B Corp: Highest-scoring consumer coffee brand*
The results of our B Corp recertification are in. It is the highest score ever achieved by a UK consumer coffee brand!
Here’s how we’re raising the standard of business so it’s better for everyone.
Leading the way
As a purpose-driven business, we believe that business can and should have a positive impact on the world. That’s why it was natural for us back in 2018 to lead the way and become the first UK coffee brand to become a B Corp. In receiving this certification, we are recognised for being one of the world’s best companies for economic prosperity, community involvement, and environmental responsibility. This achievement signalled to the sector that coffee can make positive change. Since then, other coffee companies have joined the B Corp movement, making waves of beneficial effects.
But being a B Corp is a journey and every three years we undergo a recertification process to maintain our B Corp status. We scored an impressive 126.2; over 30% higher than in 2018! [1] This is the highest score for a consumer coffee brand in the UK. With this, we raise standards in the industry and continue to inspire our peers and show how business can be done better.
Where we excelled
Becoming a B Corp shows that we surpassed high standards set across five key areas: governance, workers, environmental impact, community and customers. A score of 80 or higher must be achieved through rigorous assessment to be accredited.
Our new score recognises our efforts to strengthen our governance and unique business impact model: fair prices for coffee, additional social and environmental funds and investing in Producers Direct, a non-profit enterprise led by farmers for farmers.
The governance score rocketed following the changes made to our legally binding Articles of Association which outlines our business responsibilities. Here we promise that all our actions will positively impact society and the environment – a premise already fundamental to our purpose.
Our score for the positive impact we have on our communities also soared. This shows our considered approach towards the farmer cooperatives we work with, our staff, suppliers and commitment to diversity and inclusion. We won ‘Best in the World’ in 2019 for the highest scores in community impact so we’re shaping up well for the next judging in 2023.
Future focus
We continue to monitor our environmental impact. We have now joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which means we’re reducing our carbon footprint to meet international climate change goals. By 2025 we will reduce our own [2] greenhouse gas emissions by 25%, and to 50% by 2030 (from our 2019 baseline). We’re also measuring and reducing emissions from our suppliers and customers, as part of our science-based commitment to net zero by 2040. [3]
Charging forwards
To put our score into perspective: B Corp scoring ranges from 80 to 200 points – the higher, the better.
Our 126.2 points is classified as ‘Outstanding’, but we’ll keep working to improve because we want to keep leading by example. We’ll keep breaking boundaries and show to the world that coffee really can be better for everyone.
[2] Our own operations include emissions produced from Scopes 1 and 2
[3] This will include emissions produced by Scopes 1, 2 & 3
*Please note this news release is historical – Cafedirect is no longer the highest-scoring coffee brand. But watch this space for when we re-score!
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Producers Direct interview
