P E O P L E
We are an Employee Owned Trust (EOT), run by people trying to make things better for more people! But this needs to stretch across the supply base, community and to our customers, to ensure that no matter what we do we have a positive effect on all. We are already championing in this area but that doesn’t mean it's time to stop!
P L A N E T
As we look to the future, we want to ensure that the services and products we offer help to maximise environmental potential and only contribute positively. We will be reporting annually, publishing the findings on our impact and working to minimise it as much as possible. Here, we can set targets and goals for the upcoming year and discuss what worked/what didn’t and try to do our best; we need to look after this planet as there is no planet B.
P R O F I T / P R O D U C T
We want to make sure the money we make goes back into a good business with good outcomes. Having a strong and robust business means we can keep making trikes and improve product quality and create a better experience for all. This ensures that ICE is run in an efficient way to keep us on the journey and continue making positive changes.
To achieve the certification, you must receive a score of 80 or over. The business average is about 50, we scored...
G O V E R N A N C E
Governance evaluates a company's overall mission, engagement around its social/environmental impact, ethics, and transparency. This section also evaluates the ability of a company to protect their mission and formally consider stakeholders in decision making through their corporate structure (e.g. benefit corporation) or corporate governing documents.
W O R K E R S
Workers evaluates a company’s contributions to its employees’ financial security, health & safety, wellness, career development, and engagement & satisfaction. In addition, this section recognizes business models designed to benefit workers, such as companies that are at least 40% owned by non-executive employees and those that have workforce development programs to support individuals with barriers to employment.
C O M M U N I T Y
Community evaluates a company’s engagement with and impact on the communities in which it operates, hires from, and sources from. Topics include diversity, equity & inclusion, economic impact, civic engagement, charitable giving, and supply chain management. In addition, this section recognizes business models that are designed to address specific community-oriented problems, such as poverty alleviation through fair trade sourcing or distribution via microenterprises, producer cooperative models, locally focused economic development, and formal charitable giving commitments.
E N V I R O N M E N T
Environment evaluates a company’s overall environmental management practices as well as its impact on the air, climate, water, land, and biodiversity. This includes the direct impact of a company’s operations, and when applicable, its supply chain and distribution channels. This section also recognizes companies with environmentally innovative production processes and those that sell products or services that have a positive environmental impact. Some examples might include products and services that create renewable energy, reduce consumption or waste, conserve land or wildlife, provide less toxic alternatives to the market, or educate people about environmental problems.
C U S T O M E R S
Customers evaluates a company’s stewardship of its customers through the quality of its products and services, ethical marketing, data privacy and security, and feedback channels. In addition, this section recognizes products or services that are designed to address a particular social problem for or through its customers, such as health or educational products, arts & media products, serving underserved customers/clients, and services that improve the social impact of other businesses or organisations.
But what does it mean?
As a certified B Corp business, we are verified to meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Receiving the certification and badge isn’t the end of the journey for ICE though, it's a promise to all that we are committed to a journey of bettering ourselves and using the business as a force for good™. We know we have a lot more work to do in the Environment, Community, and Customers sections; we recognise where our weaknesses lie but we are determined to continue our work to be a better business and over time to see these scores improve.
There are a lot of sustainability certifications out there, but we wanted one that would hold us accountable in a social aspect as well as environmental, so B Corp was the perfect fit. We have made legally binding commitments that encompass all the main areas of people, planet, profit, and product, ensuring we are always delivering to the best we can.
And what does it mean for you?
In this ever changing world, there are so many buzzwords and false claims regarding social and environmental topics, making it a bit of a minefield to navigate. This is why we felt it was the right thing to do in gaining the certification, as it means we have to be transparent and honest to all. Previously, as our customers, you had to trust that we paid our staff fairly, that we had policies in place to look after customers and staff, and that we monitored our supply chain. But now you have absolute proof of all of these things by seeing that ‘B’. The team at B Lab has interrogated our entire business and given us their stamp of approval! No other trike manufacturer can say that!
It doesn’t stop there - every three years we will have to re-certify and go through the gruelling process again and demonstrate to the B Lab team that we are constantly striving to improve and increase our score.