UK clothing and equipment brand Alpkit has released its 2021 Sustainability Report which shows the great strides the company is making to – in the company’s own words – ‘put people and planet before profit’.
A highlight for the company in the last year has been the gaining of B Corporation status, something only 300 or so UK companies have achieved since 2015 (and only 3000-odd businesses worldwide since 2007). B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, and it is one of the only certifications that is not for a product or service, but for the whole business behind the product or service.
David Hanney, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder said: “I’ve always believed that good businesses are a force for positive change making a meaningful impact on our communities, environment and broader industry. We are delighted to achieve B Corp Certification at our first attempt. B Corp gives us the strongest framework to build on these foundations and create more sustainable futures for us all”
Elsewhere in the report – which you can download HERE – are lots of interesting facts and figures about what Alpkit has been doing to reduce its impact on the planet as well as create equality and opportunity in its workforce. Some of the things they are most proud of during the last year are:
- Pivoted Alpkit Foundation to directly support food projects in lockdown. Alpkit Foundation has now awarded £300,000 to 900 projects benefitting over 15,000 people.
- Became a Living Wage Employer in the midst of a pandemic
- Reduced their carbon intensity and offset Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gases through UK-based tree planting projects
And in 2021 Alpkit are focusing on the following:
- Catch up, when travel is possible again, on their program of personal environmental reviews at their mills and factories including deeper life cycle analysis
- Restart their School Of Adventure events program for a more accessible and inclusive outdoors with a range of open courses to build outdoor skills and confidence
- Relaunch their team adventure training and face-to-face training programs to develop employees’ careers
For more info on Alpkit and the principles by which they run their business, go to https://alpkit.com/pages/sustainability
