We couldn't be happier to announce that Climpson & Sons is now officially B Corp certified. Achieving a score of 110.4 in our ‘B Impact Assessment’, we far exceeded the minimum score of 80 required to certify, and sit well above the global average of 50.9.
Whilst this isn't the 'be-all and end all’ when it comes to sustainability, the process of working towards these credentials has shone a light on our internal workings as a business, helping us to measure our impact and explore the ways we can continue to improve. Here’s what that certification means, with particular relevance to us and our place in the specialty coffee industry.
B Corp certification means being a business that meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance. This accreditation is achieved after thorough evaluation by B Lab across five impact areas – governance, workers, community, environment and customers.
Most crucial here is an awareness of both environmental and social impact. This means as well as considering environmental sustainability in our purchasing and decision making, we take into account the wider social role we play as a business. In terms of sourcing, we make the active choice to partner with producers who not only invest in biodiversity and carbon reducing technologies but who also work towards bettering the economic conditions for their employees and therefore communities as a whole. This view of the environmental and social working hand in hand sits at the core of our vision of sustainability.
We are transparent in the business we operate and are fully accountable for the impact this business has on others right across the supply chain, from our producers across the world to our employees at home. We value personal development in our team and operate a career pathway programme to help our baristas develop skills suited to other roles in the company, from roasting to account management, equipment servicing or digital marketing. This all forms part of our long-term vision of sustainability.
We are aware of our interdependence and the impact our decision making plays on others. We seek to improve the lives of others, and work in collaboration with partners who share our values. As a specialty coffee roaster our work is truly global and part of a force for positive change.
This mindset is put poetically and succinctly in B Corp’s Statement of Interdependence;
“That we must be the change we seek in the world.
That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place matter.
That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.”
Achieving this certification is just the starting point and this work is a constant review of the ways we operate as a business. As a registered B Corp we will undergo a report every 3 years in light of new research and technological developments to assess the progress we’ve made, as well as to highlight the areas we can continue to improve. The journey towards sustainable practice is long and there’s a lot of lessons to learn along the way.
Eyes peeled for our next journal piece on all things B Corp where we catch up with Climpsons MD Nicole on the process behind achieving this status and our benchmarks of sustainable practice.
