This is kind of a big deal. Yellow Sub Geo are thrilled to announce that we are officially a B Corp Company. We have now joined a growing community of thousands of ethically minded, bad-ass companies helping to drive a global movement to do business better.
But What Does it All Mean?
To become a B Corp is to meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance. That is, to prioritise public transparency and legal accountability of your business’ actions, successes and failures. It’s done with the intention of business being a force for good with a fairer more sustainable economy.
Put simply, we envisage a world where the B Corp community becomes the norm and can help profitably solve the world’s big f***ing problems. This includes but is not limited to reducing inequality, lowering levels of poverty, promoting a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose.
The Big Question – Why Us?
Applying for certification is no walk in the park. However it was one of the key goals that helped form the business in its early stages, got us out of bed in the morning and kept us up late at night – because what do you have if not a solid sense of purpose? We fully aligned ourselves with the B Corp triple bottom line to give equal weighting to people, planet and profit.
People
Yes, real people with talent, skills and experience but also families, mental health and interests outside of work (to the shock and horror of Senior Goldman Sachs’ executives everywhere). We make no apology for focusing on our people.
As the great Chuck Palahniuk once wrote,
“You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f***ing khakis” – Chuck – Fight Club 1996.
We can’t do all the amazing work we aim to do as a company without the people that make it. The simple philosophy here is that if we look after our team, they will look after us.
Planet
We’re switching up the mindset of taking to giving back. Afterall, profit at the expense of people and planet is clearly unsustainable. There is no Planet B.
"The truth is, the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it" - Sir David Attenborough.
Profit
In practical terms this means that during the analysis of a business proposition we ask ourselves, “what impact will this have socially and environmentally?” as well as, “what profit will we make?”. Most importantly, it’s the equal weighting of these questions that we imagine will make the most impact. If we can profitably solve problems, this gives us the ability to operate at scale. It means we don’t need to rely on hand-outs or sponsorship. It means we can attract investment and ultimately scale the positive impact.
Make Positive Tracks
So what will we do with this re-invigorated sense of responsibility? It all comes down to our mission to leave the world better than we found it. Our ultimate goal is not only to disrupt, innovate and provide sustainable solutions that benefit the planet but also inspire others to join in on the Journey.
It's all about the Journey
Here’s to now!
