We are officially B Corp! But what does that mean?

We have some incredible news to share with you… We are so proud to announce that we are now officially a certified B Corp – and the first Cornish travel brand to receive this accreditation!

As our team, partners and many of our property owners are rooted in Cornwall, and part of the rich Cornish community, it’s incredibly important to us to ensure that our business practices are as environmentally and socially responsible as possible. This accreditation is a huge testament to our values, efforts and commitment to being a force for good within our community, and the work doesn’t end here!

What does B Corp mean?

The ‘B’ stands for ‘Benefit for all’ and the accreditation is curated to determine those companies that meet the highest environmental and socially responsible standards.

Does that mean you are a sustainable company?

The short answer is no. It means that we are critically assessing all of our negative impacts and strategising to reduce them or eliminate them. We are only just beginning and there is a long way to go.

Why have you decided to get accredited with B Corp?

In our 17 years as a company we have always endeavoured to provide quality jobs, help our community and engage in environmental actions. However, it became increasingly apparent this was not enough. Following on from us attaining the Green Tourism Gold award we decided we needed to do more. We wanted to use the rigorous framework provided by the B Impact Assessment to improve our environmental and socially responsible objectives.

What is different about B Corp versus other accreditations?

The B Corp accreditation process is lengthy and rigorous. It has enabled us to really look in depth at how we can improve our ESG policies and credentials across the company. B Corp status allows customers to trust that a company has integrity in their operations.

What does the B corp accreditation involve?

As a company we have had to assess in detail how responsible we are across five different impact areas. These are:

Governance – Creating policies to ensure that the Triple Bottom Line Model is followed. Being transparent and accountable, ensuring that all staff are trained and accountable for working with the company ethos and towards the company vision.

Workers – Providing fair pay and quality jobs, maintaining our Real Living Wage accreditation. Being mindful of a healthy work/life balance and implementing policies to facilitate that, all the while maintaining rigorous health and safety standards.

Community – Strategically engaging with the community to protect livelihoods, biodiversity, coast lines and the local economy.

Environment – Honestly assessing and disclosing the company’s environmental impact, creating solid reduction plans for emissions and waste, being open and honest about our progress. Strategise to communicate and educate our stakeholders and beyond.

Customers – Monitor and improve customer retention, being open and honest about terms and conditions, and responsible in our marketing strategies.

Disclosure Questionnaire – Identify any potentially sensitive areas in the business, looking at the practices, outcomes or sanctions of the company.

How did Cornish Gems score?

Governance – 17.2 – Average score in our sector 7.4

Workers – 21.6 – Average score in our sector 16.7

Community – 27.9 – Average score in our sector 20.8

Environment – 25.8 – Average score in our sector 8.7

Customers – 3.5 – Average score in our sector 1.7

Disclosure Questionnaire – All disclosures resolved or mitigated.

What’s next?

Whilst the B-Corp has been a lengthy and involved process Cornish Gems are only just starting. We see this initial accreditation as a baseline from which we will endeavour to improve. We are fully aware that both the climate crisis and the difficulties facing our community are very real. We cannot solve either of these problems by ourselves, but we hope to contribute to resolutions and to highlight proactive strategies to encourage our stakeholders to embrace a better way of doing business.