Agilité Impact Interview

In this interview, we share the thoughts from one of our newly B Corp certified clients, Agilité Solutions.

Why did your company decide to pursue B Corp certification, and what motivated the commitment to social and environmental responsibility within your industry?

We wanted to see how we could be at the forefront of changing the construction, not simply in terms of the environment, but the entire approach to our work. People are at the heart of what we do in terms of our colleagues, clients, suppliers and the end-users of the spaces we create. It’s well-documented that the construction industry is a major contributor to the environment and, as a young company, we wanted to reduce our negative impact by putting things in place which would allow us to lead by example, while building a company that people would want to work for.

Can you share the main challenges your company faced during the B Corp certification process, and how did you overcome them?

There were a lot of American approaches and ways of working during the certification, so understanding how these translated into the specifics of the European market was something we had to work on.

What led your company to seek the assistance of consultants during the B Corp certification journey, and how did their expertise contribute to the process?

We are a relatively small team, and wanted to make sure we had the resources and the time to do things properly, as well as understanding the details of the Business Impact Analysis (BIA). A Beautiful Green has experience in this area, and it was something we wanted to be able to implement as soon as was feasible. At the time, we had already been working with the team for around a year, so thought they would be best-placed to help with the application.

In what ways has achieving B Corp certification helped your company in reaching its sustainability and social impact goals

It’s helped us to set a framework for the business and how we operate. It’s only the beginning of our responsibility journey, and we’re learning every single day on things we could improve.

From your perspective, what was the most challenging aspect of the B Corp certification process, and what lessons did your company learn from that experience?

We learned to look inwardly, and not try to be ‘the best’ at everything from the outset. We know being B Corp certified is the first step on a journey towards continued improvement, therefore we focused on what we could change and improve with relative ease first, and now we’re looking to ‘what’s next’.

What opportunities has B Corp certification opened up for your company, both in terms of business growth and enhanced sustainability practices?

The response from our peers and professional networks has made all the hard work worthwhile. Although we’ve only been certified for a few months, we’re already making a conscious effort to work with other B Corps across Europe – whether that’s on projects, or catering for our recent UK office opening. With B Lab Luxembourg – where I am based – there is a relatively small pool of us, so I’m looking forward to connecting with others at an event later this month, and exploring how we can work together.

As your company moves forward, how do you plan to maintain the high standards set by B Corp certification and continue to prioritize social and environmental responsibility in the years to come?

We plan to make continuous improvements to what we are doing, and are working with our European teams to implement new initiative throughout the business, as well as looking at our B Corp score to see where there are opportunities for improvements. Colleagues have been incredibly proud of the certification, and are really enthusiastic about ‘living the values’ we represent as a B Corp.

Looking ahead, how does your company plan to actively engage in the B Corp movement and collaborate with other certified companies to further promote sustainable practices and social impact within your industry?

We are excited that the community is growing. We are present in multiple countries across Europe and therefore are looking forward to being a part of the B Lab movement across the UK, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France.

Interview of Kirsty Shearer, Development Director.