Venturetec backs up B-Corp credentials with climate change action
Innovation consultancy Venturetec has joined the ‘NotBusinessAsUsual’ initiative in support of global climate protests – backing up on its B-Corp credentials.
Over the past month, millions of citizens have gathered in protest around the world to demand action on climate change, including an estimated 350,000 in Australia during the first wave of coordinated demonstrations on the 20th of September. Among those in Melbourne were the crew from boutique strategy and innovation consultancy Venturetec, which had committed to a partial shutdown on the day as a participant in the ‘NotBusinessAsUsual’ initiative.
Altogether the movement has attracted more than 3,000 signatories across Australia and New Zealand, with these businesses and organisations pledging to support worker participation in the strikes whether by closing their doors for the day or providing some other form of flexibility. While corporate action can often be met with cynicism, Venturetec is far from a bandwagon jumper or recent convert, with corporate social responsibility built into the firm’s DNA.
As a certified B-Corporation, Venturetec also has the badge to prove it. Indeed, in the words of founder Trey Zagante, the 2014-established consultancy wasn’t satisfied with just doing good, but wanted to know ‘what good looked like’ from the outset – whether in respect to governance and following the right policies, best practices in areas such as supply-chain, or simply looking after its staff. This pursuit ultimately led to B-Corp certification at the beginning of last year.
Established in 2006, the non-profit B Lab organisation seeks to promote a global cultural shift to redefine business success and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy, with B Corp certification – following a strict, criteria-based independent evaluation – granted to businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. To date, some 2,788 companies have made the grade.
But it’s not just about pinning a certificate to the wall and getting on with business. These companies, the organisation says, form a community of leaders driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good – with members even encouraged to alter their legal structures so as to enshrine community-minded decision-making; the businesses then obliged to consider the impact of their decisions on their employees, communities, and the environment.
The idea is to encourage ongoing commitment and continual improvements. Further to this, B Lab also recognises the top-performing B Corps across seven categories in its annual Best For The World honours lists, in which Venturetec was recently named for the second consecutive year as among the top ten percent for having the greatest positive impact on its workforce – demonstrating employee-friendly practices such as job flexibility and inclusive hiring policies.
When it comes to recruitment, such accolades serve as a two-way street for positive reinforcement, attracting applicants to its Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore outlets who are driven by corporate social good, and so in turn further embedding these ideals into the fabric of the firm. This, according to Zagante, is particularly important for the newest generation of young professionals – many of who want to feel a sense of purpose as a core part of their careers.
