BCORP CERTIFICATION PROCESS
What motivated Cripps to pursue B Corp certification?
Being a caring business is not new to Cripps. In 2019, we recognised an emerging economy that balances the needs of all. We wanted our business to make a positive and lasting difference to a world in crisis. No business can do this alone. B Corp offered us the best framework to start embedding sustainability principles at every level and opened up a community of changemakers, including our clients, all working together towards this goal.
What were the biggest challenges faced during the B Corp certification process?
The length of the process was a challenge, requiring project management. The disclosure exercise on the potentially controversial industries had us triple checking our data and delivering a substantial report. The questions were not sector-specific so parts of the process felt a bit abstract – B Lab are addressing this. Our partnership business model was also not easily understood by our analyst.
How has becoming a B Corp impacted your day-to-day decision-making?
B Corp is bringing a new lens to our strategic and operational decision-making. Our business objectives were already well aligned to our purpose but now our business plan signposts B Corp impact topics helping us thread through ESG performance metrics. It has given us a renewed commitment to transparency and continuous improvement. We are more conscious and confident about where we do well, and where we need to focus. This is meaningful in our relationships with all stakeholders.
ESG ACHIEVEMENTS
How does Cripps approach energy efficiency and waste reduction in its operations?
It’s easy to get bogged down looking at data. We know we need to use it to fuel action. Having focussed attention on energy and improving the way we power down our buildings, we turned to waste. We asked Hannah Durden at CNZW to conduct waste reduction training, starting with a mini waste audit. We learnt on an average day, 50-95% of the content of our black bins are paper towels. We have hand driers so it’s so simple to remove this waste. We are using this approach now to find opportunities to save waste and costs across our operations.
Can you provide examples of Cripps’ involvement in social impact projects or partnerships with non-profits?
We love partnerships. Two we are really excited about the moment are:
Amplifi – Working with another B Corp, Yoyo Design, we co-found Amplifi; a group that unites businesses at a local level for climate and community. We are supporting a year of climate action across seven sector groups. So far, over 100 businesses have signed up. We are interested in how this model might work across other towns and cities.
EmpowHer –Less than 20% of SMEs are led by women in the UK, with funding often cited as one of the biggest barriers to growth. Our mission is to help change this by providing a free development programme which equips women to achieve the next stage in their growth journey. We are doing this in association with WHN Group, an initiative designed exclusively for female business leaders.
CLIENT SERVICE & ADVICE
How does Cripps assist clients in integrating ESG considerations into their business strategies?
When it comes to ESG, we need to be both reactive (solving our clients’ issues as they arise) and proactive (advising how ESG strategies can enhance strategic positioning). ESG is different for each client, depending on their sector, scale and ambition. One day we’ll be tailoring ESG conditions for green finance, another we’ll be working with a board on gender diversity and another we’ll be reviewing sustainability in cross border supply chains.
What legal services does Cripps offer to help clients navigate ESG regulations and achieve sustainability goals?
Our legal ESG services sit across energy and environment; responsible business and society; and sustainable finance, law and regulation. This is a neat way for us to tell people how we can help but there is an element of governance in all we do as lawyers. We work with our clients to help them understand the legislative environment, to find what ‘best’ looks like in their field and horizon scan. Environmental and social governance are growing issues across all our practice teams.
CLIENT SERVICE & ADVICE
What are Cripps’ future plans for advancing its ESG and B Corp commitments?
98% of our emissions come from the way we travel and our supply chain. We are asking everyone at the firm what solutions they want to see. We are collaborating with our clients, partners, and other law firms to share best practice in emissions measurement, reporting and reduction.
How does Cripps plan to measure and report progress on its ESG initiatives?
We are committed to reporting our impact annually. Our impact report acts as a ‘single source of truth’ to help us share our story but also set targets to create a long-term measurable impact across people, planet, clients and community.
Click on the report image below to download the document.
If you would like any further information on this report and its insights, please do get in touch or alternatively you can find more on our website at www.devono.com
