!); client satisfaction; through to no on-job fatalities, tax reduction schemes or human rights violations. Our staff handbook now details everything from our modern Slavery Act Statement through to Whistleblowing Policy and Taxonomy. All ground is covered!

And finally, our commitment to being a force for good in the world is recorded in our Articles of Association at Companies House. We have a triple bottom line (social, environmental and economic) and so aim to have a positive impact amongst all stakeholders.

The process has allowed us to demonstrate our credentials and stand shoulder to shoulder with a cohort of like-minded businesses to fix the sustainability and DE&I issues we are all facing.  

So, it is a long and sometimes arduous journey but is a journey all businesses should be looking to follow. We should all have a sense of duty to buy better.  And this notion of conscientious procurement doesn’t mean more expensive.  It’s akin to having Fairtrade, organic, Rainforest Alliance products on every shelf of the supermarket – at the same price. Or less. The choices available would be transparent, ethical, world leading in DE&I, with a clear supply chain. Simply a ‘better’ product. And begs the question – why wouldn’t you buy better? (I should add that Waitrose and Ocado both have B Corp aisles within their online offerings!)

Another way to look at it, is to see your purchasing pound as a voting mechanic. You can choose to give that pound to support the right thing; via those with a triple bottom line. We can all now vote for the type of world we want for our brand, business or children.

Investing in your business and brand can be a positive investment for our collective future. So, choose The Liberty Guild. Or don’t. But definitely choose a B Corp.