CELEBRATING ONE YEAR AS A B CORP
OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Having celebrated our first anniversary as a certified B Corp in February, it is abundantly clear to our team at 17 Sport that certifying is not just a label, but an ongoing journey towards a better world. To meet and maintain B Corp’s high social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency standards, is to go far beyond the parameters of business as usual.
Why 17 Sport Followed The B Corp Pathway
We share B Corp’s vision that a “different kind of economy is not only possible, but necessary — and that business can lead the way.” We also believe the sports industry has immense untapped power to drive positive change. That change starts with us, and making sure our own house is in order. There are currently over 6000 Certified B Corporations in more than 80 countries and over 150 industries, all of whom are committed to bringing “Benefit for all” — workers, customers, communities, and the environment. We are proud to be a part of this engaged and active business community.
Progress Made in Our First Year as a B Corp
We will soon publish our annual B Corp Impact Report, which will share greater detail on our progress and the challenges we encountered navigating our first year of certification. Here is a preview of our work within B Corp’s current five assessment pillars:
GOVERNANCE: As a clear way of signaling our intent, we legally amended our company documents to include a “Mission lock” — that is to say, we treat our social and environmental impact as a primary measure of success for our business. To manage our B Corp and wider ESG commitments, we hired an Impact Manager, appointed an Impact Board, and set up advisory groups on team culture and DEI.
WORKERS: Building robust psychological safety and mental wellness in our team is vital — and something we are actively working on. We held our first team convening last year, bringing our whole team together in-person for the first time. Our team also has access to a training budget to build the skills and knowledge they need, and we are in the process of revising all of our policies to build stronger foundations for a thriving team.
ENVIRONMENT: Our remote-first setup makes calculating certain “traditional” metrics more tricky, such as company office energy use. Despite the challenges, we have followed through on our commitment to measure our team’s carbon footprint and will continue to work with Everland to support the REDD+ Mai Ndombe project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
COMMUNITY: Through the 2022 continuation of our GSW Social Booster program, we endeavored to expand our impact to the global community through pro bono service provision to organizations who use sport to address UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5, and 13. We worked with six non-profits from Uganda, Brazil, Nepal, the UK, Lebanon, and South Africa to deliver tailored capacity building. These impact organizations were handpicked from 102 applicants based in 58 countries across six continents.
CUSTOMERS: From our work on the adidas Breaking Barriers Project to make sports more equitable and inclusive for all, to the recent launch of Go Green Africa alongside the Cape Town Formula E, and building Team Sanofi as a part of Paris 2024, we are immensely grateful for the dedication of our impactful partners. We are relentlessly optimistic about the future and have a number of exciting projects lined up to help more sports industry players accelerate their transformation into a force for good, whilst activating their deeper purpose.
#WeGoBeyond
To echo the spirit of this B Corp Month’s theme of #WeGoBeyond, we want to recognize B Corp’s efforts to lead by example as they refined their framework to revitalize and strengthen the effectiveness of the certification. After a comprehensive and global review, the current scoring system is set to be replaced with a more thorough process starting in 2024, where companies will have to meet a series of non-negotiable standards in 10 impact areas.
If going beyond is the goal, every journey must begin with that first step. Wherever you are in your purpose and impact journey as a business, we recommend taking the B Impact Assessment. We need more businesses to act as a force for good in this chaotic, complex, and beautiful world. We know that activating your organizational purpose through sports has immense potential. We will move faster and more effectively when aligned with robust and consistently tested global frameworks. So, together, let’s go beyond to build a fairer, healthier, and thriving world for all.
AUTHORED BY
Emma Kennedy, Impact Manager
ABOUT 17 SPORT
17 Sport is the world’s first sports impact company operating at the intersection of sports, business, and purpose. We provide strategy, partnership, and implementation services to transformational leaders in sports and business committed to forging a better tomorrow for people and the planet.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming 2022-23 B Corp Impact Report, and please contact our Impact Manager Emma Kennedy on emma@17-sport.com if you have any questions.
