B Corp Month: Why ‘We Go Beyond’

This March is #BCorpMonth and we’re excited to be a part of a global movement of people changing the system.

Accountability

For us, being a B Corp organisation makes sense because the framework supports our ambition for environmental regeneration and economic sustainability. All our programmes require a commitment and achievement of ongoing improvements; we strongly believe that just measuring your impact isn't enough.

And it’s that accountability we hold for ourselves too.

A bold mark of change

We have been a B Corp since 2019. It’s challenged us to implement process and structure that benefits our people. For our recent recertification we worked on amending our company constitution to formally consider all stakeholders in decision making, as a way of insuring social or environmental impact is core to our purpose. Put simply, it means we’re taking intentions, or ad hoc actions, and making sure we turn them into policies or practices.

Toitū is to care for the life of this place, our people, and our future. Our staff receive one day of paid leave a year to volunteer in the community, as a part of our community purpose. From working in national parks to food banks, you can read more on this in our Impact Report 2021-22. Recently, volunteer hours were further increased for assistance of Cyclone Gabrielle efforts.

There are however many areas we seek to improve. In the diversity and inclusion space, we want to work on our recruitment of Māori/Pacific peoples, diversifying the voices we learn from and listen to, and building bi-cultural capability. And staff wellbeing is also at the top of our list, including bringing it formally into our Impact Team’s remit.

Key highlights:

Our boldness in positive environmental and social progress continues. Check out more detail of what we've been working on below, as well as previous achievements. You can find out more about B Corp and the month of activity, including events around the world, on their website here.

Recertification

The last three years of mahi are reflected in a change of score from 82 to 106.8, a 30% increase. Our score has improved across each of the five areas, but of particular note:

• Amending our company Constitution to formally consider all stakeholders in decision making as a way of insuring social or environmental impact is core to our purpose. This change really cements our commitment to run our business for good, and consider impact over profit. At Toitū any profit is reinvested to create further impact, and we’re proud to have this formally part of our Constitution, as well as our culture.
• Improved the diversity of our Board.
• Our lowest wage is still 20% over the living wage in Aotearoa and we have committed to this since we first became B Corp certified in 2019.
• We have also conducted a pay equity analysis to identify gender and ethnicity pay gaps so that we can target the areas we need to improve. While we have no horizontal gender pay gaps we do have some vertical gender pay gaps.
• Increased our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training offerings to our staff.
• Increased the number of staff volunteer hours.
• Maintained progress against our science-based targets for our greenhouse gas emissions.
• Added a second impact business model recognising the environmental education we provide.
• Recertified our impact business model recognising the impacts customers achieve in our programmes.

Where we’re focusing next

• We have some work to do for our diversity, equity and inclusion, including recruiting Māori/Pacific peoples, learning from and listening to these voices and building bi-cultural capability.
• Improving how we look after our staff wellbeing, starting by bringing it formally into our Impact team’s remit.
• Seeking formal Living Wage Accreditation and disclosing to MindTheGapNZ.
• Engaging with our suppliers to cascade action across our communities.

Previous Achievements

• Toitū achieved B Corp Certification in January 2019.
• We were one of the first group of signatories to the B Corp Net Zero by 2030 pledge, announced on stage at COP25.
• We contributed to the ANZ B Corp Climate Collective in 2021.