edie’s publisher Faversham House becomes B Corp certified

Faversham House announced this milestone on Tuesday (27 February), after more than two years of tireless work involving dozens of staff from across the business, plus expert assistance and guidance from impact consultants Seismic.

The business, which also owns brands including Utility Week and Utility Week Live, scored 103.3 points through the B Impact Assessment. This rigorous assessment tracks the impact a business has on its staff, its customers, the environment and the communities in which it operates. It also assesses governance practices within businesses.

To certify as a B Corp, businesses must score at least 80 points in the B Impact Assessment. The average score for non-certified businesses who complete the Assessment for the first time is currently 50.9 points.

Faversham House’s chief executive Amanda Barnes said: “We are immensely proud to be a Certified B Corporation. I’d like to thank all in the company who have worked so hard to make this happen. Obviously, this isn’t the end of the process and we will continue to strive to improve our sustainability performance as we move forward. There is lots more we can do and we will.”

Changes made

Certifying as a B Corp enabled Faversham House to formalise and join up many existing workstreams intended to enhance employee wellbeing, benefit the community and manage environmental impacts. It also presented new opportunities to go further and faster by launching new, innovative initiatives and forging additional impact-focused partnerships.

The business has made several in-house changes since beginning the certification process, such as launching enhanced employee policies relating to volunteering, flexible working and parental leave.

Faversham House has also launched a salary sacrifice scheme to help staff switch to electric vehicles, trained staff as Mental Health First Aiders and forged a partnership with wellbeing platform MyMynd to provide support to all employees.

Additionally, Faversham House has refined its content and events offerings, seeking to represent a more diverse array of speakers and thought leaders and to ensure that attendees and readers are equipped with the insight and inspiration they need to make change in their own professional roles.

As an office-based SME with a fairly small direct environmental footprint, it was crucial for the certification process for Faversham House to assess and improve its positive impact on customers, communities and the publishing industry as a whole.

Regarding its environmental impact, the business has assembled an Environmental Taskforce of staff members who, in addition to their day-to-day responsibilities, have worked to improve the business’s waste management processes, energy efficiency practices and transport emissions.

The Taskforce has also spearheaded investments in independently-verified carbon offsetting projects that contribute to the wider UN Sustainable Development Goals agenda. Projects avoiding 400 tonnes of greenhouse gases were supported in 2023 compared with Faversham House’s carbon footprint of 364 tonnes.

At events, changes have been implemented to prioritise plant-based menus, reduce food waste and other waste streams, and encourage venues and exhibitors to use sustainable materials, transport and energy.

Faversham House has also joined the SME Climate Hub, a global initiative that empowers small to medium sized companies to take climate action and build more resilient businesses. Through the SME Climate Hub, the company commits to reducing its impact on the environment through authentic action, halving its emissions by 2030. In making the commitment, the company has joined the United Nations Race to Zero campaign.

B Corp Certification is not permanent. Businesses are required to recertify every three years. As such, Faversham House will need to recertify by February 2027.