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11 Oct, 2024 All

B Corp: Our impact one year on

One Year of Purpose-Driven Impact

As we celebrate our one-year anniversary as a B Corp, we’re reflecting on our journey so far.

When we announced our certification, we said it would be a framework for change and building a better The Society Building. Transitioning from incremental improvements to taking bold, impactful actions and inspiring our community to join us on the journey.

Over the past year, we’ve made tangible progress across the B Corp impact areas of community, environment, works and governance. Today, we want to share those achievements, the lessons we’ve learned, and what’s next as we continue to inspire action across the built environment.

Community

What we’ve done

We transitioned from ad-hoc donations to a more purposeful, centralised, and transparent charitable giving model through the B1G1 platform.

We’ve also updated our supplier database, prioritising transparency around delivery distances and local sourcing. By collecting supplier data through comprehensive questionnaires, we’ve made progress towards our goal of sourcing 60% of our suppliers locally within our neighbourhood.

What’s next

Looking forward, we aim to further enhliance our community impact by exploring new volunteering opportunities that connect our team and members with local initiatives.

We’re also working to understand the diversity of our supply chain to ensure we’re supporting underrepresented businesses, contributing to a more inclusive and equitable local economy.

 

 

Environment

What we’ve done

Sustainability is at the core of our operations, and this year, we made significant strides. Our “Sustainable Living” series, led by our Green Team, has been instrumental in educating our members about reducing their environmental impact.

We’ve also achieved zero waste to landfill through partnering with First Mile. Our spaces have clearly labelled bins for glass, paper, mixed recycling and waste, to ensure as much of our waste can be recycled as possible.

Our coworking spaces have switched to a renewable electricity provider. This means all our energy is collected from renewable sources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as solar, wind, rain, tides and hydro rather than polluting and CO2 producing fossil fuels.

What’s next?

Our ambitious goals include reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2040.

We also aim to achieve a 20% reduction in waste and a 90% recycling rate. As part of this, we’ll continue our Sustainable Living series, offering practical ways our community can contribute to these targets through individual actions.

Workers

What we’ve done

We introduced improvements to weekly working hours to promote a healthier work-life balance. We also launched the YCN training platform, giving our team access to a library of professional development tools.

What’s next

We’ll be focusing on supporting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) initiatives.

 

Governance

What we’ve done

Over the past year, we’ve formalised our Social Value Purpose and Strategy, setting a clear direction for how we want to generate positive impact. This has been complemented by our contribution to an internal materiality assessment, which helps us prioritise the issues that matter most to our stakeholders.

What’s next

To continue strengthening our governance practices, we’re rolling out team training on anti-bribery and corruption to ensure that ethical decision-making remains at the forefront of our operations. We also plan to complete a materiality assessment with our members, bringing them into the process of shaping our priorities.

Additionally, we’ll be working with each team member to identify personal social and environmental goals, fostering a culture of accountability and purpose-driven work.

Looking Ahead

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made but know there’s much more to be done. We look forward to continuing this journey with our members, partners and the wider B Corp community.

To learn more about our journey or get support with your own B Corp journey, please get in touch at info@thebuildingsociety.org.