One of our Life Size values is minimising the negative environmental impact of our operations. We take this value seriously, so you might think it natural for us to engage in some of the many corporate sustainability initiatives out there to validate our commitment. But we don’t do anything like this.
This was a choice we made after much thought, and we did so because it makes sense for us – even if many other companies would disagree. We know this decision will be personal to each business, and can be a difficult one to make.
For other companies in this position, we want to share the questions we asked ourselves when we decided to skip the labels. There’s a lot of pressure around not just actioning sustainability commitments, but proving them too. When approaching a difficult topic like this, these three questions make it simple.
What are the benefits?
We’re all aware of the environmental impact of our everyday actions, and that business operations are a major contributor to global emissions. It is a moral imperative to reduce our business’ environmental impact. Moreover, many businesses are under pressure from investors, customers and partners to be seen to be tackling sustainability. Not to mention pressure from governments to meet sustainability targets to avoid heavy fines.
Corporate sustainability metrics can therefore be very useful tools. For example, becoming a certified B Corporation, or B Corp, is a useful signal to customers, partners and investors of a certified companies’ ethics, including how it approaches sustainability. Another popular choice for companies looking to improve their sustainability efforts is to invest in a carbon emissions measurement tool. This can help companies track their progress towards commitments and evidence their achievements.
These are just two options we considered at Life Size. But we had to decide whether these investments made sense for our company, which led us to our next big question.
Is it worth it?
Applying for a sustainability label seemed like a no-brainer for us at first. We already meet many of the key criteria to qualify for the status, and support the values of the programme. But the reality is that applying for a B Corp Certification is a big investment, as achieving verification involves a thorough process. Similar qualifications carry the same problems. And concerns about B Corp status being a greenwashing tool adds another layer of hesitancy. As a small business, it simply doesn’t make sense to dedicate so much time to gaining this qualification – time that can otherwise be spent making an impact.
Likewise, there are many carbon footprint measuring tools around, but they all come with a cost. Would paying to know the exact amount of emissions we produce help us reduce our carbon footprint? We already uphold strict sustainability policies, both when working from home and travelling, and review them on a regular basis.
While measuring carbon emissions can be useful for some businesses, especially large companies, it isn’t helpful for a small company like Life Size. We focus on doing what we can, and knowing this is making a real difference in minimising our environmental impact, even if we don’t know the specifics of how big the impact is.
What are the alternatives?
Instead, Life Size focuses on actions, not labels. With initiatives like working from home, restricting air travel unless absolutely necessary and employing green infrastructure like a green website server, we are confident that we are reducing our carbon footprint. We don’t need a label or a measurement tool to tell us that. As a team, we are secure in and proud of our contributions to minimising our carbon footprint.
It can take time to find a way that works for your business. Take our relationship with 1% for the Planet, for example. For a few years, we were part of this scheme, which meant we joined a network of 7000+ partners to donate 1% of our revenue to charities working to protect the environment.
However, we eventually decided to leave the programme and give up the 1% for the Planet badge to do things our own way. Now we donate 1% of our profits to a company of our choice each year, and volunteer at organisations that are close to our hearts. Read more about this decision in our recent blog post.
Our choices are right for us, but for other businesses experiencing different pressures and priorities, corporate sustainability metrics can work. We know the pressure is heavy, especially on larger businesses, to not just do good but prove that you’re doing good. Instead, we use platforms like our LinkedIn page and this blog to share our progress in this area. And not just our achievements, but also our reflections and advice for other companies in the same position as us.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you have a B Corp Certification or invest in a carbon management tool, what influenced this decision? Or if you don’t, how do you know this decision is right for your business?
