There’s been a special spring in our step this March, as we celebrate our very first B Corp Month as a proud member of this global community that makes business a force for good.
As the month draws to a close, I wanted to share with you how we are moving forward and paving the way for better business. Having achieved B Corp status last October, our journey is still beginning – but we’re already improving our impact.
The highlight of this B Corp Month was undoubtedly the first ever ‘Meet the B Corps’ event which took place in Dublin last week. Organised by our friends at B Lab, the event marked the biggest gathering of Ireland’s growing B Corp community to date, with panel discussions, networking events and lots of chat.
Among the highlights was a presentation by Donagh Quigley, founder of the brilliant Handmade Soap Company, who spoke about how his company is embracing a sustainable way of doing business. Donagh and the team are aiming to ‘plant a forest in a day’ this Easter Saturday and you can join them if you’re free!
We also really enjoyed listening to Aisling Gorman, Global Innovation Marketing Manager with Baileys, who spoke about the company’s new aluminium bottles. Aluminium is a less carbon-intensive alternative to glass, so this is a major new innovation from Baileys.
Also at the event was innocent drinks, whose Marketing Manager, Paddy Carmody (sporting a very nice B Corp t-shirt), explained how innocent always reserve a seat in the boardroom ‘for people and planet’, ensuring all stakeholders are considered when important decisions are being made.
Kudos also goes to the Armada Hotel in West Clare, which is boosting local economic prosperity as well as taking a special interest in local sand dune restoration, and Joannda Stanton of Earth’s Edge, which is boosting workplace diversity by prioritising female recruitment opportunities.
You really had to be in the (packed!) room to appreciate the energy and enthusiasm among the 200+ strong audience of B Corps, both certified and would-be. The event was also a testament to how quickly the movement is growing here in Ireland, with companies getting certified every month – and lots more interested in joining.
EI funding to support B Corp certification
Communications has a big role to play in the growth of our B Corp community, not just spreading the word but helping companies to get started on their own B Corp journey. Oh, and did you know? There is funding available through Enterprise Ireland to support companies that want to become B Corps.
Growing the movement is also why I was delighted to participate in a 2-day ‘B Leader’ training course a few weeks back. B Leaders are people (often business owners) who have gone through B Corp certification themselves and are able to guide and mentor other companies through what is a pretty rigorous and wide-reaching process.
In the meantime, we’re going to do what all good B Corps do and keep improving. According to B Lab Europe, when the time comes to renew their B Corp certification, an average of 63% of companies actually increase their impact score – moving forward all the time. Stay tuned for more B Corp news and thanks for reading!
If you’d like to find out about our sustainability PR and ESG communications services, including how you can get B Corp certified, get in touch today.
About the author
Owen Cullen is Managing Director of Cullen Communications, providing strategic consultancy to brands looking to improve sustainability performance. Owen holds a Diploma in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge.