We are incredibly proud to announce that Piper is now a member of the B Corp community, joining over 800 certified UK businesses, and 5,000+ businesses around the world.
A B Corporation is a business that has committed to being a force for good, one that balances making profit with looking after people and the planet. We have gained the certification by achieving 88 points (you need 80 to pass) in the B Impact Assessment, a thorough examination that covers governance, workers, community, environment and customers. This ever-evolving assessment is something we will have to complete every three years to remain certified and show our continued commitment and improvement.
This moment has been a long time in the making. Since our origins as founders ourselves, we have been mindful of growing businesses sustainably – looking after people through pay, training and empathy; minimising impact on the environment; ensuring a profitable business model that can withstand shocks and can invest in the brand and its people; and a business run by a diverse range of minds and backgrounds that would keep the brand relevant for decades to come. This has always been our approach to building brand legends.
In 2016, we introduced ESG (environmental, social and governance) analysis and reporting. We have now also added a carbon reporting process to this and publish our annual Sustainable Investment report. This was a natural springboard for B Corp, which is a framework that founders and teams find easy to engage with. It has been wonderful to see how it has come alive through Proper, Mindful Chef and Wild Nutrition, for whom B Corp is interwoven into their brand, business model and culture.
We kicked off our project to become a B Corp in September 2020, working with B Leader and co-founder of sustainability consultancy Seismic, Amy Bourbeau. She showed us not only what we could improve, but also highlighted things that we could be proud of. The assessment focuses on positive action and things you have done to inspire change.
It has been hugely galvanising for the whole Piper team in the ever-complex world of sustainability. Every member of the Piper team has made changes to their ways of working and embraced the B Corp philosophy. It is the best ‘Piper’ future-proofing we’ve ever done. It has also become the lens through which we evaluate new investment opportunities.
If we had to distill our learnings into three things, they would be:
This certification is just the beginning, and we know there is much more to be done. If you’d like to talk to us about becoming a B Corp, or are a fellow B Corp and want to say hi, please get in touch – georgia@piper.co.uk.