What is B-Corp?
A B-Corporation business is one that goes the extra mile when it comes to being sustainable and eco-friendly. The certification labels an organisation as meeting the highest social and environmental standard of living and working for people and the planet. Only 3500 businesses in the world, spread across 70 countries, have this certification. B-Corp is very hard to get, with a business having to go through a long assessment process and needing to meet lots of different requirements, so it is a huge achievement.
How did we achieve our B-Corp status?
To become a B. Corp, Aspire were assessed and audited against demanding standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. We made a number of company-wide changes, including installing more solar panels across all our buildings, using a fully electric van fleet and replacing our gas boilers.
Sustainability for Colleagues
B-Corp businesses are also assessed on their sustainability towards employees. One thing that really benefits colleagues is the Company Profit Sharing Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to encourage colleagues to work together towards shared goals, and to allow all team members to share the success of the company.
We also have a Cycle to Work Scheme available for colleagues to take part in. The company provides an interest-free loan of up to £1000 to allow colleagues to purchase a bike and/or cycling accessories to use for work. This encourages colleagues to use more sustainable modes of transport that help to protect our environment.
Staff are provided with a travel mug to avoid the use of one-use plastic cups, and bamboo lanyards rather than those made from synthetic materials.
Remote learning
Did you know remote learning can significantly decrease our environmental impact? Aspire has moved to delivering most learning online via Zoom with the trainers working remotely from home. More people on the roads is going to equate to more traffic and consequently more emissions and air pollution. This has reduced the travelling needs of our trainers, which in turn reduces our carbon footprint.
Going paperless
Aspire now uses electronic portfolios to record the work of our learners, everything is online and accessible to our students at any time. Moving online has reduced our paper usage significantly. We have also cut down on printing by introducing dual screens. The paper industry not only consumes vast natural resources but also requires significant energy to produce.
What other companies have B-Corp Certification?
Only 3500 businesses worldwide have achieved a B-Corp status, including our sister company, Aspire Training Team. Other businesses with this certification include The Body shop, Rituals Cosmetics and Jamie Oliver. Find out more here.
B-Corp Q&A with Cheryl Hadland, Managing Director!
We spoke to Cheryl Hadland, MD, to find out why she decided to pursue a B-Corp Certification…
