Better Business Network
In January I had the pleasure of attending the Better Business Summit in Manchester. It was incredibly well run and to anyone that either didn't hear about it, or is kicking themselves for missing it, I thoroughly recommend keeping your eye out for the next one. In the meantime here is a VERY brief summary of some parts that stuck with me.
Nature in the room
There was a big focus on bringing nature into the conversation. There was literally a beautiful chair made of wood and plants as part of the panel discussion, essentially making the point that all decisions about any aspect of business need to bring the impact on nature into the discussion. There was a great example from Faith In Nature actually making nature a member of their board.
Longtermism
There were also some discussions on changing our mindset to think more longterm. We were pointed in the direction of the Long Time Academy which is well worth a listen.
Carbon Literacy
There was a big focus on Carbon Literacy and the benefits of having a carbon literate workforce. The Carbon Literacy Project is a great setup for training and educating your team and something that we are certainly going to be doing at Yard B.
FutureEarth
I think it was only briefly touched upon, but this looks to be a really interesting network of scientists, researchers, and innovators collaborating for a more sustainable planet. Lots of really interesting articles on their news section.
Other things that might be of interest;
• Signing up to the Better Business Act
• Joining the 1% for the Planet movement
• Looking into the Fair Tax Foundation, which we believe is an incredibly important part of doing business honestly and fairly.
My key takeaway really is the need for the business community to support each other no matter where they are on their journey right now. Creating a splinter group of sustainable/purpose-driven/responsible businesses that only communicate with each other isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to share our progress, share what we're learning (good and bad) and inspire other businesses that haven't started making positive changes yet to join the party.
Finally, here are a few LinkedIn accounts I can thoroughly recommend following if you are interested in learning more about this subject.
